This Week In The Blues: April 26 - May 02, 2026

HEY BLUES FANS

Here's the latest episode of "This Week In The Blues" for the week of April 26 - May 02, 2026.

Some of the highlights include the “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey, Louis “Blues Boy” Jones, and the day Mance Lipscomb recorded the track “Charlie James”.

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:

Little Walter - "Walter's Jump" (Live) - https://youtu.be/EYDC7jMag5M?si=Od6gjo4Qh6MOlUsA

Mance Lipscomb - "Charlie James" - https://youtu.be/ZpuXmaRYSpM?si=uCfZsU0XBkbGLUtp

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

Transcript

Ma Rainey was born April 26, 1886 and became known as the “Mother of the Blues,” shaping the genre long before recording. Though not the first to record, her 1923 Paramount debut cemented her legacy. A dominant figure among early blues women, she popularized classics like “See See Rider,” “Bo-Weavil Blues,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” leaving a lasting imprint on blues history.

Born April 27, 1921, Hop Wilson grew into a pioneering Texas blues steel guitar player. Nicknamed “Hop” from his childhood harmonica playing, he learned guitar early and picked up steel guitar as a teen. Performing in Houston juke joints and clubs, Wilson refined his style before serving in the Army, then committed fully to a career in music.

Louis “Blues Boy” Jones, born April 28, 1931 in Galveston, Texas, grew up in church before moving into Houston’s R&B scene, recording and singing backup for Peacock and Duke artists like Bobby “Blue” Bland and Big Mama Thornton. His 1956 debut “Rock and Roll Bells” even landed in Elvis Presley’s early record collection. Jones later recorded for Decca and Enjoy, toured widely, and cut his own material in Texas. He died June 27, 1984, and has since gained renewed recognition among blues and R&B fans.

Lefty Dizz was born April 29, 1937, in Osceola, Arkansas, and developed his guitar skills during his U.S. Air Force service. After returning to Chicago in 1956, he studied under Lacy Gibson and Earl Hooker. By 1958, he joined Sonny Thompson’s road band, touring nationwide. During a Seattle stop, a young Jimi Hendrix spent time around Dizz and absorbed early inspiration from his playing.

Homesick James is most often associated with an April 30, 1910 birth in Somerville, Tennessee. He remains a figure wrapped in mystery, and even his name and birth year are debated. A self-taught slide guitarist, he honed his style at local dances before moving to Chicago in 1932. He claimed to have influenced his cousin Elmore James. His recording career began in 1952, with songs like “Lonesome Ole Train” and “Homesick” helping define his identity and sound.

Harp player Little Walter was born May 1, 1930 and revolutionized blues harmonica with a powerful, amplified sound that influenced generations. Arriving in Chicago in 1946, he played Maxwell Street and worked with legends like Tampa Red and Big Bill Broonzy. By 1948, he teamed with Muddy Waters. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, he remains the only artist honored specifically as a harmonica player.

On May 2, 1964, Mance Lipscomb recorded the track “Charlie James”. Recorded in a Berkley, California living room using just a single microphone and a Magnecord tape recorder, Lipscomb played as if he were on a front porch back home in Navasota, Texas. The track blends blues, folk, and storytelling, highlighting Lipscomb’s warm vocals and steady fingerpicking. 

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 BigTrainBlues.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 legends, history, and blues stories. Until then, keep the Big Train Blues rolling down the track. See you at the next stop.