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Elijah Wald

Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories

Viewing 1–4 of 4

Illustration of McCormick at his desk, hunched over a typewriter.

Hellhounds on His Trail

Mack McCormick’s long, tortured quest to find the real Robert Johnson.

by Michael Hall via Texas Monthly on April 4, 2023

Illustration of Guitar, a Gun and Roses by Eric Hanson

The Bully in the Ballad

Was Mississippi John Hurt really the first person to sing the tragic tale of Louis Collins?

by Eric McHenry via The American Scholar on December 15, 2022

A mural of a Black musician wearing a pinstripe suit, hat, and playing guitar.

The Devil, the Delta, and the City

In search of the mythical blues—and their real urban origins.

by Alan Pell Crawford via Modern Age on October 17, 2022

Photograph of blues singer Robert Johnson, playing guitar, 1936.

Searching for Robert Johnson

In the seven decades since his mysterious death, bluesman Robert Johnson’s legend has grown.

by Frank DiGiacomo via Vanity Fair on October 1, 2008

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