On February 28, the blues doesn’t just mark a date on the calendar—it marks a crossroads. From a Broadway stage where Black voices first shook the walls of segregation, to a three–chord guitar riff launched into outer space, to indictments that finally cracked the armor of Jim Crow justice, this single day traces the blues’ journey from Southern streets to the stars. In this episode, we follow February 28 across decades: the opera that smuggled the blues into the mainstream, the red-hot chart symbol that changed who got heard, the birth of guitar mystics and British blues missionaries, and the passing of a man who carried Robert Johnson’s ghost into the modern age. February 28 is more than a date—it’s a living timeline of how the blues remembers, resists, and keeps moving forward.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Introduction

[00:52] - The Cultural Landscape

[02:37] - The Political Climate

[03:44] - Exploring the Music

[04:54] - Births

[07:12] - Passings

[08:23] - Conclusion

KEY FIGURES MENTIONED:

Anne Brown (1912-2009)

Todd Duncan (1903-1998)

Chuck Berry (1926-2017)

John Fahey (1939-2001)

Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones) (1942-1969)

John Hammond (John Hammond Jr.) (1942-2026)

DIG DEEPER:

Todd Duncan / Anne Brown - I Loves You Porgy

Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode

John Fahey - Sunflower River Blues

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Hosted by: Rufus Tate

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