Blues Moments in Time...

In this episode of Blues Moments in Time, we explore the powerful intersections of blues music, civil rights, and American history on October 2.

From a racially motivated attack against Black women students in Colorado in 1930 to the historic swearing-in of Thurgood Marshall as the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1967, this date reveals both the hardships and progress that shaped the world in which the blues lived and grew.

Musically, we revisit pivotal recording sessions by Big Joe Turner and the Hank Mobley Quintet, tracing how blues traditions flowed into rhythm and blues, early rock and roll, and hard bop jazz. We also celebrate the lives and legacies of Henry "Roff" Johnson, Clifton James, and Coco Montoya, while remembering the enduring contributions of George "Harmonica" Smith and Cousin Joe.

A journey through history, culture, resilience, and rhythm, all connected by a single day in time.

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

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

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

October 1 brings together African independence, the American civil rights struggle, the opening of Chicago's House of Blues, and the birthdays of several musical innovators. From Albert Collins' icy guitar style to the enduring legacy of Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, this episode explores the moments and musicians that made history.

If you're loving these daily blues history drops, leave us a review via your favourite podcast platform - it helps other blues lovers find the show.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

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

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

On this episode, we trace March 15 as a fault line in American blues history—where politics, faith, and sound collide. From LBJ’s “We Shall Overcome” speech and the Voting Rights Act, to Ray Charles’s “I’ve Got a Woman” redefining Black music, to the intertwined legacies of Lightnin’ Hopkins and Ry Cooder, we explore how the blues becomes a living archive of memory, resistance, and survival.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[01:23] - The Cultural Landscape

[02:02] - The Political Climate

[03:19] - Exploring The Music

[04:16] - Births

[06:35] - Passings

[07:35] - Conclusion

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

If you enjoy Blues Moments in Time, leave a review on your favourite podcast platform — it helps other blues lovers discover the show.

You can also support the podcast by pledging a small donation. Every contribution helps us create richer episodes and continue shining a light on emerging and future blues artists.

Support the stories that shaped the blues. Help us keep the archive growing: Support this Podcast

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

On this powerful episode of Blues Moments in Time, we trace the journey of the blues from the hardship of the Jim Crow South to the electrified streets of Chicago, uncovering how struggle gave rise to sound that changed the world. March 14 connects the dots between the Great Migration’s cultural upheaval and the personal legacies of icons like Buddy Guy, the revolutionary “Queen of the Organ” Shirley Scott, and the contrasting lives of songwriter Doc Pomus and Delta traditionalist Big Jack Johnson. From uncredited studio sessions to songs born from physical limitation and resilience, this episode reveals how the blues became both a survival tool and a storytelling force—transforming pain into rhythm, and history into something you can feel.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[01:20] - The Cultural Landscape

[02:08] - The Political Climate

[02:55] - Exploring The Music

[03:55] - Births

[04:39.] - Passings

[06:10] - Conclusion

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

If you enjoy Blues Moments in Time, leave a review on your favourite podcast platform — it helps other blues lovers discover the show.

You can also support the podcast by pledging a small donation. Every contribution helps us create richer episodes and continue shining a light on emerging and future blues artists.

Support the stories that shaped the blues. Help us keep the archive growing: https://blues-moments-in-time.captivate.fm/support

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

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

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.

On March 13, two very different front lines—Selma, Alabama and swinging‑London—revealed how deeply the blues runs through global culture. As civil rights marchers faced state violence to secure the vote in 1965, a young Eric Clapton walked away from pop stardom to chase the raw truth of Black blues music. This episode traces how the blues, born from oppression and survival, shaped political resistance in the American South and ignited a musical revolution in Britain. A story of courage, conviction, and the enduring power of a sound that refuses to be silenced.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[01:31] - The Cultural Landscape

[02:58] - The Political Climate

[04:19] - Exploring The Music

[07:02] - Births

[08:03] - Passings

[08:52.] - Conclusion

MUSIC USED IN THIS EPISODE:

Track: I'm Your Witchdoctor (1965)

Artist: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Album: Bluesbreakers feat. Eric Clapton - Deluxe Edition

Label: Fontana

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

If you enjoy Blues Moments in Time, leave a review on your favourite podcast platform — it helps other blues lovers discover the show.

You can also support the podcast by pledging a small donation. Every contribution helps us create richer episodes and continue shining a light on emerging and future blues artists.

Support this Podcast

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

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

Website: https://www.theblueshotel.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblueshotel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblueshotel

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theblueshotel.com.au

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBluesHotel

©2026 The Blues Hotel Collective.