Who We Lost 2025 Pt. 2

We bring you an encore of part 2 of our 2025 remembrance where we pay tribute to another group of performers and contributors who left us with an Americana legacy.  Over the past century, American music has been shaped by rare combinations of talent, wit, wisdom, and deeply personal approaches to arrangement, rhythm, and delivery. This year we reflect on the contributions from artists and architects of sound whose work continues to resonate. In this episode, we will move from the pop sounds of Jane Morgan and Richard Chamberlain to the legendary late century performers like the Grateful Dead, Sly Stone, and Bad Company. We’ll also take some time to remember Joe Ely, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Tillotson and Tom Lehrer. Hope you can drop in for this second, and last chapter of 2025. You can listen live, online, at 9 Pacific each Friday at www.kowsfm.com/listen.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Tom LehrerThe Old Dope PeddlerSong & More SongsAmazon
2Lalo SchifrinMission ImpossibleTelevision's Greatest Hits Volume IAmazon
3Jane MorganA Girl Named Johnny CashEverything You Always Wanted To Know About Rock 'n' Roll, Volume 2Amazon
4Richard ChamberlainBlue GuitarThe Look Of Love [Disc 1]Amazon
5Wink MartindaleDeck Of CardsChills & Fever: The Dot Records Story 1955-1962Amazon
6The Poni-TailsBorn Too LateThe Teen Years Collection: Volume 4- My Special Angel [Disc 2]Amazon
7The McCoysHang On SloopySimply The Best 60's [Disc 1]Amazon
8Johnny TillotsonTalk Back Trembling LipsTalk Back Trembling LipsAmazon
9Bobby ShermanJulie, Do You Love Me70s Music Explosion – Sunshine Disc 2Amazon
10Rick DerringerRock And Roll, Hoochie KooRockin' 70s [Disc 1]Amazon
11Ozzy OsbourneNo More TearsRock: Train Kept a Rollin' Disc 2Amazon
12Bad CompanyFeel Like Makin' LoveG.I. JaneAmazon
13Sly & the Family StoneEveryday PeopleAnthologyAmazon
14Carl CarltonEverlasting LovePure Disco, Vol. 2Amazon
15Roy AyersRunning AwaySummer of SamAmazon
16Cleo LaineLet's Slip AwayDestination Lust – Chicksville U.S.A.Amazon
17Sheila JordanBaltimore OrioleThe Classic Hoagy Carmichael [Disc 3]Amazon
18Sam Moore Feat. Bekka BramlettDon't Play That Song (You Lied)Overnight SensationalAmazon
19Grateful DeadFire On The MountainThe Arista Years 1977-1995Amazon
20Jill SobuleI Kissed a GirlJill SobuleAmazon
21New Lost City RamblersShady GroveBound For GloryAmazon
22Michael HurleySweet LucyThe Rounder Records StoryAmazon
23Josh White, Jr.Delia's GoneClassic African-American Ballads (Smithsonian Folkways)Amazon
24J.J. CaleCrazy MamaThe Very Best of J.J. CaleAmazon
25Jimmy CliffThe Harder They ComeArtist's Choice: Willie Nelson: Music That Matters To HimAmazon
26Bill Kirchen & Austin de LoneThink It OverTransatlanticanaAmazon
27Joe ElyFingernailsHonky Tonk MasqueradeAmazon
28Johnny RodriguezRidin My Thumb To MexicoBack To BackAmazon
29Derek & the DominosLaylaThe Cream of ClaptonAmazon
30Chuck MangioneFeels So GoodIntolerable CrueltyAmazon

