New Essays by Dr. Barry Lee Pearson
Read new essays about Charles Brown, George “Wild Child” Butler, Henry Townsend,
Little Milton Campbell, and Little Sammy Davis.
Read more by and about Dr. Barry Lee Pearson.
Mourning the Legendary Phil Wiggins
It is with great sadness that we announce that our good friend, advisor and kindred spirit, Phil Wiggins, has lost his long battle with cancer. His soul left his body on May 7, 2024, just a few hours before his 70th birthday, peacefully with his loving family by his side.
Phil Wiggins was a critically acclaimed master of the blues harmonica, with fantastic virtuosic skill, a passionate champion of traditional African American roots & blues and a major mentor to a new generation of players. He was respected worldwide as an elder statesman of the blues, an internationally renowned blues harmonica player, performer, recording artist, teacher, music director, and preservationist of the mid-Atlantic Piedmont Blues tradition.
Desecration of Historic African American Cemetery in Avalon, Mississippi
By Valerie Turner
The St. James Cemetery in Avalon, Mississippi, was the only burial site for African Americans in Avalon and its surrounding communities in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is also the final resting place of Mississippi John Hurt, a celebrated blues musician from that region.
Read more about the desecration of this historic cemetery.