Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 August 14, 1958) was an American bluessinger, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African-American audiences. In the 1930s and 1940s, he navigated a change in style to a more urban bluessound popular with working-class black audiences. In the 1950s, a return to his traditional folk-blues roots made him one of the leading figures of the emerging American folk music revivaland an international star. His long and varied career marks him as one of the key figures in the development of blues music in the 20th century.