One of the biggest misconceptions about blues music is that the genre is all about doom and gloom. Naturally, many blues songs feature lyrics about being down in the dumps, love lost, and heartbreak.

As the National Museum of African American Music opens its doors, journalists from the USA TODAY Network explore the stories, places and people who helped make music what it is today in our expansive ...

You don’t get the nickname “Lightnin’” for no reason, especially when you’re a blues artist. Born March 15, 1912, in Centerville, Texas, Samuel John “Lightnin’” Hopkins became one of the most ...

Composer Randy Gibson walked the trails of Tacony Creek Park and recorded his responses as a suite of songs. (Emma Lee/WHYY) In the summer of 2019, composer Randy Gibson took a stroll through ...