This Week In The Blues: March 1 - March 7, 2026

HEY BLUES FANS

Here's the latest episode of "This Week In The Blues" for the week of March 1 - March 7, 2026.

Some of the highlights include Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher, the day that Mississippi John Hurt was rediscovered in Avalon, Mississippi, and blues guitarist and singer Furry Lewis.

Keep in mind that there's so much more that happened this week in the blues. If you want to know more about these artists or other things that happened this week in the blues, be sure to visit our website or follow our Facebook page:
https://bigtrainblues.com
https://www.facebook.com/BigTrainBlues

Photo credits (if known) and past episodes are posted on our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@BigTrainBlues

Here are links to a few of the artists or songs we've referenced in this week's episode:

Rory Gallagher - "I Can't Be Satisfied" (Live acoustic) - https://youtu.be/uD5Ot-SXCMo?si=YoFSwPMfejSyL-Gz

Furry Lewis - "When I lay my burden down" - https://youtu.be/CCqbKdnHZTs?si=cDfh8UisvwmSWvUX

Join me every weekday from 12:15pm-12:45pm CT to watch a live stream on Facebook of the longest running blues radio show program. https://www.facebook.com/DeltaCulturalCenter

We’ll have a new episode next week – we’ll see you then!

ARE YOU A FAN OF BLUES HISTORY? US TOO!

 If you want to know more about these artists or other things that happened this week in the blues, be sure to visit our website or follow our Facebook page:

     https://bigtrainblues.com

     https://www.facebook.com/BigTrainBlues

Transcript

Chicago boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons was born March 1, 1907. He was a pioneer who helped define the style’s blues-based piano sound. Raised by musician parents, he developed a powerful technique and rose to prominence in the 1930s with recordings like “Swanee River Boogie” and “Boogie Woogie Stomp.” His performances at Café Society and the 1938 From Spirituals to Swing Carnegie Hall concert helped spark the national boogie-woogie craze and inspired the founding of Blue Note Records. Ammons continued recording and touring throughout the 1940s before dying December 2, 1949, at age 42.

Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher was born March 2, 1948. His no-frills style fused American blues with rock, folk, and Celtic influences. Rising to fame with the band Taste, he launched a prolific solo career marked by relentless touring and critical acclaim, selling over 30 million records. Known for his battered Fender Stratocaster and deep blues roots, he collaborated with Muddy Waters and Albert King and influenced countless guitarists. Gallagher shunned rock-star excess, focusing solely on the music. He died June 14, 1995, at age 47.

On March 3, 1963, Mississippi John Hurt was rediscovered in Avalon, Mississippi by Tom Hoskins, after tracing a lyric from “Avalon Blues.” This was one of the most famous revivals in blues history. Born John Smith Hurt in 1893, Hurt had recorded briefly for Okeh Records in the late 1920s before returning to farming after the Depression. Renewed interest from the folk revival led Hoskins to find him still playing guitar. Hurt soon relocated to Washington, D.C., performed at major folk festivals including Newport, recorded for Vanguard Records, and toured widely. He died in 1966, leaving a lasting influence on blues and folk music.

Blues guitarist Willie Johnson was born March 4, 1923, in Senatobia, Mississippi. He was the fierce guitar sound behind Howlin’ Wolf’s early Memphis recordings. Known for his raw, distorted tone, he helped define the sound of electric blues on classics like How Many More Years. Johnson also worked with major Memphis artists and recorded for Sun Records before later moving to Chicago. Though his career was uneven, his influence was lasting. He made final recordings in the early 1990s, died February 26, 1995, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.

J. B. Lenoir was born March 5, 1929, in Monticello, Mississippi. This Chicago blues artist was known for his sharp guitar style, high-pitched vocals, and fearless political lyrics. Influenced by Blind Lemon Jefferson, he moved to Chicago in 1949 and recorded for Chess and other labels, tackling issues like war, racism, and injustice in songs such as “Korea Blues” and “Eisenhower Blues.” Known for his flamboyant style, Lenoir later embraced acoustic blues and European audiences. He died April 29, 1967, at age 38, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.

Country blues guitarist and singer Furry Lewis was born March 6 in either 1893 or 1899 in Greenwood, Mississippi. He was known for his storytelling songs and nimble guitar style blending blues and ragtime. Raised in Memphis, he recorded influential sides in the late 1920s, including “Kassie Jones” and “Judge Harsh Blues.” Lewis later worked decades as a Memphis street sweeper while performing locally. Rediscovered during the 1960s blues revival, he gained national fame, toured widely, and even opened for the Rolling Stones. He died in Memphis in 1981, leaving a lasting blues legacy.

On March 7, 1940, Delta bluesman Bukka White recorded “Parchman Farm Blues,” one of the most powerful songs of the prewar era, cut in Chicago for Okeh Records. Based on White’s own imprisonment at Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Farm, the song vividly portrays hard labor, confinement, and longing for freedom. Driven by raw vocals and haunting slide guitar, it became a defining example of prison blues. Though not a hit at the time, its honesty ensured lasting influence, inspiring later artists including Mose Allison. Today, it stands as a crucial document of African American history and blues expression.

Well blues fans, we just covered some of the highlights here. If you want to know more about these artists or other things that happened this week in the blues, be sure to follow our social media pages or just go out and visit our website at Big Train Blues.com. We’ll have a new episode next week and it’s going to be a great show. so…we’ll see you then!