Key to the Highway

In May 1941, Big Bill Broonzy took an 8-bar blues originally credited to pianist Charlie Segar and entirely made it his own. Backed by a tight rhythm section, Broonzy delivered "Key to the Highway" with a smooth, confident vocal that perfectly captured the weary but resilient spirit of an itinerant wanderer. The song became an absolute standard, famously revived nearly thirty years later by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on the Layla album.