Broadcasting the Blues

Download Broadcasting the Blues PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135467161
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (354 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Broadcasting the Blues by : Paul Oliver

Download or read book Broadcasting the Blues written by Paul Oliver and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Broadcasting the Blues: Black Blues in the Segregation Era is based on Paul Oliver's award-winning radio broadcasts from the BBC that were created over several decades. It traces the social history of the blues in America, from its birth in the rural South through the heyday of sound recordings. Noted blues scholar Paul Oliver draws on decades of research and personal interviews with performers--some of whom he "discovered" and recorded for the first time--to draw a picture of how the blues aesthetic developed, giving new insights into the role blues played in American society before racial integration. The book begins by outlining the history of the blues from African music through country stomps, ragtime songs, and field hollers. From the heroic figures of black folksong--including the steel-driving railroad worker John Henry and the destructive Boll Weevil--to the content of the emerging blues, the author discusses the "meaning" behind the often coded words of the blues, evoking topics such as playful sexuality, magic and medicine, the stresses of segregation, and commentary on national events. Finally, the author traces the history of blues documentation, showing how our views of the early blues have been shaped through a complex interplay of social forces, and indicating possible lines for future research.

Blues Before Sunrise

Download Blues Before Sunrise PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
ISBN 13 : 0252033019
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (52 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Blues Before Sunrise by : Steve Cushing

Download or read book Blues Before Sunrise written by Steve Cushing and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2010-01-15 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection assembles the best interviews from Steve Cushing's long-running radio program Blues Before Sunrise, the nationally syndicated, award-winning program focusing on vintage blues and R&B. As both an observer and performer, Cushing has been involved with the blues scene in Chicago for decades. His candid, colorful interviews with prominent blues players, producers, and deejays reveal the behind-the-scenes world of the formative years of recorded blues. Many of these oral histories detail the careers of lesser-known but greatly influential blues performers and promoters. The book focuses in particular on pre–World War II blues singers, performers active in 1950s Chicago, and nonperformers who contributed to the early blues world. Interviewees include Alberta Hunter, one of the earliest African American singers to transition from Chicago's Bronzeville nightlife to the international spotlight, and Ralph Bass, one of the greatest R&B producers of his era. Blues expert, writer, record producer, and cofounder of Living Blues Magazine Jim O'Neal provides the book's foreword.

Give 'Em Soul, Richard!

Download Give 'Em Soul, Richard! PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
ISBN 13 : 0252056329
Total Pages : 121 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (52 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Give 'Em Soul, Richard! by : Richard E. Stamz

Download or read book Give 'Em Soul, Richard! written by Richard E. Stamz and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2024-04-22 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As either observer or participant, radio deejay and political activist Richard E. Stamz witnessed every significant period in the history of blues and jazz in the last century. From performing first-hand as a minstrel in the 1920s to broadcasting Negro League baseball games in a converted 1934 Chrysler to breaking into Chicago radio and activist politics and hosting his own television variety show, the remarkable story of his life also is a window into milestones of African American history throughout the twentieth century. Dominating the airwaves with his radio show "Open the Door, Richard" on WGES in Chicago, Stamz cultivated friendships with countless music legends, including Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Memphis Slim, and Leonard Chess. The pioneering Chicago broadcaster and activist known as "The Crown Prince of Soul" died in 2007 at the age of 101, but not before he related the details of his life and career to college professor Patrick A. Roberts. Give 'Em Soul, Richard! surrounds Stamz's memories of race records, juke joints, and political action in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood with insights on the larger historical trends that were unfolding around him in radio and American history. Narrated by Stamz, this entertaining and insightful chronicle includes commentary by Roberts as well as reflections on the unlikely friendship and collaboration between a black radio legend and a white academic that resulted in one of the few existing first-hand accounts of Chicago's post-war radio scene.

