This Week In The Blues: August 2 - August 8, 2026

HEY BLUES FANS

Here's the latest episode of "This Week In The Blues" for the week of August 2 - August 8, 2026.

Some of the highlights include of the pioneering musicians of the Delta blues, Willie Brown, Texas blues singer and piano player Big Walter Price, Jimmy Witherspoon, one of the leading blues vocalists of the postwar era.

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

"This Week In The Blues" podcast is now featured every Sunday at 3:50pm on "The Weekend Blues" hosted by 'Hard luck' Jim Johnson on KGOU. Stream it live on https://www.kgou.org

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:

Albert King - Blues Power | Live at Fillmore East (1970) - https://youtu.be/SyVhBfIFbiQ?si=qeV9sQRFz6-ZeyCw

Magic Slim And The Tear Drops - "I'm A Blues Man Live" - https://youtu.be/1HDS3jkPO3c?si=d3pbZZG5AlbkQxD_

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

ALSO - 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

Texas blues singer and piano player Big Walter Price was born on August 2 back in 1917 near Gonzales, Texas. He later moved to San Antonio where he released his first song called "Calling Margie" in 1955. In the 1960s he signed with Peacock Records and released several of his singles. His song "Pack Fair and Square" was actually covered by the J. Geils Band. He died in 2012 at the age of 94 although he claimed he was 97.

The Newport Pop Festival opened on August 3, 1968, and was also an important showcase for blues music. The James Cotton Blues Band and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band brought Chicago blues to a massive rock audience, helping expand the genre’s influence. Cotton’s powerful harmonica playing and Butterfield’s innovative blues-rock sound highlighted the connection between traditional blues and modern rock. Other blues-rooted acts, including Canned Heat and The Electric Flag, further demonstrated blues music’s lasting impact on the era’s evolving sound.

Albert King was one of blues music's most distinctive guitarists, known for his powerful bends and unmistakable tone. A left-handed player, he used a right-handed guitar flipped upside down without restringing it, helping create his unique sound. His famous Gibson Flying V, nicknamed "Lucy," became nearly as legendary as the man himself. Standing over six feet four inches tall with a commanding presence and silky vocals, King earned the fitting nickname "The Velvet Bulldozer," blending strength and soul in every performance.

Thomas Tribble, known as "T-N-T", was born on August 5, 1921, in Canon, Georgia. He was a drummer, singer, songwriter, and bandleader who became a key figure in the Washington, D.C. rhythm-and-blues scene. After serving in World War II, he built a long career recording jump blues and early rock-and-roll songs while performing with artists such as Frank Motley, Bobby Parker, and Ike and Tina Turner. Tribble remained active for decades and continued performing well into his later years before passing away in 2017 at the age of 95.

One of the pioneering musicians of the Delta blues, Willie Brown, was born on August 6 in 1900. Brown was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi and learned to play the guitar as a teenager. He performed and recorded with other notable blues musicians, including Son House and Charlie Patton, and was an influence on Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Brown played with Patton on "M & O Blues" and "Future Blues", recorded for Paramount Records in 1930.

Bluesman Robert Holt was born August 7, 1937, but you probably know him as Magic Slim. He became one of the most respected guardians of traditional Chicago blues. After losing a finger in a childhood cotton gin accident, he switched from piano to guitar. Magic Slim led his group the Teardrops for decades. They earned a reputation for electrifying live shows and an enormous song repertoire, and helped preserve and promote the classic Chicago sound for generations of fans.

Born August 8, 1920, Jimmy Witherspoon rose from singing in a church choir to become one of the leading blues vocalists of the postwar era. He began recording in the mid-1940s and scored a number-one R&B hit in 1949 with “Ain’t Nobody’s Business.” Although his popularity declined during the 1950s, a standout performance at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival revived his career and reaffirmed his place as a major blues and jazz talent.

Alright blues fans, if you want to know more about these stories or other things that happened this week in the blues, then head over to BigTrainBlues.com and explore the archives. Better yet, follow us on social media and see every blues history post. We’ll be back next week with more blues stories, legends, and history. Until then, we will See you at the next stop!