At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, blues musicians were considered part of the larger classification of folk musicians. Over the years, the blues played such an important role in the development of R & B, soul, and rock 'n roll, that the blues became a separate and important genre.

On the Web, you can find enough blues links to keep you busy for many years at BluesLinks. Another good starting point is the Blues Page at About.com.

In print, MusicHound Blues is a comprehensive reference book.