As the flood waters rose, many blues artists were inspired to write songs about the disaster and describe the experience of being in a flood. The Mississippi Delta is famous for more than floods; it's ...

One of the biggest misconceptions about blues music is that the genre is all about doom and gloom. Naturally, many blues songs feature lyrics about being down in the dumps, love lost, and heartbreak.

GA-20 has spent the last several years proving that the blues isn't a museum piece. The Boston trio has built its reputation ...

Blues music and romance share an intimate relationship that has resonated through generations, making the genre the ultimate soundtrack for love’s complicated journey. From smoky nightclubs to quiet ...

Songwriters are often tempted to take self-reflexive looks at the work they are doing. Here are ten songs from ten genres ...

Because blues music is so old and dates back even before vinyl records and other recording means, there remains a significant amount of mystery regarding its early years. Born in the American South ...

The Delta stretches across northwestern Mississippi like a big fallen leaf, tucked between two rivers. It spans 220 miles north to south and, at its widest, 87 miles east to west. How can so many ...

NPR's Scott Detrow talks to Smithsonian curator John Troutman and blues musician Dom Flemons about a new folk album, Playing for the Man at the Door, from late chronicler Mack McCormick's collection.

As the National Museum of African American Music opens its doors, journalists from the USA TODAY Network explore the stories, places and people who helped make music what it is today in our expansive ...