Bill Broonzy on the movie set of Low Light and Blue Smoke, Brussels, December, 1955 Big Bill Broonzy was born 120 years ago today. A prolific blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, Broonzy’s career began in the 1920s when he played country blues to mostly African-American audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s, he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working class African-American audiences.