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“I ain’t good-lookin’, but I’m somebody’s angel child.”-Bessie Smith “I think I copied my style from Louis Armstrong. Because I used to like the big… Read More »Empress of the Blues

“Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and The Sex Pistols may come and go, but rebellion remains a key part of the rock n’… Read More »Ziggy: A Stardust Memory

“When I saw her perform, I was just stunned. I don’t think I had ever heard anything like it. Brenda Lee is in the top… Read More »Little Miss Dynamite

Hank was the stenographer of human emotions; he was it for us (country music). It was a good thing we had first claim on him,… Read More »Hillbilly Shakespeare

“It’s writing about somebody who changed the course of the world, and who had a democratic vision. [He believed] that there were these hidden resources,… Read More »The Sun King Who Rocked Earth

The greatest entertainer ever to grace a stage in these United States.–Chicago Tribune critic Chris Jones (On a New 2019 Sammy Davis Jr. Tribute) My handicap?… Read More »American Prodigy

Coming to Muscle Shoals was the turning point in my career.-Aretha Franklin The Swampers’ integrated soul, rock and the blues to become sought-after, elite instrumentalists-Andrew Goutman -It was… Read More »How The Swampers Helped the Queen Find Her Groove

You want to know how good the blues can get? Well, this is it.-Keith Richards(Speaking of Robert Johnson) I dabbled in things like Howlin’ Wolf,… Read More »Into the Electric Mist with the Devil and Mr. Johnson

I mean some doctor told me I had six months to live and I went to their funeral.-Keith Richards Rock and Roll: Music for the… Read More »A Pirate Looks at 75

It was Dylan meets the Beatles.–Roger McGuinn ​Not So Secret Agents of Change Recently two of the founding members of one of the most influential bands… Read More »Sweetheart of the Rodeo Redux