In this episode of Blues Moments in Time, Kelvin Huggins explores the remarkable events of October 11 across six decades of African-American history.

We begin in 1901, when celebrated entertainers Bert Williams and George Walker stepped into Victor Recording Studio, helping place Black voices onto nationally distributed records during an era of widespread exclusion. From there, we travel to Aurora, Illinois, where Curtis Jones and fellow blues musicians gathered at the Leland Hotel in 1937 to create some of the most memorable piano blues recordings of the era, including Drinking and Thinking Blues.

The journey concludes in 1961, when civil rights activists Tom Hayden and Paul Potter were attacked while documenting an anti-segregation march in Mississippi, revealing the realities of political intimidation and racial violence that shaped the world from which the blues emerged.

Along the way, we also examine the importance of historical accuracy, correcting a long-repeated error surrounding Sonny Terry's birth date and highlighting why careful research matters when preserving blues history.

This is a story of humour, resilience, protest, rhythm and memory. A reminder that some of history's most enduring voices were forged under pressure.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective - your home for EVERYTHING BLUES.

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