The origins of Blues music is a complex weave of traditions, and the genre echoes suffering and endurance through centuries of hardship. Evolving from blended musical forms brought to the United States by enslaved Africans, then taking on the rhythm of work in the fields and heart of spirituals, the oppressive environment of the Jim Crow South ultimately shaped the Blues as we know it today.
Today, the Blues are more often romanticized as the ballads of down and out troubadours, rambling and poor, but following their passion for music. Blues legend Robert Johnson’s story epitomizes these hard realities and an enduring mythology that surrounds his memory. Legend has it that Johnson signed a deal with the devil to perfect his guitar playing. And like so many legends, mystery shrouds the actual person and what really happened in his 27 years on earth, how he died and where he is buried. Until 2002, nobody knew for certain where the King of the Delta Blues Singers was laid to rest.
Report for America corps member Alexandra Watts takes us on a journey to Robert Johnson’s final resting place in the Mississippi Delta.
Get weekly On the Ground updates: https://bit.ly/3duok6K
Special Message to Listeners
The Whistleblower - Epilogue: Truth Is the First Casualty
The Whistleblower - Extra: Into the Archive
The Whistleblower - Episode 5: The Doomsday Machine
The Whistleblower - Episode 4: Most Dangerous Man
The Whistleblower - Episode 3: The Presses Roll
The Whistleblower - Episode 2: The Force of Truth
The Whistleblower - Episode 1: The Lying Machine
The Whistleblower: Truth, Dissent & the Legacy of Daniel Ellsberg TRAILER
On the Ground: Election Episode – 2020 and Counting
On the Ground in Kentucky's District 67
On the Ground with Report for America: Woods Hole, Massachusetts
On the Ground with Report for America: Chicago's South Side
On the Ground with Report for America: Inside Mississippi's Prison System
On the Ground with Report for America: Bird Singers of the American Southwest
On the Ground with Report for America: Deadly Force--An Investigative Report
On the Ground with Report for America: Almost Independence Day
On the Ground with Report for America: Pandemic and Protest, Coast to Coast, Part 2
On the Ground with Report for America: Pandemic and Protest, Coast to Coast, Part 1
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
MASTERPIECE Studio
Classical Performance Podcast
Molly of Denali
Innovation Hub
The Victory Garden | PBS