There is a kind of musician who stays true to his or her passion, no matter the cost.
They may have to hustle at side jobs to make ends meet, but they will do whatever it takes to make it to their gigs at local bars. While that narrative is somewhat romanticized, it holds true for many professional musicians.
After spending a significant amount of time in local music scenes, University of North Carolina at Greensboro professor Emily D. Edwards decided to document the backstories and inner lives of local musicians.
She collected accounts from musicians, bar owners, and bar regulars throughout the South to understand the forces that shape local music scenes.
Host Frank Stasio talks with Edwards, a professor of media studies at UNC-Greensboro, about her new book "Bars, Blues, and Booze: Stories from the Drink House" (University Press of Mississippi/2016). Two of the book’s featured musicians join her to talk and perform live: LogieMeachum and David Bolton.
Edwards' book and more music will be featured at Barnes and Noble in Greensboro on May 26, at the Lansing, NC Blues Festival on June 18, and Scuppernong Books in Greensboro on September 17.
