Blues Moments in Time...

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Join Kelvin Huggins as he dives deep into the tangled roots and resonant echoes of December 16th in blues history.

December 16th traces a striking duality in the blues story — a day where boundary‑breaking innovation meets the quiet, steadfast grind of regional tradition. This episode celebrates the births of two giants who pushed the genre into new territory: Sugar Blue, the harmonica firebrand often hailed as “the Jimi Hendrix of harmonica,” and Billy Gibbons, the Texas guitar architect whose work with ZZ Top carried blues grit onto the global rock stage.

But the date also carries a deeper, humbler resonance. We honor the lives and legacies of Tommy Bankhead, a St. Louis mainstay who spent fifty years keeping Delta blues alive in working‑class bars and neighborhood joints, and Pete Mayes, the Texas “T‑Bone Man” whose devotion to the music preserved a lineage stretching back to the greats.

Together, these four artists — two born, two departed — reveal the full arc of the blues: from explosive reinvention to the quiet, lifelong labor of keeping tradition alive. This is the blues as it truly lives: expansive, rooted, restless, and enduring.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective

Listen Tomorrow for: Another Blues Moment in Time

Keep the blues alive.

© 2025 The Blues Hotel Collective.

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Join Rufus as he dives deep into the tangled roots and resonant echoes of December 8th in blues history.

December 8th is a pivotal date in the history of blues and related genres, marked by significant births, landmark recordings, legendary performances, and the passing of influential artists. The date's importance is underscored by the birth of Gregg Allman in 1947, whose work with The Allman Brothers Band fused blues with southern rock. It is also tragically linked to Otis Redding, who recorded his iconic song "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" the day before this date in 1967, just two days prior to his death. The date further commemorates the passing of blues masters Big Walter Horton and Hollywood Fats, a historic live performance by Rory Gallagher, a chart-topping achievement by Guy Mitchell, and a key release in Bob Dylan's transition to an electric sound. These events collectively establish December 8th as a day of profound beginnings, poignant farewells, and enduring legacies within the blues tradition.

© 2025 The Blues Hotel Collective.

Mentioned in this episode:

Special Subscriber Gift – The Blues Hotel Christmas Edition

Subscribe to The Blues Hotel Collective before December 24th and receive an exclusive bonus episode featuring blues legends getting into the festive spirit. This special Christmas edition won't be released publicly—it's our gift to you.

Subscribe now: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1388278/172318053380392029/share

🎁 Special Subscriber Gift – The Blues Hotel Christmas Edition

Subscribe before December 24th and receive an exclusive bonus episode featuring blues legends getting into the festive spirit. This special Christmas edition won't be released publicly—it's our gift to you.

👉 Subscribe now: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1388278/172318053380392029/share

Join Kelvin Huggins as he dives deep into the tangled roots and resonant echoes of December 2nd in blues history.

December 2nd emerges as a date of profound significance in the timeline of blues and popular music, encapsulating the genre's core dualities of creation and loss, triumph and tragedy. On this day, the blues world mourned the passing of foundational figures like boogie-woogie pioneer Albert Ammons and civil rights icon Odetta, while also celebrating seminal creative milestones. These include Ammons's groundbreaking recordings, The Rolling Stones' legendary Muscle Shoals sessions for Sticky Fingers, and the release of their Grammy-winning tribute album, Blue and Lonesome. The date is also scarred by the infamous Altamont Free Concert, a tragic event that starkly contrasted with the creative magic happening in the studio on the same day in 1969. This convergence of pivotal events makes December 2nd a microcosm of the blues itself—a day that, as host Kelvin Huggin states, "roars like a barrelhouse piano at midnight."

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective

Listen Tomorrow for: Another Blues Moment in Time

Keep the blues alive.

© 2025 The Blues Hotel Collective.

Mentioned in this episode:

Special Subscriber Gift – The Blues Hotel Christmas Edition

Subscribe to The Blues Hotel Collective before December 24th and receive an exclusive bonus episode featuring blues legends getting into the festive spirit. This special Christmas edition won't be released publicly—it's our gift to you.

Subscribe now: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1388278/172318053380392029/share

Join Kelvin Huggins as he dives deep into the tangled roots and resonant echoes of December 1st in blues history.

December 1st stands as a noteworthy date in the annals of blues and related music genres, marked by a dense concentration of significant events. An analysis of historical data reveals that this date encapsulates the full spectrum of the music world's lifecycle, from the births of influential, multi-million-selling artists to the untimely deaths of rising stars. Landmark recording sessions, from the foundational era of the 1920s to contemporary projects, have taken place on this day. Furthermore, December 1st has been the date for notable album releases, the inauguration of major festivals, and memorable live performances and broadcasts. Key figures associated with this date include artists such as Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Arthur "Blind" Blake, and Magic Sam, whose careers were either celebrated or commemorated on December 1st across different decades. The events connected to this date span the entire history of recorded blues music, from its early preservation on Paramount Records to modern festival culture, underscoring its consistent relevance within the global blues community.

Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective

Listen Tomorrow for: Another Blues Moment in Time

Keep the blues alive.

© 2025 The Blues Hotel Collective.

Join Kelvin Huggins as he dives deep into the tangled roots and resonant echoes of November 29th in blues history.

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Hosted by: Kelvin Huggins

Presented by: The Blues Hotel Collective

Listen Tomorrow for: Another Blues Moment in Time

Keep the blues alive.

© 2025 The Blues Hotel Collective.