Blues History: This Week In The Blues

This Week In The Blues: April 19 - April 25, 2026

• Big Train and the Loco Motives • Season 4 • Episode 10

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 5:26

HEY BLUES FANS

Here's the latest episode of "This Week In The Blues" for the week of April 19 - April 25, 2026.

Some of the highlights include Chicago blues artist Doctor Clayton, Chicago blues guitarist Eddie King, and boogie-woogie and the Velvet Bulldozer, blues guitarist Albert King.

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:

George Harmonica Smith - "Juke" (Live) - https://youtu.be/51DjBFzpIzs?si=4wsKhM5BoSyWiUXC

Albert King - "I'll Play the Blues for You" (The Midnight Special) - https://youtu.be/WydRZHhVb00?si=zZ1Eb_8QKUCzaTbq

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

ALSO - Consider joining the Blues Society of Oklahoma and helping them continue their mission - https://bluessocietyoklahoma.com/membership/

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

Doctor Clayton, born April 19, 1898 in Georgia, moved to St. Louis as a child before settling in Chicago to pursue music. After losing his family in a 1937 fire, he battled alcoholism but became a prolific songwriter, penning songs like “Hold That Train, Conductor.” A regional success, he performed widely in Chicago clubs alongside Robert Lockwood Jr. and Sunnyland Slim, leaving a lasting mark on the blues.

 

Slim Leavy, born April 20, 1940 in Scott, Arkansas, rose from church choir roots to modest blues success with the Leavy Brothers, scoring a 1970 R&B chart hit with “Cummins Prison Farm.” His life took a tragic turn with a 1992 conviction under Arkansas’s drug kingpin law, leading to a life sentence. Ironically imprisoned at Cummins Prison, he continued singing until his death on June 6, 2010, leaving a legacy shaped by both music and hardship.

 

Eddie King was born April 21, 1938 in Talladega, Alabama. He became a respected Chicago blues guitarist and singer known for his raw vocals and biting tone. After moving to Chicago in 1954, he recorded under Willie Dixon, backed artists like Sonny Boy Williamson II, and spent two decades with Koko Taylor. His later albums earned acclaim, including a Blues Music Award. King died March 14, 2012.

 

George "Harmonica" Smith was born April 22, 1924 in West Helena, Arkansas and became one of blues’ great harp masters. After learning the instrument as a child, He later moved to Chicago in 1951. There he joined Muddy Waters’ band in 1954 and working with Otis Rush. Recording as Little George Smith, he cut singles for RPM Modern and toured with Little Willie John and Champion Jack Dupree, cementing his place in blues history.

 

Cow Cow Davenport was born April 23, 1894 in Anniston, Alabama and became a notable boogie-woogie and blues pianist. One of eight children, he began playing at 12 despite his father’s disapproval, which also led to his expulsion from seminary for playing ragtime. Recording under several pseudonyms, Davenport built a lasting reputation and was later inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

 

Charlie "Specks" McFadden was born April 24, 1895. This St. Louis country blues singer was known for his recordings beginning in 1929. Nicknamed “Specks” and “Black Patch” due to poor eyesight, he gained a reputation as a strong local performer. His song “Gambler’s Blues” reflected a life touched by trouble, as he was arrested multiple times for gambling. Much of his life beyond these recordings remains unknown.

 

The Velvet Bulldozer, Albert King, was born April 25, 1923 on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi. This groundbreaking blues guitarist had a powerful style that shaped modern guitar music. Known for his distinctive tone and left-handed, upside-down playing technique, he influenced artists from Otis Rush to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. King’s innovative approach and commanding sound made him one of the most influential figures in blues history.

 

Alright blues fans, that’s just a quick stop on this week’s ride through blues history. If you want more, then head over to Big Train Blues.com and explore the archives, or follow us on social media to keep the blues rolling all week long.... We’ll be back next week with more blues legends, history, and stories. Until then, keep the Big Train Blues rolling down the track... See you at the next stop!