God Rock Radio #176 Women and The Blues Part 2

Noted music historian Jack “The Agnostic” Garcia continues his examination of the often neglected Blues women who gave birth to the genre on 78 RPM recordings , and then were pushed aside by the emergence of the folk blues men who would then dominate the scene. In part 2 – Jack examines the next generation of women blues performers who would stay close to the blues singers like Lil Johnson who would flourish for a brief time in the hokum and dirty blues subgenres using food metaphors for sex and double entendre to great effect, leaving little to the imagination. Other performers like Memphis Minnie and Victoria Spivey would make the successful transition from the Delta blues style to the nightclub blues style of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Next up, it’s another wave of blues women like Wee Wee Booze , Sister Rosetta Tharpe , Big Maybelle and Big Mama Thorton who blended the flamboyant gospel singing style with swing , boogie woogie and jazz paving the way for the birth of rock n roll. And last but not least its the Queens of the Chicago blues style – Koko Taylor and Etta James who with a hybrid mix of blues, funk and rock recorded and toured endlessly for decades bringing the music of the blues to the entire world.

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God Rock Radio #175 – Women and The Blues – Part 1

In celebration of GRR’s 175th program, noted music historian -Jack “The Agnostic” Garcia returns the show to its roots and finally completes the popular and acclaimed blues trilogy. A series of programs begun during the first season (GRR #6) and continued during the second (GRR #18). Jack examines the evolution of the blues during the early 20th century and its link to the development of the 78 rpm phonograph record. As black women veterans of the minstrel shows and the vaudeville circuit became popular blues performers during the infancy of the genre. Well known ladies of the blues like Mamie Smith, Trixie Smith, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith – who dressed in expensive sequined gowns and belted out timeless blues songs that sold well and had crossover success with both black and white audiences. Next up its the lesser known more obscure and mysterious women of the blues (Ida Cox, Mary Smith Johnson, Little Alice Moore, Bessie Tucker, Fannie May Goosby and Lucille Bogan) whose recordings would have little impact at the time but would have a lasting influence on the genre. Gifted blues poets who incorporated religious imagery , unbridled female sexuality and proto-feminism into their music.

Six Tracks hit forward to advance.