Charley Patton

Charlie Patton (May 1, 1891–April 28, 1934), or Charley Patton ("Charlie", according to his full-length biography, but Web sites and album covers show no consensus on the spelling) was an American Delta blues musicia

Charlie Patton (May 1, 1891–April 28, 1934), or Charley Patton ("Charlie", according to his full-length biography, but Web sites and album covers show no consensus on the spelling) was an American Delta blues musician, and one of the first mainstream stars of that genre. Patton, who lived most of his life in Sunflower County, in the Mississippi Delta, was extremely popular across the U.S. South, and (in contrast to the itinerant wanderering of most blues musicians of his time) was invited to perform at plantations and taverns. He is considered by many to be the "Father of Delta Blues".

He is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta blues man (Palmer, 1995). Palmer considers him among the most important musicians that America produced in the twentieth century.