The Memphis blues is a style of blues music that was created in the 1910s – 1930s by  Memphis-area musicians like Frank Stokes, Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie. The style was popular in vaudeville and medicine shows and was associated with Memphis's main entertainment area, Beale Street. W.C. Handy, the "Father of the Blues" published the song "The Memphis Blues". In lyrics, the phrase has been used to describe a depressed mood.