Author: C.C. Rider

David “Honeyboy” Edwards was the last of the old guard blues players. He was from Shaw, Mississippi. Was inspired to play guitar at age 14 by watching Tommy Johnson—the man who wrote “Big Road Blues” and “Canned Heat”—work his guitar…

Lazy Lester proved to be a talented multi-instrumentalist. Providing guitar, vocals and harmonica for a number of Excello sessions…

Chester Burnett stood six foot three in size 17 shoes. Oh, he cut a mean figure off stage. And on stage? He became something else all together – somewhere between a superhuman and a feral beast. No surprise they called him the Howlin’ Wolf…

If you wanna know where Elvis, James Brown and Michael Jackson learned their moves…look no further than Jackie Wilson. Jackie Wilson was one of the first real stars of rock n’ roll. They called him Mr. Entertainment—and it wasn’t for nothin’…

Joe Cocker. Immortalized at Woodstock. Lampooned by John Belushi. Best known for his raw, grit-soaked re-interpretations of other peoples’ songs. His venerations, you might say…

Standin’ at six foot two and weighing over three hundred pounds—there’s a reason Joe Turner’s called Big Joe Turner. But it’s not just his size—his place in music history makes him larger than life too…

This is the latest from The Bluesmobile’s C.C. Rider, who spends her life venerating the founding fathers of the blues. She’s walked the crooked highways of this singing country to resurrect the voices of the past. With the dirt of the Delta on her hands, she sleeps in the shadow of the giants on whose shoulders popular music now stands. Guy Davis (b. May 12, 1952) If you played me a track by Guy Davis and told me he was a relic from the old south, I’d believe you. Truth is Guy’s not that old at all, he was born on this day in 1952.  But Guy…

With a sharp mind, a golden voice, and unmatched skills on the twelve string guitar, there was never, still isn’t, anyone like Blind Willie McTell…

Ann Peebles was born in East St. Louis. Her father ran a church, and she grew up singing in his congregation. As a member of the Peebles Choir. Not just your average church singing group—they opened shows for gospel greats like Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke…

This is the latest from The Bluesmobile’s C.C. Rider, who spends her life venerating the founding fathers of the blues. She’s walked the crooked highways of this singing country to resurrect the voices of the past. With the dirt of the Delta on her hands, she sleeps in the shadow of the giants on whose shoulders popular music now stands. The Day the Levees Broke April 21, 1927 You probably know this Led Zeppelin track.  It’s from their fourth album. When the Levee Breaks. Great song. But it’s more than just a song. It’s a true story. And a really important one in the history of…