Hour Three takes listeners back to the earliest decades of recorded blues, where the midnight hour carried meanings that were often mysterious, lonely, and deeply personal. While the previous two hours explored midnight through jazz and postwar rhythm & blues, this segment focuses on the country blues artists whose recordings first established midnight as one of the music’s most enduring symbols. Whether representing heartache, travel, danger, superstition, or quiet reflection, midnight became a powerful setting for many of the greatest blues recordings of the 1920s and 1930s.

Big Bill Broonzy opens the hour with “Midnight Steppers,” immediately setting a confident rhythm that bridges country blues and the emerging urban sound. Broonzy’s versatility allowed him to move comfortably between traditional Delta styles and the more polished Chicago blues that would define much of his later career.

Kokomo Arnold follows with “Midnight Blues,” displaying the fast-paced slide guitar technique and distinctive vocal delivery that influenced generations of blues musicians. Casey Bill Weldon offers his own version of “Midnight Blues,” replacing Arnold’s intensity with his smooth lap steel guitar and relaxed singing style.

Lucille Bogan contributes the emotionally charged “Lonesome Midnight Blues.” One of the boldest and most expressive female blues singers of the prewar era, Bogan never shied away from songs that dealt honestly with loneliness, hardship, and relationships.

Leroy Carr’s elegant “Midnight Hour Blues” follows, combining his smooth piano accompaniment with one of the most recognizable voices in early blues. Carr’s sophisticated style became enormously influential, inspiring countless musicians who followed.

Peetie Wheatstraw continues the midnight journey with “Midnight Blues,” bringing his signature blend of storytelling and supernatural imagery. Known as the “Devil’s Son-in-Law,” Wheatstraw frequently incorporated folklore and larger-than-life characters into his music.

Bumble Bee Slim’s “12 O’Clock Midnight” captures the uncertainty and isolation that so often accompany late-night blues, while Cryin’ Sam Collins performs the traditional “Midnight Special,” a song whose imagery of trains and freedom has echoed through American folk and blues music for generations.

Johnny Temple slows the pace with “Between Midnight & Dawn,” reflecting on the quiet hours when worries often seem most overwhelming. Blind Willie McTell contributes two remarkable performances, “Wee Midnight Hour” and “Blues Around Midnight.” His intricate twelve-string guitar playing and expressive vocals remain among the finest examples of country blues artistry ever recorded.

Romeo Nelson’s “Midnight Special Blues” and Son Becky’s “Midnight Trouble Blues” continue exploring the midnight theme from different regional perspectives, while Bert M. Mayes delivers the lesser-known but engaging “Midnight Ramble Blues.”

Tampa Red closes the central portion of the hour with two outstanding recordings, “Midnight Boogie” and “The Witching Hour.” His clean guitar work and polished style demonstrate why he became one of the most successful blues artists of the 1930s and helped pave the way for postwar Chicago blues.

Jazz Gillum adds another interpretation of “Midnight Special,” featuring his warm harmonica style before the hour concludes with two legendary vocal performances. Bessie Smith’s powerful “Midnight Blues” reminds listeners why she remains the undisputed Empress of the Blues, while Ethel Waters brings the program to a graceful close with the beautifully understated “Midnight Blue.”

Hour Three reveals how deeply the idea of midnight was woven into the earliest blues tradition. Long before electric guitars and amplified harmonicas transformed the music, blues artists were using the midnight hour to express loneliness, longing, resilience, faith, and hope. These recordings remain some of the most honest and emotionally compelling performances in American musical history, making this hour one of the richest historical journeys in the entire broadcast.

Playlist – Hour Three

Midnight Steppers – Big Bill Broonzy
Midnight Blues – Kokomo Arnold
Midnight Blues – Casey Bill Weldon
Lonesome Midnight Blues – Lucille Bogan
Midnight Hour Blues – Leroy Carr
Midnight Blues – Peetie Wheatstraw
12 O’Clock Midnight – Bumble Bee Slim
Midnight Special – Cryin’ Sam Collins
Between Midnight & Dawn – Johnny Temple
Wee Midnight Hour – Blind Willie McTell
Blues Around Midnight – Blind Willie McTell
Midnight Special Blues – Romeo Nelson
Midnight Trouble Blues – Son Becky
Midnight Ramble Blues – Bert M. Mayes
Midnight Boogie – Tampa Red
The Witching Hour – Tampa Red
Midnight Special – Jazz Gillum
Midnight Blues – Bessie Smith
Midnight Blue – Ethel Waters