Living Blues
Encyclopedia
Living Blues is a bi-monthly magazine
focused on covering the African American blues
tradition, and America's oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago
in 1970 by Jim O'Neal
and Amy van Singel. Alligator Records
owner and founder Bruce Iglauer was also one of the magazine's early editors. Howlin' Wolf
was featured on the cover of the first issue. In 1983, O'Neal and van Singel donated the publication rights and the magazine's collection of blues memorabilia to the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi
. At that time the magazine became a bi-monthly. The magazine is currently edited by Brett Bonner, and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010.
Each issue contains a variety of features, including artist interviews and profiles, record reviews, and a monthly Top 25 national blues radio chart. Speaking about the magazine for a story by the Associated Press, current editor Brett Bonner "attributes its longevity to a formula from which it rarely strays: allowing the artists to describe how their culture drives the music."
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
focused on covering the African American blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
tradition, and America's oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1970 by Jim O'Neal
Jim O'Neal
Jim O'Neal is an American blues expert, writer, record producer and record company executive. He co-founded America's first blues magazine, Living Blues, in Chicago in 1970. Since that time the magazine has set standards for blues history, culture, and journalism worldwide...
and Amy van Singel. Alligator Records
Alligator Records
Alligator Records is a Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971.Iglauer started the label with his own savings to record and produce his favorite band Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers, whom his employer, Bob Koester of Delmark Records, declined to record...
owner and founder Bruce Iglauer was also one of the magazine's early editors. Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
was featured on the cover of the first issue. In 1983, O'Neal and van Singel donated the publication rights and the magazine's collection of blues memorabilia to the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. At that time the magazine became a bi-monthly. The magazine is currently edited by Brett Bonner, and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010.
Each issue contains a variety of features, including artist interviews and profiles, record reviews, and a monthly Top 25 national blues radio chart. Speaking about the magazine for a story by the Associated Press, current editor Brett Bonner "attributes its longevity to a formula from which it rarely strays: allowing the artists to describe how their culture drives the music."
External links
- Living Blues, magazine's official website
- "Living Blues Celebrates 25 Years", The Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi