Missouri Historical Society – High Water Everywhere: Blues, Gospel and Country Music Response to the Flood of 1927

When the Mississippi River and its tributaries flooded in 1927 it was arguably the greatest natural disaster in United States history. It went on to inspire more than 20 recorded songs. Many of them were blues, gospel, and country—the genres that most appealed to flood victims in the South—and the disaster was referenced in pop music as well. Music scholar and performer David Evans will play selections from these songs and examine their themes. Most of these songs were written by Black singers, who imbued them with a perspective that has often been overlooked in more modern retellings of the flood