Backroads of American Music

• Sam "Black Smoke" Wiggins

  We ran up on Black Smoke one night at the Boom Boom Room on Thomas Street in North Memphis, back when it was called the J&J . Nice enough dude. We chatted awhile, emptied intoxicating golden liquid into our bellies from chilled aluminum cylinders... Posted Apr 13 2008, 01:21 PM by Preston with | with no comments Filed under: Memphis, Artists, Genres, Regions, Blues, Sam "Black Smoke" Wiggins

• "Big" Don Valentine

  Don Valentine’s nickname won’t blow anyone away. The drummer-entertainer behind the Hollywood All-Stars, Valentine keeps it simple and honest with his tag: Big. When we chatted about meeting up for an interview, Valentine seemed accommodating about the... Posted Nov 12 2007, 07:02 PM by Preston with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Memphis, Artists, Genres, Regions, Blues, "Big" Don Valentine

• Charley Nelson: Piney Woods Piano Man

  Charley Nelson will not be playing at a juke joint near you. It would be unfair to leave his story out of the Backroads project on such a technicality, though. Nelson’s an 88-year-old master of the 88s. He lives on land his parents bought in the piney... Posted Oct 03 2007, 12:59 PM by Preston with | with no comments Filed under: Artists, Genres, Regions, Mississippi, Blues, South Mississippi, Charley Nelson

• Wilroy Sanders, Patriarch of Memphis Juke Joint Blues

  Wilroy Sanders turned 73 this year. The people celebrating that birthday with him counted the event a pleasant surprise. He drank of whiskeys. He smoked of tobacco cigarettes. And only when he was damn ready, he took the "stage" at the Blue... Posted Sep 20 2007, 06:11 AM by Preston with | with no comments Filed under: Memphis, Artists, Genres, Blues, Wilroy Sanders

• James Bonner

  Guitarist James Bonner, 56, was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and played blues and soul music there since childhood. He grew up in Clayborne Homes, a housing project, at the corner of Vance Avenue and Lauderdale Street. His family moved out to... Posted Aug 22 2007, 06:58 PM by Preston with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Memphis, Tennessee, Artists, Genres, Blues, James Bonner, Blue Worm

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