Precious Bryant

Born Precious Bussey in Talbot County, GA, on January 4, 1942, Precious Bryant has performed rural acoustic blues throughout her native state for over 30 years in a variety of settings, from the Baptist church to folk festivals to clubs and concert halls. As a female practitioner of a rapidly fading folk style, Bryant has a unique musical voice, if only by virtue of survival. Growing up in a close-knit Georgia family, Bryant was surrounded by myriad musical forms from a very young age, her mother a piano player and her father a traditional blues musician. Her uncle, George Henry Bussey, instructed her on guitar and began to teach her the rudiments of what became an extensive blues repertoire. By the age of nine, Bryant was playing regularly in the church, accompanying her seven sisters on…