How the Chitlin Circuit influenced American pop music

Florida Matters

On this episode of "Florida Matters," you’ll learn about The Chitlin Circuit, how it shaped the sound of jazz, blues, and rock, and how it paved the way for the music industry we see today.
We revisit a conversation brought to you last February about the network of clubs that Black performers toured in the segregated South.

Coming up- you’ll hear how the artists who performed on the circuit shaped the sound of blues, rock n roll, jazz and pop that came after. And how contemporary artists are paying homage to those performers.

If you watched the Grammys this year, you probably caught Beyonce’s acceptance speech, when, at long last she landed the album of the year.

Beyonce said she hoped to keep pushing forward and opening doors. And her album- Cowboy Carter, which won the Grammy for best country album- is also a door to the past.

The album tour, Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin Circuit tour, evoked the network of clubs and venues that Black musicians and performers toured during segregation last Century. And she references the circuit in the track Ya Ya.
Joining the conversation on Florida Matters: Dr Michelle Scott, professor of History at University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Dr Nashid Madyun, executive director Florida Humanities.
Scott was also part of a panel discussion presented by WUSF and Arts Axis Florida earlier this year about the Chitlin Circuit in Tampa.
If you want to learn more about this chapter in Tampa’s history- check out jazz on arts axis florida. There’s a video of the panel moderated by NPR TV critic Eric Deggans which also included pioneering attorney, civil rights activist and former State Senator Arthenia Joyner. It’s a fascinating conversation. And you’ll find performances, oral histories, photos and much more.