Between the 1920s and 1930s, Bessie Smith became the most popular female blues musician that there was. She led blues into its popular culture. She became known as the Queen of Blues. She was known to have her songs spark a sexual sense with how she sang and what she sang. She became the highest paid African American performer. She was a big artist in the south and soon became known all over. Her music talked about poverty, oppression, and love. The way that she spoke of it is what drew people closer to her. She was a bold and confident person who remains a staple of blues music.
Like Bessie Smith, BB King was also a staple to blues music, he was a guitarist whose music drew inspiration. He was introduced to white audiences to bring more publicity and popularity to his music. His music mainly emphasized the live experience of how life was. His guitar was his biggest staple to his music, it was the biggest contributor to blues music. With his guitar he began the well known finger slide which is now a popular movement to play guitar.
The way the two shaped bljues differently is that Bessie Smith spoke on love and poverty. She was known for how she was able to communicate these feelings in a sensual way. She brought blues to its popularity early and was the Queen of Blues. As for BB King, he was the King of Blues, especially in Memphis., He was known for how he could play his guitar and the way that he would represent real life situations with his songs.