During the 1950s and 1960s, the chitlin circuit was a string of small, primarily black-owned nightclubs that featured hard-touring soul, R&B and blues acts.
“The chitlin circuit, that is really what brought me to where I am today,” said “Little” Milton Campbell, Jr. Campbell made his recording debut on the legendary Sun label in 1953, became one of the biggest-selling bluesmen of the 1960s at Chess and Stax Records, and was still touring worldwide and recording for Malaco Records until his death in 2005 at age 71.
“Lot of ’em did serve food but that has nothing to do with why they were called the chitlin’ circuit,” Campbell said. “I think it was because you could play basically any night of the week and you could draw a crowd. You could put somebody on the door and charge admission at the door–a little money like maybe twenty-five or fifty cent or what have you–and you would make enough money to sustain yourself from one day to the next. So I think that’s where it came from. It was ’cause you were able to eat… chitlins, at least!”
During segregation, these clubs were the only places where black artists could perform. The circuit started in the North and extended down through the Southern States. James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Bobby Rush, and Jackie Wilson are just a few of the legends who built their first fan bases on the chitlin circuit.
“On the Chitlin Circuit”- Bill Coday
Preston Lauterbach, author of The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock ‘N’ Roll
“What a great resource, as fascinating as it is informative. Debra’s passion for the blues shines through.” – Bonnie Raitt
“Debra’s book will teach you what you really need to know about blues history and where the blues are coming from.” – Joe Bonamassa
“Finally one can understand the mechanics behind the overwhelming viscera of the Blues. Debra Devi’s work is a true guide book to the soul.” – Al Jourgensen (Ministry)
“This book is fascinating! Take it to the bathroom and don’t come out until you’re done reading it.” – Jimmy Vivino
“This is a beautiful book. Upon receiving The Language of the Blues I discovered my knowledge only scratched the surface. Debra Devi has written an invaluable reference book. And it’s also great fun to read.” – Hal Willner
“Don’t think that The Language of the Blues might read like a dictionary or reference book. There’s no plot, but you can open it up at random and fall into the world of your favorite Blues songs, and find out more about the lyrics than you would be guessing from context. I learned a lot more about the blues music I already loved.” – Bob Margolin