Who We Lost 2025 Pt 1

Another year turns, and once again we pause to honor the legacies that aren’t left behind so much as carried forward—alive in the music itself. Over the past century, American music has been shaped by rare combinations of talent, wit, wisdom, and deeply personal approaches to arrangement, rhythm, and delivery. This year we reflect on the contributions from artists and architects of sound whose work continues to resonate: voices and visionaries such as Raul Malo, Flaco Jiménez, Steve Cropper, Phil Upchurch, Jerry Butler, Brian Wilson, David Johansen, Tony Bennett, and Garth Hudson. Their influence spans genres, generations, and countless records that still speak loud and clear. With just two hours, hard choices have to be made—so this tribute begins as Part 1 of a two part reflection. We hope you’ll tune in for a thoughtful look back at the artists whose legacies defined the soundtrack of our lives.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Jerry Butler & The ImpressionsFor Your Precious LovePure R&B: Vol. 3- Let the Good Times Roll [Disc 1]Amazon
2Deeper Roots RadioWho We Lost 2025 Pt 1Deeper Roots RadioAmazon
3Sugar Pie DeSantoI Want To KnowDown In The BasementAmazon
4Steve CropperTupelo[Pt. 1]The Complete Stax/Volt Soul SinglesAmazon
5Wilson PickettIn the Midnight HourRed, White & Rock Disc 2Amazon
6The TurtlesIt Ain't Me Babe20 Greatest HitsAmazon
7Little Anthony & The ImperialsHurt So BadThe Best Of Little Anthony And The I MperialsAmazon
8April Stevens/Nino TempoDeep PurpleBillboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1963Amazon
9Deeper Roots RadioWho We Lost 2025 Pt 1Deeper Roots RadioAmazon
10Lenny WelchSince I Fell For YouLifetime Of Romance: Secret Rendezvous [Disc 2]Amazon
11Tony BennettPut on a Happy FaceThe Essential Tony Bennett [Columbia/Legacy] Disc 1Amazon
12Connie FrancisWho's Sorry Now_Your Hit Parade – 1958Amazon
13Peter, Paul & MaryPuff, The Magic DragonMovingAmazon
14The Kingston TrioWhere Have All The Flowers Gone (JOE HICKERSON)Tom Dooley And Other Folksong HitsAmazon
15Melba MontgomeryWe Must Have Been Out of Our MindsThe Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country Disc 1Amazon
16Deeper Roots RadioWho We Lost 2025 Pt 1Deeper Roots RadioAmazon
17Roberta FlackThe First Time Ever I Saw Your FaceArtist's Choice: Johnny CashAmazon
18Marianne FaithfullAs Tears Go ByMarianne Faithfull's Greatest HitsAmazon
19The YoungbloodsGet TogetherGet Together: The Essential YoungbloodsAmazon
20The StandellsDirty Water (LARRY TAMBLYN)The Classic Sixties: 1966Amazon
21The Electric PrunesGet Me To The World On TimeNuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era, Vol. 4Amazon
22The CricketsI Fought the LawRockin' Originals: Original Versions of Famous SongsAmazon
23Phil Upchurch ComboYou Can't Sit Down (Part 1Teen Beat, Volume 3Amazon
24Deeper Roots RadioWho We Lost 2025 Pt 1Deeper Roots RadioAmazon
25Dave "Baby" CortezThe Happy OrganThe 50's – A Decade to Remember: Do You Wanna DanceAmazon
26The Beach BoysIn My RoomClassics: Selected By Brian WilsonAmazon
27Brian WilsonLay Down BurdenImaginationAmazon
28Barry GoldbergShady HotelBarry GoldbergAmazon
29The BandChest FeverMusic From Big PinkAmazon
30Brewer & ShipleyOne Toke Over The Line70s Music ExplosionAmazon
31Buster PoindexterHot Hot HotBuster PoindexterAmazon
32Tommy McLainBefore I Grow Too OldI Ran Down Every DreamAmazon
33Flaco Jimenez With Toby Torres & Jose MoranteVictimas del Huracan BeulahBob Dylan – artist's choiceAmazon
34Todd SniderAlright GuyThat Was Me: The Best Of Todd Snider 1994-1998Amazon
35Deeper Roots RadioWho We Lost 2025 Pt 1Deeper Roots RadioAmazon
36The MavericksMoon & Stars (with Sierra Ferrell)Moon & StarsAmazon
37The MavericksChristmas (Baby Please Come Home)Hey! Merry Christmas!Amazon

