A New Hall of Fame for the Blues

WKNO | By Christopher Blank

Published May 7, 2015 at 6:30 AM CDT

On Friday, theBlues Foundationopens its brand new Blues Hall of Fame at 421 South Main Street in Memphis. It honors the many musicians, from the Mississippi Delta cotton fields to the nightclubs of Chicago, who have risen to the top of the art form.

On WKNO Culture Desk, Blues Foundation president and C.E.O. Jay Sieleman explains what makes Memphis the "Home of the Blues" and why its important to honor these often marginalized players.

Blues fans snap photos in the lobby of the new Blues Hall of Fame

A bronze statue of Little Milton greets visitors to the Blues Hall of Fame on opening day, May 8, 2015.

The front desk at the new Blues Hall of Fame, run by the Blues Foundation and located on South Main Street in Memphis.

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Christopher Blank

Reporting from the gates of Graceland to the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, Christopher has covered Memphis news, arts, culture and politics for more than 20 years in print and on the radio. He is currently WKNO's News Director and Senior Producer at the University of Memphis' Institute for Public Service Reporting. Join his conversations about the Memphis arts scene on the WKNO Culture Desk Facebook page.

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