S3:E3 // Mississippi Fred McDowell

Today on the program, we present the story of the father of North Mississippi Hill Country Blues, Mississippi Fred McDowell. From humble beginnings, Fred was inspired from the likes of Charley Patton, his neighbor Eli "Booster" Green and the sounds he gathered from guitarists in Memphis, Mississippi and the Delta, and defined the often overlooked nuances of the blues. Like many of the great Southern pre-war blues guitarists born around the turn of the century, Fred was "discovered" by Alan Lomax in 1959, and continues to inspire slide guitarists to this day, despite not being a household name in the blues realm. Watch the full documentary "Shake Em On Down" Support Educational Programming: Join the Patreon Community Send a one-time donation on Venmo or PayPal Follow American Songcatcher: Instagram | TikTok Credits: Ryan Eastridge - Research, Writing Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, editing, recording and distribution References: Shirley Collins Book | Alan Lomax Book | Laurence Cohn Book | UdiscoveredMusic |Allmusic| MS Blues Trail | KUNC | Mt. Zion Memorial Fund | John Szwed Book | Musicians Guide | Commercial Appeal | "Shake Em On Down"

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This episode is 39 minutes long.

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This episode was published on February 25, 2024.

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