I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now

Download I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN 13 : 1628469145
Total Pages : 485 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (284 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now by : Stephen A. King

Download or read book I'm Feeling the Blues Right Now written by Stephen A. King and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2011-06-01 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In I’m Feeling the Blues Right Now: Blues Tourism and the Mississippi Delta, Stephen A. King reveals the strategies used by blues promoters and organizers in Mississippi, both African American and white, local and state, to attract the attention of tourists. In the process, he reveals how promotional materials portray the Delta’s blues culture and its musicians. Those involved in selling the blues in Mississippi work to promote the music while often conveniently forgetting the state’s historical record of racial and economic injustice. King’s research includes numerous interviews with blues musicians and promoters, chambers of commerce, local and regional tourism entities, and members of the Mississippi Blues Commission. This book is the first critical account of Mississippi’s blues tourism industry. From the late 1970s until 2000, Mississippi’s blues tourism industry was fragmented, decentralized, and localized, as each community competed for tourist dollars. By 2003–2004, with the creation of the Mississippi Blues Commission, the promotion of the blues became more centralized as state government played an increasing role in promoting Mississippi’s blues heritage. Blues tourism has the potential to generate new revenue in one of the poorest states in the country, repair the state’s public image, and serve as a vehicle for racial reconciliation.

The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio

Download The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136993762
Total Pages : 482 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (369 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio by : Christopher H. Sterling

Download or read book The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio written by Christopher H. Sterling and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-05-13 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio presents the very best biographies of the internationally acclaimed three-volume Encyclopedia of Radio in a single volume. It includes more than 200 biographical entries on the most important and influential American radio personalities, writers, producers, directors, newscasters, and network executives. With 23 new biographies and updated entries throughout, this volume covers key figures from radio’s past and present including Glenn Beck, Jessie Blayton, Fred Friendly, Arthur Godfrey, Bob Hope, Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, Ryan Seacrest, Laura Schlesinger, Red Skelton, Nina Totenberg, Walter Winchell, and many more. Scholarly but accessible, this encyclopedia provides an unrivaled guide to the voices behind radio for students and general readers alike.

Blues Before Sunrise

Download Blues Before Sunrise PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
ISBN 13 : 0252090934
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (52 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Blues Before Sunrise by : Steve Cushing

Download or read book Blues Before Sunrise written by Steve Cushing and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection assembles the best interviews from Steve Cushing's long-running radio program Blues Before Sunrise, the nationally syndicated, award-winning program focusing on vintage blues and R&B. As both an observer and performer, Cushing has been involved with the blues scene in Chicago for decades. His candid, colorful interviews with prominent blues players, producers, and deejays reveal the behind-the-scenes world of the formative years of recorded blues. Many of these oral histories detail the careers of lesser-known but greatly influential blues performers and promoters. The book focuses in particular on pre–World War II blues singers, performers active in 1950s Chicago, and nonperformers who contributed to the early blues world. Interviewees include Alberta Hunter, one of the earliest African American singers to transition from Chicago's Bronzeville nightlife to the international spotlight, and Ralph Bass, one of the greatest R&B producers of his era. Blues expert, writer, record producer, and cofounder of Living Blues Magazine Jim O'Neal provides the book's foreword.

78 Blues

Download 78 Blues PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN 13 : 1604733276
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (47 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis 78 Blues by : John Minton

Download or read book 78 Blues written by John Minton and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2009-10-08 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When record men first traveled from Chicago or invited musicians to studios in New York, these entrepreneurs had no conception how their technology would change the dynamics of what constituted a musical performance. 78 Blues: Folksongs and Phonographs in the American South covers a revolution in artist performance and audience perception through close examination of hundreds of key “hillbilly” and “race” records released between the 1920s and World War II. In the postwar period, regional strains recorded on pioneering 78 r.p.m. discs exploded into urban blues and R&B, honky-tonk and western swing, gospel, soul, and rock 'n' roll. These old-time records preserve the work of some of America's greatest musical geniuses such as Jimmie Rodgers, Robert Johnson, Charlie Poole, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. They are also crucial mile markers in the course of American popular music and the growth of the modern recording industry. When these records first circulated, the very notion of recorded music was still a novelty. All music had been created live and tied to particular, intimate occasions. How were listeners to understand an impersonal technology like the phonograph record as a musical event? How could they reconcile firsthand interactions and traditional customs with technological innovations and mass media? The records themselves, several hundred of which are explored fully in this book, offer answers in scores of spoken commentaries and skits, in song lyrics and monologues, or other more subtle means.

