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Trudy Lynn, born Lee Audrey Nelms, grew up surrounded by music in Houston. Duke and Peacock Records, two Black-owned labels were blocks from her home. She saw legends like Joe Hinton and Bobby "Blue" Bland by the Club Matinee on her way to school. Her parents loved blues, and Trudy sang while her father tap-danced and played harmonica on the porch. She also sang in church, started a girl group, the Chromatics with her school friends, became a vocalist with Clarence Green, and opened for Ike and Tina Turner. In 1989, she went solo on a recording called Trudy Sings the Blues. I spoke to her in Houston, where she still sings the blues.

The late Jesse Colin Young’s career began in Greenwich Village during the 60’s folk revival. After releasing solo albums, Jesse teamed up with guitarist Jerry Corbitt, keyboardist and guitarist Lowell "Banana" Levinger, and drummer Joe Bauer to form the Youngbloods. Their iconic 1967 hit “Get Together,” originally by Dino Valenti, called for peace and unity. Young moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1969, but relocated to Hawaii after he lost his house in a fire in 1995. He used music to get through those hard times and suffering from Lyme disease. His music also increasingly dealt with political disaster, raising concern about the environment and war. Born Perry Miller, Jesse’s dreams of a free life began in Queens with his father and music at home. Jesse Colin Young passed March 16, 2025.

Charley Pride was the first great African American star of country music. Born in Sledge, MS in 1938, Pride left farm life behind and had a budding baseball career in the Negro and minor leagues. He worked by day in a Montana steel mill and sang country music at night. That got the attention of Nashville producers in the mid-‘60s, and he went on to a career that included 29 number one country hits and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Charley Pride passed away in 2020, and his story remains a special one that begins back down home on the Mississippi tenant farm he came to own.

This is American Routes Live from Marigny Studios with jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison and Quintet. I talked with Donald between songs about his life in music, from growing up in New Orleans to playing with Art Blakey in New York, and putting his own stamp on modern jazz.

On this week's show, we trace the rich history and flavors of coffee and tea in Louisiana and beyond. We begin by exploring the historical origins of Luzianne, a New Orleans purveyor of tea and coffee since 1902. Historian RL Reeves Jr. shares what he discovered while researching his article on Luzianne and tells us the role William B. Reily, the man behind the brand, played in bringing iced tea to the South.Then, we head to The English Tea Room & Eatery, a charming teahouse in downtown Covington, where Jan and Tim Lantrip host us for a traditional afternoon tea. Jan, a compound pharmacist, talks about the extensive varieties of tea and how these different brews can boost our well-being. Dr. Erika Siegel also stops by the studio again to fills us in on the health benefits of hot water, with or without tea.Finally, we hear from Suzanne Stone and David Feldman, as we take a deep dive into their book, New Orleans Coffee: A Rich History. They tell the story of coffee in the Crescent City, which came to the forefront in the late 1700s.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Baton Rouge guitarist, harp player and singer Kenny Neal is a second-generation leader in the city’s blues scene, born into a family of ten children. Kenny’s father Raful Neal was a noted harmonica player, influenced by Little Walter and played in a local band with Buddy Guy. Raful Neal’s friend Slim Harpo gave son Kenny Neal his first harmonica at age three. Kenny started playing bass for his father at thirteen and went on to Buddy Guy’s band. Later, he recruited his siblings to form the Neal Brothers Blues Band. In 1989, Kenny recorded a breakout swamp blues LP Big News from Baton Rouge for Alligator Records. His fine guitar work and harmonica, as well as authoritative voice, carried him forward making sixteen more records. Kenny carries on the Baton Rouge blues tradition. Let’s go to to the Juke Joint stage at West Baton Rouge Parish Museum with Kenny Neal.

Former President Donald Trump is likely facing a third indictment and maybe a fourth. Fewer Republicans are saying Trump did "nothing wrong," the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds.

It was announced last year that Top Chef winner Kristen Kish would be replacing Padma Lakshmi as host. She may be Top Chef, but what she know about Jeff Bezos, the Top Jeff?

The 2012 elections are expected to be the costliest ever, with some estimates topping $6 billion spent on campaigns all across America. But what impact does that money really have — especially on the presidential race — and who really benefits?

Forget the notion of great inventors toiling in isolation. There's plenty of proof that geography has a big influence on innovation, with some cities inspiring far more innovation than others.