Author: C.C. Rider

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. Jelly Roll Morton (October 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941) He was born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe. But history knows him as Jelly Roll Morton—the genius piano player whose stomps and rags laid the foundation for Jazz as we know it. But how’d a man…

Maybe you’ve heard ‘bout Bessie Smith. Empress of the Blues. Powerhouse in music history. One of the greatest voices of all time. But she wasn’t the only Smith out there. The blues as we know it started with a Smith. And it wasn’t Bessie…

The Piedmont Blues, also known as East Coast Blues, is named after a stretch of land at the foot of the Appalachians—from Northern Virginia to Georgia. The Piedmont…

It took the unmatched talent of a young country blues man to change all that. Thanks to Blind Lemon Jefferson, for the first time ever a singer-songwriter could be famous…

The man called Snooky, born James Edward Pryor, picked up the harmonica at age 14, despite the objections of his preacher dad…

Robert Hicks was working as a cook at a barbecue stand in Atlanta when he was discovered by a Columbia Records talent scout. What started as a day job made him famous—Hicks was from then on known as Barbecue Bob…

Songwriter, Guitarist, Producer. And one of the greatest voices of all time: Otis Redding.
Raw, powerful, tender—his sound defined a new kind of soul music. While Motown Records released smooth polished numbers, down south at Stax, Otis and his band came out with all the grit lacking up north…

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. Memphis Slim (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988) He came into the world in Memphis as John Len Chatman, and took the name Peter to honor his father, who ran a juke joint.  Now everyone knows him as Slim—Memphis Slim. A composer, bandleader, pianist…

Wynonie Harris. The original lip-curler, the number one hip-thruster. Professional dancer and a consummate shouter…

There’s a whole generation that knows him best for his catchphrase— Hello there, children! But Isaac Hayes…he’s much more than South Park’s Chef…