[1] The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago in 1970[2] by Jim O'Neal and Amy van Singel as editors, and five others as writers.
[3] In 1983, O'Neal and van Singel sold publication rights to the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, and donated to the center their collection of blues records, photos, subject files, and memorabilia.
Peter Lee, who later founded Fat Possum Records,[5] David Nelson,[6] and Scott Barretta followed as editors.
The magazine stresses the position of blues as a living African American tradition.
[3] Each issue contains a variety of features, including artist interviews and profiles, record reviews, and a monthly Top 25 national blues radio chart.