A black and white duotone photograph showing two men in a side-by-side portrait composition. On the left is music historian Peter Guralnick, a smiling man with glasses and light-colored hair, while on the right is soul-music legend William Bell wearing a dark fedora and sporting a neatly trimmed beard, photographed in dramatic lighting that emphasizes his thoughtful expression.

Music historian and writer Peter Guralnick, and a soul-music pioneer, Stax Records songwriter and singer William Bell

Movement Music

Soul music wasn't just about rhythm and blues—it was the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement, breaking down racial barriers and fueling the Southern dream of freedom.

By Chuck Reece

Dec 21, 2024

The latest episode of the Salvation South Deluxe podcast explores how soul music became the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement in the American South.

Join our editor-in-chief Chuck Reece for intimate conversations with legendary music writer Peter Guralnick, author of the groundbreaking book Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, and soul pioneer William Bell, one of the first artists signed to Memphis's revolutionary Stax Records.

Together, they reveal how integrated bands defied Jim Crow laws and racial barriers in pursuit of musical excellence.Through their firsthand accounts, discover how artists like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Solomon Burke weren't just making dance music—they were soldiers in a cultural revolution, using their voices to fuel the Southern dream of freedom. From dangerous late-night recording sessions to the secret network that kept Black musicians safe on tour, this episode uncovers the untold story of how rhythm and blues helped break down the walls of segregation.

Listen to the Full Episode Here

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Chuck Reece

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Chuck Reece is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Salvation South, the weekly web magazine you're reading right now. He was the founding editor of The Bitter Southerner. He grew up in the north Georgia mountains in a little town called Ellijay.