Blues Moments in Time...

From the Broadway debut of A Raisin in the Sun to the haunting "whoop" of Sonny Terry’s harmonica, March 11th is a day where the blues speaks the truth of the American experience.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[00:46] - The Cultural Landscape

[01:27] - The Political Climate

[01:55] - Exploring The Music

[02:57] - Births

[03:23] - Passings

[03:46] - Conclusion

KEY FIGURES MENTIONED:

Sonny Terry (1911–1986)

Dusty Brown (1929–2016)

Lorraine Hansberry (1930–1965)

Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977)

MUSIC:

Sonny Terry - Lost John

Dusty Brown - Hurry Home

Harvey Mandel - Wade In The Water

Manfred Mann - I've Got My Mojo Working (Early B-Side, released shortly after the name change)

FURTHER READING:

Cultural - A Raisin In The Sun

Political - Reverend James Reeb

Music - Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers

Music - Sonny Terry

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective - your home for EVERYTHING BLUES.

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

Today, we honour the legacy of Harriet Tubman, celebrate the birth of guitar great Ronnie Earl, and revisit the historic 1972 Gary Convention.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[00:43] - The Cultural Landscape

[01:20] - The Political Climate

[01:56] - Exploring The Music

[02:26] - Births

[02:56] - Passings

[03:26] - Conclusion

KEY FIGURES MENTIONED:

Harriet Tubman (1822–1913)

Luis Russell (1902–1963)

Ronnie Earl (1953–Present)

LaVern Baker (1929–1997)

Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016)

MUSIC:

LaVern Baker - Tweedle Dee

Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - I’ll Take Care of You

Ernestine Anderson - Never Make Your Move Too Soon

FURTHER READING:

Political - The National Black Political Convention

Music - Luis Russell

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective - your home for EVERYTHING BLUES.

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

Today on March 9, we follow the marchers back to the bridge in Selma, witness a historic legal victory for freedom in the Amistad case, and celebrate the New Orleans legend who gave us "Lawdy Miss Clawdy."

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[00:43] - The Cultural Landscape

[01:10] - The Political Climate

[01:35] - Exploring The Music

[01:58] - Births

[02:18] - Passings

[02:42] - Conclusion

KEY FIGURES MENTIONED:

Lloyd Price (1933 - 2021)

Ornette Coleman (1930 - 2015)

Henry Stuckey (1897 - 1966)

MUSIC:

Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy

Ornette Coleman - Blues Connotation

Skip James - Hard Time Killing Floor Blues (reflecting Stuckey's tuning)

FURTHER READING:

Cultural - Turnaround Tuesday

Political - The Amistad Case

Music - Lloyd Price

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective - your home for EVERYTHING BLUES.

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

From the halls of the Senate to the gentle strings of Mississippi John Hurt, today we explore how March 8th shaped the soul of the blues.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[00:43] - The Cultural Landscape

[01:17] - The Political Climate

[02:01] - Exploring The Music

[02:31] - Births

[03:00] - Passings

[03:21] - Conclusion

KEY FIGURES MENTIONED:

Mississippi John Hurt (1893–1966)

Willie King (1943–2009)

P.B.S. Pinchback (1837–1921)

Henry L. Marsh III (Born 1933)

MUSIC:

Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man

Willie King - I Am The Blues

Ma Rainey - Prove It On Me Blues

FURTHER READING:

Cultural - International Women's Day

Political - Henry L. Marsh, III

Music - Mississippi John Hurt

Music - Willie King

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective - your home for EVERYTHING BLUES.

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

March 7 is where the blues steps onto the bridge—literally and metaphorically. From Bloody Sunday in Selma to the first commercial jazz record, from Townes Van Zandt’s haunted ballads to Lowell Fulson’s West Coast grit and Ali Farka Touré’s desert trance, this date reveals the blues as a transatlantic story of terror, tenderness, and the stubborn pursuit of dignity.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[00:42] - Cultural & Political

[02:54] - The Music

[03:51] - Births

[04:51] - Passings

[06:22] - Conclusion

KEY FIGURES MENTIONED:

Townes Van Zandt (1944–1997)

Lowell Fulson (1921–1999)

Ali Farka Touré (1939–2006)

John Lewis (1940–2020)

Hosea Williams (1926–2000)

MUSIC:

Townes Van Zandt – Snake Mountain Blues

Lowell Fulson – Reconsider Baby

Ali Farka Touré – Ai Du

Original Dixieland Jazz Band – Livery Stable Blues

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective - your home for EVERYTHING BLUES.

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.