Broadcast Blues

Download Broadcast Blues PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oceanview Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1608095320
Total Pages : 323 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (8 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Broadcast Blues by : R. G. Belsky

Download or read book Broadcast Blues written by R. G. Belsky and published by Oceanview Publishing. This book was released on 2024-01-02 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wendy Kyle took secrets to her grave—now, Clare Carlson is digging them up New York City has no shortage of crime, making for a busy schedule for TV newswoman Clare Carlson. But not all crimes are created equal, and when an explosive planted in a car detonates and kills a woman, Clare knows it'll be a huge story for her. But it's not only about the story—Clare also wants justice for the victim, Wendy Kyle. Wendy had sparked controversy as an NYPD officer, ultimately getting kicked off the force after making sexual harassment allegations and getting into a physical altercation with her boss. Then, she started a private investigations business, catering to women who suspected their husbands of cheating. Undoubtedly, Wendy had angered many people with her work, so the list of her suspected murderers is seemingly endless. Despite the daunting investigation, Clare dives in headfirst. As she digs deeper, she attracts the attention of many rich and powerful people who will stop at nothing to keep her from breaking the truth about the death of Wendy Kyle—and exposing their personal secrets that Wendy took to her grave. Perfect for fans of Sue Grafton and J. D. Robb While all of the novels in the Clare Carlson Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is: Yesterday's News Below the Fold The Last Scoop Beyond the Headlines It's News to Me Broadcast Blues

Russia Gets the Blues

Download Russia Gets the Blues PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 1501717200
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russia Gets the Blues by : Michael Urban

Download or read book Russia Gets the Blues written by Michael Urban and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-31 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Urban chronicles the advent of blues music in Russia and explores the significance of the genre in the turbulent, postcommunist society. Russians, he explains, have taken a music originating in the "low" culture of the American South and transformed it into an object of "high" culture, fashioning a social identity that distinguishes blues adherents from both the discredited Soviet past and the vulgar consumerism associated with the country's Westernization. While adapting the idiom to their own conditions, Russia's bliuzmeny (bluesmen) have absorbed the blues ethos encoded in the music by their American forebears, using it to invert their social world, thus deriving dignity and satisfaction from those very things that give one the blues.Based on more than forty interviews with blues musicians and fans, nightclub managers, and others, Russia Gets the Blues reveals the fascinating history of blues in Russia, from the initial mimicry of British blues-rock to the recent emergence of a specifically "Russian blues." The gradual mastering of the idiom in Russia has been conditioned by the culture of the country's intelligentsia, a fact explaining why, on one hand, bliuzmeny feel compelled to proselytize on behalf of the music, to share with others this treasure of "world culture," while, on the other, they perform blues almost exclusively in English—which almost no one understands—and condemn any and all efforts to make the music commercially successful.

I Ain't Studdin' Ya

Download I Ain't Studdin' Ya PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 0306874792
Total Pages : 327 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (68 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis I Ain't Studdin' Ya by : Bobby Rush

Download or read book I Ain't Studdin' Ya written by Bobby Rush and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experience music history with this memoir by one of the last of the genuine old school Blues and R&B legends, the Grammy-winning dynamic showman Bobby Rush. This memoir charts the extraordinary rise to fame of living blues legend, Bobby Rush. Born Emmett Ellis, Jr. in Homer, Louisiana, he adopted the stage name Bobby Rush out of respect for his father, a pastor. As a teenager, Rush acquired his first real guitar and started playing in juke joints in Little Rock, Arkansas, donning a fake mustache to trick club owners into thinking he was old enough to gain entry. He led his first band in Arkansas between Little Rock and Pine Bluff in the 1950s. It was there he first had Elmore James play in his band. Rush later relocated to Chicago to pursue his musical career and started to work with Earl Hooker, Luther Allison, and Freddie King, and sat in with many of his musical heroes, such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. Rush eventually began leading his own band in the 1960s, crafting his own distinct style of funky blues, and recording a succession of singles for various labels. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Rush finally scored a hit with "Chicken Heads." More recordings followed, including an album which went on to be listed in the Top 10 blues albums of the 1970s by Rolling Stone and a handful of regional jukebox favorites including "Sue" and "I Ain't Studdin' Ya." And Rush's career shows no signs of slowing down now. The man once beloved for performing in local jukejoints is now headlining major music/blues festivals, clubs, and theaters across the U.S. and as far as Japan and Australia. At age eighty-six, he is still on the road for over 200 days a year. His lifelong hectic tour schedule has earned him the affectionate title "King of the Chitlin' Circuit," from Rolling Stone. In 2007, he earned the distinction of being the first blues artist to play at the Great Wall of China. His renowned stage act features his famed shake dancers, who personify his funky blues and his ribald sense of humor. He was featured in Martin Scorcese's The Blues docuseries on PBS, a documentary film called Take Me to the River, performed with Dan Aykroyd on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and most recently had a cameo in the Golden Globe nominated Netflix film, Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy. He was recently given the highest Blues Music Award honor of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. His songs have also been featured in TV shows and films including HBO's Ballers and major motion pictures like Black Snake Moan, starring Samuel L. Jackson. Considered by many to be the greatest bluesman currently performing, this book will give readers unparalleled access into the man, the myth, the legend: Bobby Rush.

