SAMUEL CHARTERS

Samuel Charters made a personal quest in the 1950s and 1960s to explore African-American music tradition and to seek out forgotten and undiscovered artists. His field recordings and books represent an important body of work for musicologists, folklorists, and fans of the Blues. He passed away last week at the age of 85. NPR's Fresh Air celebrated Charters with a re-broadcast of his 20-min interview with Terry Gross from 1987, which included great stories about Lightnin' Hopkins and about navigating institutionalized racism during his recording trips. Listen to the program and see the transcript here. New York Times obituary here. Below: Charters' influential first record with Lightinin' Hopkins for Folkways (1959).