From death row inmates to lawyers, the weekly blues music radio show Highway 61 has amassed a diverse audience in its years on the air.
This fall marks the 10th year that the heralded show has been produced by the University of Mississippi and the Center. The show airs on Public Radio in Mississippi (PRM) every Saturday from 10 p.m. to midnight.
The show started in 1984 and was first hosted by PRM's Steven Brull. After brull left Highway 61 to continue his education, William Ferris, director of the Center and an internationally known blues scholar, took over the microphone. Known as "The Blues Doctor," Ferris served as host for nearly a decade before handing the reins over to his longtime engineer and programmer, David Nelson, who is also editor of Living Blues magazine.
Highway 61 is one of the few local shows not produced by PRM, Ferris said, noting that the relationship has been a perfect marriage benefitting both PRM and the University. "Because of our rich resources through the Blues Archive and Living Blues magazine, we produce a first-class show," Ferris said. "The marriage works because we are able to garner recognition for our work on blues, and PRM gets a good show each week."
"Ole Miss and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture have done an excellent job, and we are proud to have the program on the schedule," William Fulton, PRM director, said. "Through Highway 61 Public Radio in Mississippi has utilized our own state resources and has been able to promote a form of music that is truly homegrown."
Each week, Fulton estimates that PRM is heard by some 100,000 listeners within Mississippi. The show reaches not only throughout Mississippi but also New Orleans, Little Rock, Memphis, Birmingham, Mobile, and southeast Missouri. During the late 1980s, the show also was carried internationally over Armed Forces Radio to an audience of millions.
Now that he has handed over the headphones, Ferris looks back fondly on his days as host. One of the biggest rewards, and the aspect he misses most, is the contact with listeners.
Unlike Ferris, Nelson, who has engineered and helped program the show since late 1990, came on board with several years of radio experience. Before joining the Center staff, he hosted a reggae show at the University of North Carolina for six years, a job he started while still in high school. He became editor of Living Blues magazine in the summer of 1992.
Nelson said radio has always played a big part in spreading the blues sound dating back to such stations as Nashville's WLAC in the 1940s and '50s, the King Biscuit Time Show from Helena, Arkansas, and Memphis's WDIA. Before Highway 61 came along, Mississippi did not have a statewide blues show.
"What Highway 61 has done, and what I've continued to stress since becoming host, is promoting our own talent. We play listeners' requests, but we try to keep our focus on new releases by Mississippi artists. That's something people aren't necessarily going to hear on other blues shows."
Most recently, PRM called on Highway 61 when Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion radio show made a visit to Jackson. Fulton said the show's producers wanted to feature a blues performer, so he quite naturally referred them to Nelson and Ferris.
"Thanks to them we had Lonnie Pitchford on the show. It turned out to be a tremendous success and helped promote a Mississippi musician in the process," Fulton said.
Christopher Sheffield
Internet Publishing Team