Television's Second Golden Age

Download Television's Second Golden Age PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Syracuse University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780815605041
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (5 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Television's Second Golden Age by : Robert J. Thompson

Download or read book Television's Second Golden Age written by Robert J. Thompson and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 1997-10-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an insider's tour, touching on the network's dizzying decision-making process, and the artists who have revolutionized the medium.

Hidden History of Mississippi Blues

Download Hidden History of Mississippi Blues PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Arcadia Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1614230137
Total Pages : 187 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (142 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Hidden History of Mississippi Blues by : Roger Stolle

Download or read book Hidden History of Mississippi Blues written by Roger Stolle and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2020-07-27 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although many bluesmen began leaving the Magnolia State in the early twentieth century to pursue fortune and fame up north, many others stayed home. These musicians remained rooted to the traditions of their land, which came to define a distinctive playing style unique to Mississippi. They didn't simply play the blues, they lived it. Travel through the hallowed juke joints and cotton fields with author Roger Stolle as he recounts the history of Mississippi blues and the musicians who have kept it alive. Some of these bluesmen remain to carry on this proud legacy, while others have passed on, but Hidden History of Mississippi Blues ensures none will be forgotten.

The Blues Encyclopedia

Download The Blues Encyclopedia PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135958327
Total Pages : 1279 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (359 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Blues Encyclopedia by : Edward Komara

Download or read book The Blues Encyclopedia written by Edward Komara and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-07 with total page 1279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive two-volume set brings together all aspects of the blues from performers and musical styles to record labels and cultural issues, including regional evolution and history. Organized in an accessible A-to-Z format, the Encyclopedia of the Blues is an essential reference resource for information on this unique American music genre. Coverage includes: · The whole history of the blues, from its antecedents in African and American types of music to the contemporary styles performed today · Artists active throughout the United States and from foreign countries · The business of the blues, including individual record labels active since the prewar era · Aspects particular to blues lyrics and music · Specific issues such as race or gender as related to the blues · Reference lists of blues periodicals, blues newsletters, libraries, and museums.

Encyclopedia of the Blues: K-Z, index

Download Encyclopedia of the Blues: K-Z, index PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis US
ISBN 13 : 9780415927017
Total Pages : 746 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (27 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Encyclopedia of the Blues: K-Z, index by : Edward M. Komara

Download or read book Encyclopedia of the Blues: K-Z, index written by Edward M. Komara and published by Taylor & Francis US. This book was released on 2006 with total page 746 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Transmedia Marketing

Download Transmedia Marketing PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1134746296
Total Pages : 582 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (347 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Transmedia Marketing by : Anne Zeiser

