As a blues music fan, I was amazed I didn't know this. Janis Joplin's hit, "Ball 'n' Chain", was originally written & recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in the early 60s. However, it was never released. It's said that Janis heard Thornton perform the song in a San Fran bar and then sang it live at Monterey in 1967. Thornton later acknowledged giving Janis permission to use the song and she received royalty payments from its sales.
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American history & music fans, check out this fascinating article about how the only original photo of legendary blues artist, Charley Patton, was discovered after 70 years (article starts on page 12): s3.amazonaws.com/DinosaurDiscs/78+Quarterly+No+12.…
Patton started playing the blues at Dockery Plantation, Mississippi in the early 1900s and was considered the premier delta blues musician of his time. It's said his music influenced many future blues artists including Eddie "Son" House and Chester "Howlin Wolf" Burnett.
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Historical Spotlight highlights pivotal events in America's past that have had a profound affect on the development of our country. We explore philosophical, economic and political issues seldom covered in traditional textbooks.