Living Blues

Living Blues
EditorBrett Bonner
CategoriesMusic, blues
FrequencyBi-monthly
Circulation25,000
Founded1970
CompanyCenter for the Study of Southern Culture
CountryUnited States
Based inOxford, Mississippi
Websitewww.livingblues.com
ISSN0024-5232

Living Blues: The Magazine of the African American Blues Tradition is a bi-monthly magazine focused on blues music, and America's oldest blues periodical.[1] The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago in 1970[2] by Jim O'Neal and Amy van Singel as editors, and five others as writers. Among them were Bruce Iglauer and Paul Garon. They sold the first copies at the 1970 Ann Arbor Blues Festival.[3]

In 1983, O'Neal and van Singel sold publication rights to the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, and donated to the center their collection of blues records, photos, subject files, and memorabilia.[4] At that time the magazine became a bi-monthly, with O'Neal still the editor. Peter Lee, who later founded Fat Possum Records,[5] David Nelson,[6] and Scott Barretta followed as editors. The headquarters of the magazine moved to Oxford, Mississippi.[2] As of 2014, the magazine was edited by Brett Bonner.

The magazine stresses the position of blues as a living African American tradition.[3] Each issue contains a variety of features, including artist interviews and profiles, record reviews, and a monthly Top 25 national blues radio chart. The annual Living Blues Awards have been presented since 1993 in multiple categories.

The blues singer Deitra Farr was a regular contributor.[7]

  1. ^ "Documenting the Blues". Mississippi Blues Trail. Mississippi Blues Commission. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Edward Komara (28 October 2005). Encyclopedia of the Blues. Psychology Press. p. 757. ISBN 978-0-415-92699-7. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Living Blues Magazine Reaches 25". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. April 9, 1995. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via Google News.
  4. ^ David Rothschild (March 17, 1995). "Living Blues Magazine Celebrates 25th Year". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  5. ^ Chris Morris (June 11, 1994). "Mississippi Labels Tap into Wealth of Delta Blues Talent". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. pp. 1–95. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. ^ Eugene Chadbourne. "David Nelson". Allmusic. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Skelly, Richard. "Biography: Deitra Farr". Allmusic. Retrieved July 13, 2010.