Published By: Lamont Jack Pearley
A New Episode from Jack Dappa Blues Radio
“The Blues didn’t start in the Mississippi Delta — it began in Louisiana.”
That’s the claim — and cultural correction — that Grammy and CMA Award-winning Bluesman Chris Thomas King boldly makes. In this culturally rich episode of Jack Dappa Blues Radio, we sit down with King to unpack the lived history, Creole identity, and spiritual legacies behind the music we call the Blues.
Discovered in 1979 by a folklorist from the Smithsonian and introduced by Arhoolie Records, King rose as the last major folk blues discovery of the 20th century — an heir to Huddie Ledbetter, Robert Johnson, and Jelly Roll Morton. Best known for his role as Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, King has sold over 10 million records while remaining deeply rooted in Black Southern music traditions.
In this episode, we explore:
- Creole vs. Cajun: Cultural, linguistic, and historical distinctions
- The film Sinners and the spiritual tensions in Blues storytelling
- “Gravedigger Gonna Cut You Down”: King’s haunting new single and its roots in folk-blues tradition
- The founding of the Blues Origin Institute and its mission to reclaim Louisiana’s place in Blues history
- The erasure of Black Creole culture in mainstream narratives — and how King is working to set the record straight
Through music, memory, and truth-telling, Chris Thomas King reminds us that the Blues is not just a sound — it’s a Black ancestral language, grounded in Creole survival, dirt road spirituality, and cultural resistance.
👉 Listen now on all podcast platforms, and visit www.christhomasking.com to learn more about the Blues Origin Institute.
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple, Google, and YouTube.
📌 Follow us at @JackDappaBlues and subscribe for more episodes that keep the Blues tradition alive.