Roosevelt's Blues
African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on FDR
Association of Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence
Recorded Gospel Music (1998)
In Roosevelt’s Blues, Guido van Rijn documents more than a hundred blues and gospel lyrics that contain direct political comment about FDR. Altogether, they convey the thought, spirit, and history of the African-American population during the Roosevelt era.
Included in the book are recorded sermons by Rev. J. M. Gates and lyrics to songs recorded by such notable musicians as Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, Big Bill Broonzy, “Champion” Jack Dupree, Sonny Boy Williamson, Josh White, the Mississippi Sheiks, and many others. Using these sources, which have been neglected by historians, van Rijn documents Roosevelt’s vast popularity among Black people.
Guido van Rijn is teacher of English at Kennemer Lyceum in Overveen, the Netherlands. His books include The Truman and Eisenhower Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs, 1945-1960 and Kennedy’s Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on JFK, the latter published by University Press of Mississippi.
