One of the biggest misconceptions about blues music is that the genre is all about doom and gloom. Naturally, many blues songs feature lyrics about being down in the dumps, love lost, and heartbreak.

Whatever you call it—boogie, two-step, shuffle, bump and grind—it’s important to put on your dancing shoes and cut a rug once in a while. But of course with the human propensity for bashfulness, that ...

From Lead Belly to Janis Joplin, we profile 15 great blues singers who helped shape this most emotive and expressive of music ...