Paul Butterfield, a white harmonica player, was the first to create a style that was original and powerful enough for him to be included in the true blues legends. Butterfield’s contributions are undoubtedly significant. Before his rise to fame, many white American musicians treated blues with caution, afraid of being perceived as too authentic. Butterfield opened the door for white musicians to build on blues tradition, instead of just replicating it. His thundering sound was also a catalyst for bringing electric Chicago Blues to white audiences that had previously considered acoustic Delta Blues the only genuine form. His first recordings, which were released in the mid-’60s and featured the legendary, racially diverse first edition of The Paul Butterfield Blues band, were innovative, cutting-edge offerings that merged electric blues with rock.
