Without Esquerita, there might have been no Little Richard, hence no Prince and no Elton John—and no rock ‘n roll as we know it. Little Richard himself credi...

The first time I ever spoke with Marshall Chapman, she was crying on the other end of the telephone line. My assignment as a young reporter at the Herald-Jou...

Blues and soul singer Sweet Pea Atkinson passed away on May 4, 2020 after a heart attack. He was 74. Born in Ohio and raised in Detroit, Hilliard Atkinson (r...

How to pay tribute to one of the godfathers of rock 'n roll, who took gospel, blues and soul along with him for the kind of wild ride few would've ever dared...

Rooted in Philly soul, the duo blended folk, rock, country, and new wave into their own irresistible sound. Daryl Hall and John Oates met backstage at Philad...

Soulful singer-songwriter Bill Withers died on March 30, 2020. Born in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, WV, and raised in the town of Beckley, he was 81 an...

Jim Lauderdale is a musical chameleon of sorts. One of the best living country songwriters, his incredible range of styles is an amalgam of everything that w...

One of my favorite box sets is Stax ’68: A Memphis Story, a compilation of the legendary label’s dozens of singles and B-sides during a year of profound chan...

Producer Matt Ross-Spang discusses his work with the Rev. Al Green, John Prine, Margo Price, William Bell, and other greats Few young musicians, producers an...

Twenty years after Marty Stuart’s concept album The Pilgrim was released, it’s out again, with a deluxe edition that includes a coffee table-style book of ph...

Cindy Emch and her band are making a new album, and everyone’s invited to the party. The Secret Emchy Society, as the alt-country, Oakland-based singer-songw...

Dom Flemons’ latest musical journey explores folk music, American history, the West, and the African-American experience Growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona, mu...

It’s a long way from San Francisco to Mississippi, but singer-songwriter and banjo player Tyler Stegall of The High Water Line has traveled those miles many ...

Elton John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin were star-struck when the members of The Band filed into John’s dressing room after a gig in Philadelphia. J...

Emmylou Harris is one of the most important artists in country and American roots music. Beyond her stunning voice, which always soars but has evolved with a...

On any given night in Nashville, magic can happen, legendary songwriter (and my friend) Marshall Chapman often says. This certainly was the case during a son...

African-American influence--and white appropriation--in country music goes even deeper than Ken Burns’ important new documentary suggests Rhiannon Giddens "Y...

I spoke in depth with filmmaker Ken Burns a few weeks ago about his forthcoming eight-part documentary, Ken Burns: Country Music, which premieres Sunday, Sep...

FEW BLUESMEN AS AUTHENTIC (AND AUDACIOUS) AS BOBBY RUSH: Bobby Rush came from Louisiana and Arkansas, fled to Chicago, played the blues, returned to Mississi...