Blues America Part 1: Woke Up This Morning – Full Documentary

Blues America Part 1: Woke Up This Morning is a 2013 BBC documentary on the story of the blues. Focusing on how this music crossed borders from black to white and as it grew more popular, from the weak to the powerful.

First appearing in the southern states of the US around the beginning of the 20th century, blues music was created by the poorest people in the richest nation on earth and it took America by storm.

The film looks at the early years of the blues to discover how Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charlie Patton used the latest media to bring their music to the public. With contributions from Keith Richards, Taj Mahal and Chuck D.