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Congratulations to the staff of Living Blues on the 25th anniversary of the magazine. The oldest blues publication in the United States, Living Blues through its back issues provides an invaluable chronicle of the lives of blues artists and their music. Founding editors Jim O Neal and Amy van Singel, with support from Bruce Iglauer, Paul Garon, and others, launched the publication in Chicago with meager personal funds and an intense love for the music. Their contribution to the blues world is a historic tale for which we are all grateful.
The magazine s journey from Chicago to Oxford reversed the familiar tale of blues traveling North to Chicago when, in 1983, the Center began publishing Living Blues. Jim and Amy continued to edit the magazine from Chicago until 1985 when they too moved to Oxford. In 1987 the magazine s editorial mantle passed to Peter Lee, whose love for reggae and knowledge of South African music carried the publication in interesting new directions. Then in 1992 David Nelson began his tenure as editor. A former Southern Studies graduate student, David had worked for many years with blues, and his thorough editorial hand and that of the magazine s designer Susan Lee have garnered numerous awards for Living Blues. Advertising manager Brett Bonner has built advertising accounts that are critical to the publication.
From its very first issue to the present, the editors of Living Blues have nurtured the magazine as a sacred trust. Always threatened with severe financial problems, these devoted individuals and their staff have chronicled America s greatest music with a care and thoroughness that is as beautiful as the music itself. The latest 25th anniversary issue of Living Blues appropriately looks forward with its special focus on 40 Under 40: The Next Generation of Blues.
We look forward with excitement to launching our first Elvis Presley Conference. The conference has been planned for a number of years during which time we have spoken with friends in Oxford and Tupelo and at Elvis Presley s Memphis home, Graceland, about the project. With their strong support we recently announced details of our first conference, which will take place during the second week of August. Modeled in part on our highly successful Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, the Elvis Presley Conference will explore Presley s musical legacy in the context of Southern culture.
Working closely with Vernon Chadwick, who teaches courses on Presley in the University's Department of English, and with Pamela Massey, director of the Oxford Tourism Council, we have assembled an impressive array of scholars, journalists, music critics, writers, and artists who will explore the many faceted legacy of Presley. We are also working closely with Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc., and Todd Morgan, director of creative resources at Graceland, on plans for a full day and evening of activities in Memphis and at Graceland. And a similar day in Tupelo with visits to Presley s birthplace and a concert will be organized by Janelle McComb, who knew Presley throughout his life, Bobby King with Bill Miles & Associates, and Mayor Jack Marshall. Together these resources will offer a rich opportunity to understand how Presley shaped rock and roll music and became our nation s most celebrated performer.
Blues composer and performer Willie Dixon once remarked, The Blues had a baby, and they named it Rock and Roll. The rich legacies of blues and rock and roll are both deeply rooted in the American South, and our Center is proud to have a small role in preserving these worlds. We look forward to celebrating them with you and encourage you to subscribe to Living Blues and to join us at the Elvis Presley Conference in August. The beat goes on, and we want you to be a part of this exciting celebration.
William Ferris
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Raj Betapudi