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

• O.T. Sykes: "The Singing Dentist"

  O.T. Sykes has the finest nickname this side of Jessco White. The similarities between Sykes and the "Dancing Outlaw" end there, though. Sykes comes from a family of professionals who stress hard-work and education. He's been a successful... Posted Oct 22 2007, 05:00 PM by Preston with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Memphis, Artists, Genres, Regions, Soul, O.T. Sykes

• 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

• The Memphis Connection Band

  THE strongest band in the city, bar none. The lineup features Leroy Dotson on keys, the outstanding Kenny Kight on guitar, Leroy Hodges of Hi Rhythm on bass, and Roy Cunningham, or sometimes Howard Grimes on drums. The combined playing experience of members... Posted Sep 22 2007, 08:11 AM by Preston with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Memphis, Artists, Genres, Regions, Soul, Sugarman, Roy Cunningham, Memphis Connection, Kenny Kight, Howard Grimes, Leroy Hodges, Leroy Dotson, Preacherman

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• "Big" Don Valentine
• Blues
• Charley Nelson
• Howard Grimes
• Kenny Kight
• Leroy Dotson
• Leroy Hodges
• Memphis
• Memphis Connection
• Mississippi
• O.T. Sykes
• Preacherman
• Roy Cunningham
• Sam "Black Smoke" Wiggins
• Soul
• South Mississippi
• Sugarman