Author Archives: Allen Bush

Faith and gospel leads teen to Boston from Robert Johnson Blues Showcase

Crystal Springs is more then 200 miles south of Clarksdale.  It is 10 miles north of Hazlehurst, where Robert Johnson was born.  A grandson of the most legendary Delta blues musician is Steven Johnson.  He and his family make their home here.  Steven’s father, Claude, Robert Johnson’s son, and his mother live close by.  At [...]

Alumni at the Juke Joint Fest

In between sets by the Delta Blues Museum’s Arts and Education Program and Grammy-winning Delta blues legend Honeyboy Edwards, I had the chance to catch-up with a couple of people who had spent time on Berklee’s campus.

Delta Blues scholarship recipient is serious about Berklee

Fried steak and pork shops. Field peas. Barbecue chicken tenders. Lima beans. Turnip greens. Baked beans with hamburger and barbecue sauce. Corn bread. Sweet tea and peach cobbler. Filling-up on the Ranchero’s lunch buffet on Rt. 161 at the edge of town, I’m now ready to commune with Clarksdale, Mississippi. This is the day when one teen from the [...]

Searching hallowed turf in Mississippi for summer scholarship recipients

I’m Allen Bush, director of Berklee’s public information office, and, at the moment, bridge-builder to Mississippi. I’m here in the Deep South this weekend to find teen musicians or singers and award them scholarships to Berklee’s five-week summer performance program. My partners will be the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, and the Robert Johnson Blues [...]

New Orleans – Overshadowed by a parade, shock and art in the Lower 9th

Saturday, Feb. 7 TV was booked.  Like in Boston, stations have a skeleton crew on the weekends, with usually one camera and a priority for breaking news, or in the case of New Orleans that day, the annual Krewe du Vieux parade in the French Quarter.  This is the first in New Orleans’ parade season, [...]