Thanks to a heads up from another early contributor to Blues Unlimited, John Broven, that Mike Leadbitter will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame next month in Memphis in conjunction with the 30th Annual Blues Music Awards. Here’s a press release about it from the Blues Foundation’s website. Scroll down the page to read a paragraph-length bio about Leadbitter.
And speaking of John Broven, his new book, “Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneers (Music in American Life)” already is garnering positive reviews, such as this comment from an Amazon.com reader:
Broven combines fascinating excerpts from years of interviews with these record giants with an equally compelling historical background. The vintage photos are alone worth the modest price of this extremely well-researched book…they document an important era in American popular culture and one which has largely disappeared. Any one with more than just a passing interest in the history and origins or rock ‘n roll and certainly every avid record collector should buy this book.
Quite frankly, can’t wait to get my hands on this one. More comments here from the great mail-order/review website Roots and Rhythm. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out Broven’s other books on Louisiana Music here and here.
BTW, there’s a nice tribute to Mike Leadbitter, also written by Broven (who was his childhood friend and schoolmate), which you can read here (excerpted from the pages of the December 1974/January 1975 issue of Blues Unlimited magazine).
