Exploring the birthplace of the blues

WBUR | By Chris Bentley,

Peter O'Dowd

Published August 7, 2025 at 11:57 AM EDT

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Orlando Paden at Red's juke joint in Clarksdale, Mississippi. (Chris Bentley/Here & Now)

On a recent reporting trip, Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd and Chris Bentley stopped in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The town is known as the birthplace of the blues, where traditional juke joints like Red’s helped shape the direction of American music.

Shelley Ritter, executive director of the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Miss., in front of a replica vehicle used by Alan Lomax to record blues musicians in the Delta. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.