A Visit to Independence

RL Burnside : Jumper Hanging Out On the Line

[Purchase]

In August of 1978 Alan Lomax filmed Mississippi bluesman RL Burnside at his home in Independence, performing with his family for a television documentary called The Land Where the Blues Began. Though he had performed at the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans in 1974, and was related to Muddy Waters, Burnside made his living working on farms until the mid-1980's.

In the 90's Burnside would start recording for Fat Possum Records. He'd open for Jon Spencer Blues and the Beastie Boys and win accolades like the W C Handy Award for Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year in 2000. Burnside died in 2005 at the age of 78.