In the third hour of Blues Before Sunrise, listeners are taken to a rare and historic moment in blues history—an intimate round-table interview recorded on March 2, 1947, featuring Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, and Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Williamson). The conversation, conducted by folklorist Alan Lomax, captures three giants of the postwar blues scene speaking candidly about their music, lives, and the changing world around them.

Big Bill Broonzy reflects on his upbringing in the South, his early musical influences, and the transition from rural to urban blues. Memphis Slim shares stories of the Chicago piano scene, describing how the electric sound was reshaping the music. Sonny Boy Williamson offers quiet but deeply insightful thoughts on the meaning of the blues, explaining that it comes “from the heart, not the head.” Throughout, the three trade memories, jokes, and occasional musical snippets, giving the conversation an easy, kitchen-table warmth.

This hour stands as both an oral history and a window into the personal philosophies of three of the blues’ most influential voices—a moment when the past, present, and future of the music met in one unforgettable exchange.

Playlist:

• March 2, 1947 Interview with Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim, and Sonny Boy Williamson, conducted by Alan Lomax