Steve Cropper Tribute

Long before you ever knew his name, Steve Cropper’s music was a part of your life if you grew up with a radio tuned to soul, rock, or R&B. You were already absorbing his fingerwork: that clipped, chiming guitar on “Green Onions,” the taut groove that made Wilson Pickett sound ten feet tall, or the unmistakable snap of Stax rhythm sections he helped shape. We lost a giant who contributed to the Americana musical landscape this past week and our show this week will reflect on his body of work. He wasn’t just part of the soundtrack of our lives, he was part of the atmosphere, a presence whose playing taught you—quietly and consistently—what feel really meant. To grow up with Steve Cropper’s music is to realize, eventually, that he helped define not just a sound but a sensibility—one where the groove is tight, the soul runs deep, and the guitar part is always exactly what the song needs and not a note more.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Otis Redding(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The BayStax Number OnesAmazon
2Booker T. & The MG'sGreen OnionsLet There Be Drums Vol 2: The 60'sAmazon
3Steve CropperBaby Don't Do It (Steve Cropper with B.B. King & Shemekia Copeland)Dedicated – A Salute To The 5 RoyalesAmazon
4The TonettesTeardrop SeaThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (2 of 9)Amazon
5Carla ThomasWhat a Fool I've BeenThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (2 of 9)Amazon
6Carla ThomasComfort MeThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (5 of 9)Amazon
7Johnny DayeWhat'll I Do for SatisfactionThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (8 of 9)Amazon
8Steve Cropper, Pops Staples, Albert KingTupelo[Pt. 1]The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (2 of 9)Amazon
9Wilson PickettDon't Fight It [Unedited Single Master]A Man & A Half: The Best Of Wilson Pickett [Disc 1]Amazon
10Wilson PickettIn the Midnight HourRed, White & Rock Disc 2Amazon
11Barbara & the BrownsIn My HeartThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (4 of 9)Amazon
12Booker T. & The MG'sTime Is TightStax 50th Anniversary Celebration [Disc 2]Amazon
13Mable JohnWait You DogThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (8 of 9)Amazon
14Rufus ThomasCan Your Monkey Do the DogThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (3 of 9)Amazon
15The AstorsCandyStax 50th Anniversary Celebration [Disc 1]Amazon
16Bobby MarchanYou Won't Do RightThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (3 of 9)Amazon
17Eddie FloydKnock on WoodThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (6 of 9)Amazon
18Otis ReddingFa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)Dreams To Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology [Disc 1]Amazon
19Otis ReddingThat's How Strong My Love IsDreams To Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology [Disc 1]Amazon
20Steve Cropper & The Midnight HourToo Much Stress (feat. Brian May & Billy Gibbons)FriendlytownAmazon
21Steve CropperTwo WrongsFire It UpAmazon
22Steve CropperThirty Second Lover (Steve Cropper with Steve Winwood)Dedicated – A Salute To The 5 RoyalesAmazon
23Aretha FranklinThinkThe Definitive CollectionAmazon
24Booker T. & the MG'sSoul-LimboThe Very Best of Booker T. & the MG'sAmazon
25Wendy ReneWhat Will Tomorrow Bring?Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures Vol. 2Amazon
26William BellWho Will It Be TomorrowThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (3 of 9)Amazon
27Eddie FloydYum Yum Yum (I Want Some)Stax 50th Anniversary Collection [Disc 3]Amazon
28Wilson PickettNinety-Nine & A Half (Won't Do)A Man & A Half: The Best Of Wilson Pickett [Disc 1]Amazon
29The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band and Dom Flemons featuring Steve CropperShake Your Money MakerShake Your Money Maker (Single)Amazon
30Steve CropperMy Sugar Sugar (Steve Cropper with John Popper)Dedicated – A Salute To The 5 RoyalesAmazon
31Steve Cropper & Pops StaplesWaterThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (2 of 9)Amazon
32The Mad LadsPatch My HeartThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (6 of 9)Amazon
33Cheryl Johnson/Pam JohnsonThat's My GuyThe Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (2 of 9)Amazon
34The Blues BrothersSoul ManThe Definitive CollectionAmazon
35Booker T. & the MG'sSlim Jenkin's PlaceThe Very Best of Booker T. & the MG'sAmazon

