Lee Conley (Bradley) Broonzy (1903 - 1958)

Born 26 Jun 1903 in Jefferson, Arkansas, United States

Died 14 Aug 1958 at age 55 in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: US Black Heritage Project WikiTree [send private message]

William (Bradley) Broonzy is a part of US Black history. Join: US Black Heritage Project Discuss: black_heritage

Biography

William (Bradley) Broonzy is Notable.

Lee Conley Bradley was born on June 26, 1903 probably in Lake Dick, Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. He was known as Big Bill Broonzy and was an American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Frank Bradley and Mittie Belcher.

In the 1910 census Lee Bradley (age 6) lived in Plum Bayou, Jefferson, Arkansas with parents Frank Bradley (age 48), Cotton Farm Laborer, and Mittie Bradley (age 38), and five siblings: Jim 19, Frank Jr. 12, Gustava 10, Lanie 3, and Mary 1. Lee was born in Arkansas to parents born in Arkansas.^[1]

In the 1920 census Lee Bradley (age 16) lived in Plum Bayou, Jefferson, Arkansas with parents Frank Bradley (age 56), General Mechanic Salesman, and Millie Bradley (age 48), and three siblings: Frank 22, Lona 14, and Mary 10.^[2]

Lee Bradley age 21 married Gertrude Emery age 19 on 19 Dec 1920 in Jefferson County, Arkansas. They were both residents of Lake Dick, Jefferson, Arkansas.^[3] Gertrude Bradley filed for divorce on Jun 30, 1923 in Jefferson, Arkansas.^[4]

In the 1930 census Willie Lee Broonsey (age 28), Foundry Laborer, lived in Chicago, Cook, Illinois with wife Annie (age 25) and son Ellis (age 6). Willie, Annie, and Ellis were reportedly all born in Mississippi.^[5]

On 16 Feb 1942, Willie Lee Broonzy age 38 lived in Chicago, Illinois, at 4225 Evans, home of his sister Mattie Bradley Burford and her husband, Benjamin Burford. Willie was born 26 Jun 1903 in Scott County, Mississippi (sic). He reported his employer as Lester Melrose, an early producer of Chicago blues records.^[6]

On 11 Jul 1956, William L. Broonzy married Rose Lawson in Cook County, Illinois.^[7]

Lee died on August 14, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois aged 65 and is buried in the Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois.

His death notice in the 17 Aug 1958 Chicago Tribune stated that William Lee (Big Bill) Broonzy died 15 Aug 1958. Survivors include wife Rose, and siblings Frank, Sally, Gustava, Lannie, and Mary. His funeral was 19 Aug with interment at Lincoln Cemetery.^[8]

William "Big Bill" Broonzy is buried in Lincoln Cemetery, Blue Island, Cook, Illinois.^[9]

Research Notes

• The birth date and place of Big Bill Broonzy are disputed. He claimed to have been born in Scott, Mississippi but after researching, Robert Reisman a blues historian suggests he was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas. Broonzy also claimed he was born in 1893 but family records found after his death suggests that the year was 1903.
• The 1900 census of Frank and Mittie Bradley in Vaugine, Jefferson, Arkansas does not include a boy named William or Lee or Conley. Therefore, Bill Bill was not born soon enough to appear in the 1900 census. Instead, the 1903 date in Jefferson, Arkansas makes the most sense for his birth.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ 1910 United States Federal Census: "1910 United States Federal Census"
   Arkansas > Jefferson > Plum Bayou > District 0104
   Ancestry Image (accessed 6 October 2023)
   Lee Bradley; "United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKVQ-BXJ : Fri Oct 06 16:19:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Frank Bradley and Mittie Bradley, 1910.
2. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census: "1920 United States Federal Census"
   Arkansas > Jefferson > Plum Bayou > District 0127
   Ancestry Image (accessed 6 October 2023)
   Lee Bradley; "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDJM-TJZ : Fri Oct 06 01:33:45 UTC 2023), Entry for Frank Bradley and Millie Bradley, 1920.
3. ↑ Marriage: "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957"
   Catalog: Marriage records (Jefferson County, Arkansas); index, 1830-1927 Marriage records, v. BB - DD (p. 1-225), 1920-1922
   Image path: Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957 > 004315649 > image 201 of 844
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-D4CS-5F4 (accessed 7 October 2023)
4. ↑ 1923 - 1927 > B: "Arkansas, U.S., Divorce Index, 1923-1939"
   1923 - 1927 > B
   Ancestry Image (accessed 7 October 2023)
   Lee Bradley.
5. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: "1930 United States Federal Census"
   Illinois > Cook > Chicago (Districts 751-1000) > District 0922
   Ancestry Image (accessed 7 October 2023)
   Willie Lee Broonsey.
6. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
   National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Illinois, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 200
   Ancestry Record 2238 #300796517 (accessed 6 October 2023)
7. ↑ Marriage: "Cook County, Illinois Marriage Index, 1930-1960"
   Cook County Clerk; Chicago, Il; Cook County Genealogy Records (Marriages)
   Ancestry Record 1500 #5385510 (accessed 7 October 2023)
8. ↑ Death Notice Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug 1958, p. 30
9. ↑ Marriage: "Cook County, Illinois Marriage Index, 1930-1960"
   Cook County Clerk; Chicago, Il; Cook County Genealogy Records (Marriages)
   Ancestry Record 1500 #5385510 (accessed 7 October 2023)
10. ↑ 1900 Census: "1900 United States Federal Census"
    Year: 1900; Census Place: Vaugine, Jefferson, Arkansas; Roll: 63; Page: 9; Enumeration District: 0098
    Ancestry Record 7602 #6331889 (accessed 7 October 2023)

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Melrose
• 1958 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
  Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Sat, Aug 16, 1958, page 12
  Newspapers Clip: 133068386 (accessed 7 October 2023)
• Wikipedia:Lee Conley Bradley
• Reisman,Robert (2011) The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy-University of Chicago, p. 7 ISBN 978-0-226-71745-6
• Barlow, William (1989) Looking Up at Dawn The Emergence of Blues Culture Temple University Press, pp. 301-303
• Big Bill Broonzy Encyclopedia of Arkansas
• Davis,Francis (2003) The History of the Blues, DeCapo Press p 186f
• Charters, Samuel. B (1960) The Country Blues, London, Michael Joseph, p. 117
• “Blues Hall of Fame Inductees ” database (https://blues.org// : accessed 10 Apr 2023) Blues Hall of Fame - Inductees