Blues legends and outright lies.
A few of these stories evolved into legends. Whether they are true or not. I mostly don't care. As long as I know the difference. And maybe, not even then.

Read Robert Palmer's Deep Blues.
Palmer's blues history book is the gold standard. Palmer was the New York Times' first rock critic, so the book is an easy, well-written read. But it's also pivotal. Before Palmer was a NY Times critic, he produced blues concerts throughout the south. He personally knew these blues artists. And they trusted him. Thus, much of Deep Blues is based on interviews with some of the most important blues musicians. It's the only genuine history of blues music, as the original artists lived it.

My brief history of blues music recordings guide.
If you don't have time to read Palmer (although it's a quick read), here's my simplified overview of the main popular blues eras. With concise descriptions of the recording artists, and some of their best recordings.

Blues Eras Recording Guide

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