Down & Dirty Blues

This week’s show leans into the rougher side of the tradition: the places where bruised pride, bad decisions, and raw truth find their way into song. “The down and dirty blues” isn’t a stylistic claim so much as a shared attitude — the kind shaped by rent coming due, lovers turning cold, and the kind of trouble that sits heavy in the gut. Across the past century, singers and players have used these stories to put plainspoken feeling into motion, building grooves that don’t promise comfort so much as recognition. Across two hours, we’ll move through voices that carried this edge with conviction — men and women from the 1930s onward who weren’t at all shy about calling out mean mistreaters or confessing their own missteps. You’ll hear hard-driving cuts where guitars sting, pianos roll, and vocals land with a certain bruising weight. Tune in for the likes of Victoria Spivey, Lonnie Johnson, Dirty Red, Little Joe Blue, Howlin’ Wolf and a couple dozen others. The ‘dirty dozen’ doesn’t get much dirtier than this.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Annisteen AllenDown By The RiverGet Hot Sleazy Rhythm & Blues Vol. 3Amazon
2Howlin' WolfDown In The BottomMoanin' In The MoonlightAmazon
3Victoria SpiveyDown Hill PullMoaning The Blues (The Blues Collection Vol.65)Amazon
4Memphis MinnieDirty Mother For YouBlues Classics: '27_'69 [Disc 1]Amazon
5Dirty RedMother FuyerEat to The Beat: The Dirtiest of Them Dirty BluesAmazon
6Little Junior ParkerDirty Friend BluesAbc of the Blues, Vol. 36Amazon
7Little Joe BlueDirty Work Goin' OnChess Blues Disc 4Amazon
8Little Johnny Jones & The Chicago Hound DogsDirty By The Dozen (Sweet Little Woman)The Flair Story – Dust My Rhythm & BluesAmazon
9Muddy WatersDown South BluesMore Real Folk BluesAmazon
10Smokey HoggDirty MistreaterThe Mercury Blues Story (1945-1955) – Southwest Blues, Vol. 2Amazon
11B.B. KingEvery Day I Have the BluesPure R&B: Vol. 3- Let the Good Times Roll [Disc 1]Amazon
12Amos MilburnHard Driving BluesEat to The Beat: The Dirtiest of Them Dirty BluesAmazon
13T-Bone WalkerIt's a Lowdown Dirty DealThe Very Best of T-Bone Walker [Koch]Amazon
14Piano Red – Dr. FeelgoodDon't Tell Me No DirtyThe Doctor's in – Disc 4Amazon
15J.B. LenoirLow Down Dirty ShameMartin Scorsese Presents the Blues: J.B. LenoirAmazon
16Lonnie JohnsonThe Dirty DozenLonnie Johnson: Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 6 (1930-31)Amazon
17Victoria SpiveyFrom 1 to 12 (Dirty Dozen)The Victoria Spivey Collection 1926-1937Amazon
18Little MiltonI Play DirtyLiving The Blues: The 70's Blues ClassicsAmazon
19Jimmy ReedDown The RoadYou Dont Have To Go (The Blues Collection Vol.18)Amazon
20Bobby BlandDriftin' BluesThe Best Of Bobby BlandAmazon
21Jimmy WitherspoonBar Fly BluesRaw BluesAmazon
22Wynonie HarrisHard Luck BluesBattle of the Blues – Volume 2Amazon
23John Lee HookerBlues Before SunriseDon't Look BackAmazon
24The Leap FrogsDirty BritchesNo Jive: Authentic Southern Country BluesAmazon
25George Harmonica Smith/Long Gone MilesLow Down Dirty Shame [#]Juke Joint Blues 1950's-1960'sAmazon
26Rory BlockLow Down Dirty Dog BluesBlues Walkin' Like a Man: A Tribute To Son HouseAmazon
27Amina Claudine MyersDirty No-Gooder's BluesOxford American 11th Edition Southern Music CD [Disc 2, "Arkansas Masters"]Amazon
28Dinah WashingtonBig Long Slidin' ThingEat to The Beat: The Dirtiest of Them Dirty BluesAmazon
29Julia Lee & Her Boy FriendsDon't Come Too SoonEat to The Beat: The Dirtiest of Them Dirty BluesAmazon
30Buddy GuyFirst Time I Met the BluesChess Blues Disc 4Amazon
31Geeshie WileyLast Kind Words BluesBefore The Blues: Early American Black Music Scene (Vol. 2)Amazon
32Dave Bartholomew & His OrchestraMy Ding-A-LingEat to The Beat: The Dirtiest of Them Dirty BluesAmazon