Blues Timeline: 1940-49
1940
- [Approx. Year]: Death of Funny Paper Smith (real name: John T. Smith; aka "The Howling Wolf")
- [Uncertain Year] Death of Blind Blake (full name: Arthur Phelps or Arthur Blake) probably in Jacksonville, Florida. See 1933
- [Uncertain Date]: Death of Ramblin' Thomas (real name: Willard Thomas) in Memphis, Tennessee
- 12: Bo Chatmon records Arrangement For Me-Blues, My Baby, Policy Blues, Honey in Atlanta, Georgia
1940 March
- 05: Blind Boy Fuller records Step It Up And Go in New York
- 06: Blind Boy Fuller records Somebody's Been Talkin', Three Ball Blues in New York
- 07: Blind Boy Fuller records Good Feeling Blues, Crooked Woman Blues in New York
- 07: Bukka White records Black Train Blues, Strange Place Blues, When Can I Change My Clothes, Sleepy Man Blues, Parchman Farm Blues, Good Gin Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 08: Bukka White records High Fever Blues, District Attorney Blues, Fixin' To Die Blues, Aberdeen Mississippi Blues, Bukka's Jitterbug Swing, Special Stream Line in Chicago, Illinois
1940 April
- 17: Big Bill Broonzy records I've Got To Dig You, When I Had Money in Chicago, Illinois
1940 May
- 09: Jazz Gillum records Key To The Highway in Chicago, Illinois
- 09: Lil Green records Just Rockin', What Have I Done in Chicago, Illinois
- 10: Tommy McClennan records New Highway No. 51, She's Just Got Huggin' Size, My Little Girl, My Baby's Doggin' Me, She's A Good Looking Mama in Chicago, Illinois
- 17: John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson records Train Fare Blues, Welfare Store Blues, My Little Machine in Chicago, Illinois
1940 June
- 04: Sleepy John Estes records Mailman Blues, Time Is Drawing Near, Mary Come On Home, Jailhouse Blues, Tell Me How About It, Drop Down in Chicago, Illinois
- 05: Robert Nighthawk records Friar's Point Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 12: Bill Gaither (aka Leroy's Buddy) records Georgia Barrel House in Chicago, Illinois
- 19: Blind Boy Fuller records Bus Rider Blues, You Got To Have Your Dollar, Thousand Woman Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 27: Memphis Minnie records Lonesome Shark Blues, Nothin In Rambling, Boy Friend Blues, It's Hard To Please My Man in Chicago, Illinois
1940 July
- 12: Walter Davis records Can't You See Your Face, Please Don't Mistreat Me, Why Shouldn't I Be Blue in Chicago, Illinois
1940 August
- 05: Washboard Sam records I'm Goin' To St. Louis, Yes I Got Your Woman in Chicago, Illinois
1940 October
- 30: Memphis Slim records Beer Drinking Woman, You Don't Mean Me No Good, Grinder Man Blues, Empty Room Blues, I See My Great Mistake in Chicago, Illinois
1940 December
- 12: Tommy McClennan records Whiskey Head Man, New Sugar Mama, Down To Skin And Bones, Katy Mae Blues, Love With A Feeling, Drop Down Mama, Black Minnie, Elsie Blues in Chicago, Illinois
1941
1941 January
- 21: Lil Green records Give Your Mama One Smile, My Mellow Man, Knockin' Myself Out in Chicago, Illinois
1941 February
- 07: Lonnie Johnson records Crowin' Rooster Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 13: Death of Blind Boy Fuller (full name: Fulton Allen) in Durham, North Carolina
1941 March
- 21: Walter Davis records The Only Woman, New Come Back Baby in Chicago, Illinois
- 27: Big Joe Williams records Crawlin' King Snake, I'm Getting Wild About Her, Peach Orchard Mama, Meet Me Around The Corner in Chicago, Illinois
- 28: Robert Petway records Catfish Blues in Chicago, Illinois
1941 April
- 01: Memphis Slim records Old Taylor, I Believe I'll Settle Down, Jasper's Gal, You Got To Help Me Some, Two Of A Kind, Maybe I'll Loan You A Dime, Me Myself And I in Chicago, Illinois
- 04: John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson records Western Union Man, Big Apple Blues, My Baby Made A Change, Shotgun Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 23: Lil Green records Why Don't You Do Right, Love Me, What's The Matter With Love, Country Boy Blues, How Can I Go On in Chicago, Illinois
1941 May
- 02: Big Bill Broonzy records Key To The Highway in Chicago, Illinois
- 21: Memphis Minnie records In My Girlish Days, Me And My Chauffeur Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 28: Frank Edwards records Terraplane Blues, We Got To Get Together in Chicago, Illinois
