On Sunday, September 15, 1963, four Klansmen planted dynamite under the 16^th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The explosion killed four young girls and injured many others. History records this incident as a turning point in the Civil Rights movement.

Coltrane, his heart broken, was driven to tears, anger, and frustration. But instead of giving in to hate, he chose to create. He composed his elegy, “Alabama.” Coltrane patterned the tone on Dr. Martin Luther King’s sermon, delivered from the church sanctuary three days after the bombing. Like the speech, “Alabama’s” tone changes midway through, rising from sorrow and mourning to renewed determination against hatred and racism. If the Birmingham bombing was indeed a turning point, then “Alabama” was its clarion call.

“Alabama” speaks a powerful message, one that haunts our society even today. Over fifty years later, America is still rocked by church bombings, shocked to its core by racism, hatred, and anger. Police and protestors still clash. The walls of divide, though battered, still stand. The Struggle continues, but hope lives on.

Here is John Coltrane and his classic quartet, performing “Alabama.”

“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is written and produced by Ron Adkins.  Executive Producer Dennis Green. Host: Hollis Monroe.

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Three pioneering women lay claim to Blues royalty. Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Bessie Smith made an impact on American culture that still resonates today.

Mamie Smith became in 1920 the first Black musician to make vocal blues recordings. A savvy marketer, she exploited the new medium of radio to reach audiences across the country … in places she wasn’t allowed to perform live. Mamie introduced white audiences to Black artists, and in so doing, created a nationwide hunger for their music. She persevered against threats and boycotts, subtly poking holes in the color barrier.  

Ma Rainey, “The Mother of the Blues,” enthralled with her powerful voice, and unique “moanin’” style. Her fierce individuality became the subject of poems, Bob Dylan songs and an award-winning play. Ma Rainey’s contributions earned her a 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – 51 years after her death. But it was her discovery and mentorship of the great Bessie Smith that cements her legacy.

Bessie Smith, “The Empress of the Blues,” was, at the height of her career, the nation’s highest paid Black entertainer. And like Mamie Smith, she used the power of radio to reach white audiences across the country. She made history by performing by performing on Broadway and in an early “talkie” film. Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin, all credit Bessie Smith as a major influence.

Here’s Bessie Smith’s recording of “T’ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do” – preserved as a National Treasure by the Library of Congress.

“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is written and produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producer Dennis Green. Hollis Monroe, host.

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Today, it would be unthinkable to bar a musical artist from their place of performance. Yet seventy years ago it happened regularly. African-American musicians were often required to enter a club by the kitchen or back door, even if they were the headliner.

In 1940 a doorman turned away star trumpeter Roy Eldridge at the front door of the venue where he was performing with Gene Krupa’s big band. Even though right next to the entrance there was a large poster with Eldridge and Krupa’s pictures on it. When Krupa heard about the incident, he was furious and threatened to pull the band, unless the doorman was fired. That happened and the band played.

Even after Benny Goodman broke the color line by hiring Teddy Wilson for his band, it was not a common thing during the Swing Era for black and white musicians to share a stage, and certainly not to work together as members of the same band. When Krupa asked Eldridge to join his band in 1940, it caused a stir. But Eldridge and Krupa had been musical buddies for years, often going to late-night clubs after a gig to jam and eat ribs.

Here is Roy Eldridge with the Gene Krupa band and “I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music.”

“Soundtrack to the Struggle” is produced by Ron Adkins. Written by Bob Naujoks. Executive Producer Dennis Green. Host: Hollis Monroe.

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