Preserving the Legacy of Blues Before Sunrise
Welcome to the digital home for the preservation and celebration of Blues Before Sunrise, the landmark radio program hosted by Steve Cushing. For over four decades, Blues Before Sunrise has served as a vital time capsule of African American cultural history, offering deep dives into blues, gospel, jazz, R&B, and more—anchored by rare recordings, informed commentary, and a reverence for the artists who shaped American music.
This site is a Blues Heritage Showcase, dedicated to preserving the rich audio archive of the show and making it accessible to future generations of listeners, scholars, and music lovers. Every broadcast of Blues Before Sunrise is more than just a playlist—it’s a curated history lesson steeped in the stories, voices, and rhythms of Black America.
What You’ll Find Here
Archived Broadcasts: Selected hours and full episodes of Blues Before Sunrise, remastered and archived for streaming and historical preservation.
In-Depth Show Notes: Detailed playlists, artist bios, and background on the featured recordings—ranging from classic 78 RPM sides to field recordings and forgotten live sessions.
Special Features: Highlighted segments such as artist retrospectives, gospel hour specials, roundtable interviews, and thematic shows like the annual BBS Salute to Summer or tributes to historic blues regions.
Steve Cushing’s Commentary: Insightful spoken intros and commentary from Cushing, placing the music in historical and cultural context with the depth of a blues scholar and the soul of a devoted fan.
Educational Resources: A growing collection of articles, essays, and interviews designed to support educators, researchers, and anyone interested in the history of African American music traditions.
Why This Matters
Blues is more than music—it’s a lens through which we can understand struggle, resilience, joy, faith, and creativity. Blues Before Sunrise honors that truth by unearthing rare recordings and untold stories that commercial radio long ago abandoned. In doing so, it preserves a cultural heritage that is too often overlooked or erased.
This site exists to ensure that the spirit of Blues Before Sunrise lives on—not just as a radio show, but as an evolving, living archive of America’s most foundational music traditions.
Join us in preserving this legacy. Explore the archives, share your favorite moments, and keep the blues alive—before sunrise and beyond.
Support the Preservation of Blues Before Sunrise
Blues Before Sunrise has always been a labor of love—created not for profit, but to honor and preserve the deep cultural roots of African American music. Maintaining this archive and making it accessible to listeners around the world comes with ongoing costs, including audio restoration, digital storage, and website hosting.
If you believe in the importance of preserving blues heritage and the legacy of Steve Cushing’s groundbreaking radio work, we invite you to support the site with a donation.
Where Your Support Goes:
• Audio Archiving & Restoration: Digitizing and preserving rare recordings and past broadcasts.
• Website Hosting & Maintenance: Keeping the site running smoothly and securely for public access.
• Content Expansion: Creating new features like searchable playlists, educational materials, and in-depth artist retrospectives.
Every contribution—large or small—helps keep Blues Before Sunrise alive for current listeners and future generations.
Thank you for supporting the music, the memories, and the legacy.