Charlie Poole (1892-1931) took music that was identified as old-fashioned and informal, made it sharp and contemporary. He played the banjo in a three finger picking style that would become mainstream a generation later in bluegrass. A bridge between the agricultural past and the industrializing future, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers had successful recording career and left a legacy of great music. Memphis Minnie (1897-1973) did it all: guitar playing singing, band leading, song writing, recording, and she did it with the best. Her music bridges the rural south with the industrialized worlds of Memphis and Chicago, and she created the template for what would become rhythm and blues.