1941 June
- 03: Tony Hollins records Stamp Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 26: Washboard Sam records Life Is Just A Book, I'm Not The Lad, My Feet Jumped Salty, Flying Crow Blues, Levee Camp Blues, I'm Feeling Low Down, Brown And Yellow Woman Blues, She Belongs To The Devil in Chicago, Illinois
1941 July
- 02: John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson records Shady Grove Blues, Sloppy Drunk Blues, She Was A Dreamer, You Got To Step Back in Chicago, Illinois
- 23: Lil Green records If I Didn't Love You in Chicago, Illinois
- 24: Jazz Gillum records Riley Spring Blues, I Got Somebody Else, It Looks Bad For You, Me And My Buddy in Chicago, Illinois
- 30: Robert "Junior" Lockwood records Little Boy Blue, Take A Little Walk With Me in Chicago, Illinois
1941 September
- 08: Big Joe Turner records Blues On Central Avenue in Los Angeles, California
- 11: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup" records Black Pony Blues, Death Valley Blues, If I Get Lucky in Chicago, Illinois
- 15: Tommy McClennan records Cross Cut Saw Blues, You Can't Read My Mind, Deep Blues Sea Blues, I'm A Guitar King, It's A Cryin' Pity in Chicago, Illinois
- 24: Son Bonds records Black Gal Swing, 80 Highway Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 24: Sleepy John Estes records You Shouldn't Do That, Lawyer Clark Blues, Little Laura Blues, Working Man Blues in Chicago, Illinois
1941 November
- 04: Washboard Sam records Let Me Play Your Vendor, Gonna Hit The Highway, I've Been Treated Wrong, Evil Blues, Get Down Brother, Lover's Lane Blues, You Stole My Love in Chicago, Illinois
- 11: St. Louis Jimmy Oden records Going Down Slow in Chicago, Illinois
1941 December
- 04: Memphis Slim records Whiskey And Gin Blues, You Gonna Worry Too, Caught The Old Coon At Last, Lend Me Your Love in Chicago, Illinois
- 05: Walter Davis records Don't You Want To Go, Just Want To Walk Awhile in Chicago, Illinois
- 05: Jazz Gillum records It's All Over Now, One Letter Home, You Drink Too Much Whiskey in Chicago, Illinois
- 11: John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson records Ground Hog Blues, Black Panther Blues, Broken Hearted Blues, She Don't Love Me That Way, My Black Name Blues
- 12: Little Son Joe records Black Rat Swing in Chicago, Illinois
- 12: Big Joe Williams records Please Don't Go, Highway 49, Someday baby, Break 'Em On Down in Chicago, Illinois
- 21: Death of Peetie Wheatstraw (real name: William Bunch; a.k.a. The Devil's Son In Law, High Sheriff Of Hell) in East St. Louis, Illinois
1942
1942 January
- 21: Lil Green records If I'm A Fool, I'm Wasting My Time On You in Chicago, Illinois
1942 February
- 20: Tommy McClennan records Mozelle Blues, Mr. So And So Blues, Bluebird Blues in Chicago, Illinois
- 20: Robert Petway records Bertha Lee Blues, My Baby Left Me, Cotton Pickin' Blues in Chicago, Illinois
1942 April
- 15: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup records Mean Old 'Frisco Blues in Chicago, Illinois
1942 May
- 19: Lem Johnson records Candy Blues in New York
1942 July
- 30: Jazz Gillum records I'm Gonna Leave You On The Outskirts Of Town, Woke Up Cold In Hand in Chicago, Illinois
- 31: Washboard Sam records I Laid My Cards On The Table, I Get The Blues At Bedtime in Chicago, Illinois
1943
- Death of Sweet Pease Spivey (real name: Addie Spivey)
1943 September
- 21: Death of Trixie Smith in New York
1946
1946 August
- 16: Death of Mamie Smith in New York
1947
- [Approx. Date]: Death of "Hambone" Willie Newbern
1947 October
- 18: Death of Julius Daniels in Charlotte, North Carolina
1948
- [Uncertain Date]: Death of Black Boy Shine (full name: Harold Holiday)
1948 June
- 01: Death of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson (real name: John Lee Williamson; a.k.a. Sonny Boy Williamson I) in Chicago, Illinois
1948 August
- 10: Death of Lucille Bogan (full name: Lucille Anderson; a.k.a. Bessie Jackson) in Los Angeles, California
1949
- Death of King Solomon Hill (real name: Joe Holmes) in Sibley, Louisiana
1949 October
- 20: Death of Sam Collins (a.k.a. Cryin' Sam Collins) in Chicago, Illinois
1949 December
- 06: Death of Lead Belly (real name: Huddie William Ledbetter; alt. spellings: Leadbelly, Ledbelly) in New York