Download or read book Transmedia Marketing written by Anne Zeiser and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2015-06-19 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transmedia Marketing: From Film and TV to Games and Digital Media skillfully guides media makers and media marketers through the rapidly changing world of entertainment and media marketing. Its groundbreaking transmedia approach integrates storytelling and marketing content creation across multiple media platforms – harnessing the power of audience to shape and promote your story. Through success stories, full color examples of effective marketing techniques in action, and insight from top entertainment professionals, Transmedia Marketing covers the fundamentals of a sound 21st century marketing and content plan. You’ll master the strategy behind conducting research, identifying target audiences, setting goals, and branding your project. And, you’ll learn first-hand how to execute your plan’s publicity, events, advertising, trailers, digital and interactive content, and social media. Transmedia Marketing enlivens these concepts with: Hundreds of vibrant examples from across media platforms – The Hunger Games, Prometheus, The Dark Knight, Bachelorette, The Lord of the Rings, Despicable Me 2, Food, Inc., Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Top Chef, Pokémon, BioShock Infinite, Minecraft, Outlast, Titanfall, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, Halo 4, Lonelygirl15, Annoying Orange Real-world advice from 45 leading industry writers, directors, producers, composers, distributors, marketers, publicists, critics, journalists, attorneys, and executives from markets, festivals, awards, and guilds Powerful in-depth case studies showcasing successful approaches – A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Mad Men, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues Extensive Web content at www.transmediamarketing.com featuring a primer on transmedia platforms – film, broadcast, print, games, digital media, and experiential media; expanded case studies; sample marketing plans and materials; and exclusive interviews With Transmedia Marketing, you’ll be fully versed in the art of marketing film, TV, games, and digital media and primed to write and achieve the winning plan for your next media project.

Texas Blues

Download Texas Blues PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Texas A&M University Press
ISBN 13 : 158544605X
Total Pages : 622 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (854 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Texas Blues by : Alan B. Govenar

Download or read book Texas Blues written by Alan B. Govenar and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2008-10-09 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Texas Blues allows artists to speak in their own words, revealing the dynamics of blues, from its beginnings in cotton fields and shotgun shacks to its migration across boundaries of age and race to seize the musical imagination of the entire world. Fully illustrated with 495 dramatic, high-quality color and black-and-white photographs—many never before published—Texas Blues provides comprehensive and authoritative documentation of a musical tradition that has changed contemporary music. Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author Alan Govenar here builds on his previous groundbreaking work documenting these musicians and their style with the stories of 110 of the most influential artists and their times. From Blind Lemon Jefferson and Aaron “T-Bone” Walker of Dallas, to Delbert McClinton in Fort Worth, Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins in East Texas, Baldemar (Freddie Fender) Huerta in South Texas, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in Austin, Texas Blues shows the who, what, where, and how of blues in the Lone Star State.

Brother Robert

Download Brother Robert PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hachette Books
ISBN 13 : 030684527X
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (68 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Brother Robert by : Annye C. Anderson

Download or read book Brother Robert written by Annye C. Anderson and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Rolling Stone-Kirkus Best Music Book of 2020 “[Brother Robert} book does much to pull the blues master out of the fog of myth.”—Rolling Stone An intimate memoir by blues legend Robert Johnson's stepsister, including new details about his family, music, influences, tragic death, and musical afterlife Though Robert Johnson was only twenty-seven years young and relatively unknown at the time of his tragic death in 1938, his enduring recordings have solidified his status as a progenitor of the Delta blues style. And yet, while his music has retained the steadfast devotion of modern listeners, much remains unknown about the man who penned and played these timeless tunes. Few people alive today actually remember what Johnson was really like, and those who do have largely upheld their silence-until now. In Brother Robert, nonagenarian Annye C. Anderson sheds new light on a real-life figure largely obscured by his own legend: her kind and incredibly talented stepbrother, Robert Johnson. This book chronicles Johnson's unconventional path to stardom, from the harrowing story behind his illegitimate birth, to his first strum of the guitar on Anderson's father's knee, to the genre-defining recordings that would one day secure his legacy. Along the way, readers are gifted not only with Anderson's personal anecdotes, but with colorful recollections passed down to Anderson by members of their family-the people who knew Johnson best. Readers also learn about the contours of his working life in Memphis, never-before-disclosed details about his romantic history, and all of Johnson's favorite things, from foods and entertainers to brands of tobacco and pomade. Together, these stories don't just bring the mythologized Johnson back down to earth; they preserve both his memory and his integrity. For decades, Anderson and her family have ignored the tall tales of Johnson "selling his soul to the devil" and the speculative to fictionalized accounts of his life that passed for biography. Brother Robert is here to set the record straight. Featuring a foreword by Elijah Wald and a Q&A with Anderson, Wald, Preston Lauterbach, and Peter Guralnick, this book paints a vivid portrait of an elusive figure who forever changed the musical landscape as we know it.