Robert Barclay
Host, The Juke JointContact Robert Barclay:
📧 barcl1ra@cmich.edu 📞 989-774-3105
Robert Barclay launched "The Juke Joint" broadcast on WCMU in April 1985. It has been a Sunday night fixture from 8:00-11:00 pm ever since. A devoted listener dubbed him the "Duke of Juke." He includes nearly a century's worth of blues history on his program including traditional and contemporary blues along with boogie woogie, soul music, rhythm & blues, zydeco and gospel music.
In 2004, the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee honored him with the "Keeping the Blues Alive Award" in the radio category. The ceremony was hosted by Bob Porter, a noted blues producer and author. The Blues Foundation is an international organization that promotes blues music and maintains the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis.
In 2015, the Michigan Association of Public Broadcasters presented him with the Public Media Impact Award for "outstanding contributions to Public Broadcasting."
Since 1988 he has been a contributing photographer to Living Blues magazine, published by the University of Mississippi, and his work has been published on CD covers for a variety of blues artists.
He was the Director of Photography in the University Communications office at CMU where he was employed since 1980. He retired in 2013 and was granted emeritus status.
He and his wife, Peggy Brisbane, photographically documented the history of WCMU's "Our Front Porch" concert series for several decades and continue to document the Wheatland Music Festival.
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This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on September 2, 2018. In this episode, Robert offered a tribute to Louisiana swamp blues singer and harp player Lazy Lester, who had passed away on August 22, 2018. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on August 12, 2018. Robert Barclay offered a tribute to Stan "The Record Man" Lewis who opened a record store in an African-American neighborhood in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1948, and offered a big selection of blues records to his customers. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on December 2, 2018. Robert Barclay, played tunes by artists known for their nicknames such as the Texas Nightingale, Curly, Furry and Cleanhead, a couple of professors, a few doctors, Cow Cow and Bumble Bee, the Black Ace, the Blues Boss, the Chief, Bon Ton, a Papa and a Mama and others known by their instrument: guitar, harmonica and piano. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on February 25, 2018. Robert Barclay featured a variety of recordings dealing with the telephone including work by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Fenton Robinson, Wilson Pickett and Robert Cray. He also played CDs by John Mayall, Nick Moss & Dennis Gruenling. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on February 4, 2018. Robert Barclay paid tribute to Chicago blues saxophonist Eddie Shaw and Memphis singer and guitarist Preston Shannon. He also shared a couple of tunes from each of the Grammy winners in the blues category: Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' and the Rolling Stones. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on December 30, 2018. Robert Barclay went from juke joints to honky tonks, spinning some party songs by Amos Milburn, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Lefty Frizzell, Hound Dog Taylor, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Otis, Etta James, George Jones, Little Milton, Denise LaSalle, and more. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on July 2, 2017. Robert Barclay celebrated the birthday of Mississippi John Hurt, a finger-style acoustic guitarist and songster. He turned 124 on July 2, 2017. So, he turned 133 years old back in July 3, 2026. Robert spun Hurt's recordings along with interpretations by some of his admirers such as Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Chris Smither, Dave Van Ronk, Rory Block, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur and Doc Watson. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on August 27, 2017.This week Robert Barclay did a tribute to the pioneering blues author, Paul Oliver, who died on August 15, 2017 at the age of 90 at his home in England. His 1970 book, Story of the Blues, informed the music world of the early history of the music. Oliver also wrote hundreds of liner notes and magazine articles.Robert played some of the collections of early blues that Oliver produced for reissue including music by Blind Blake, Charlie Patton, Cannon's Jug Stompers and the Beale Street Sheiks. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on October 8, 2017. Robert Barclay featured the work of Delbert McClinton, a singer, songwriter and harmonica player from Texas. Delbert's early exposure to Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson and Lightnin' Hopkins inspired his musical career. He's performed in roadhouses, juke joints and honky tonks for the past 50 years. Robert had the chance to sit down with Delbert on his tour bus and hear some of those stories. -
This week on The Juke Joint is one of The Duke's Favorites, originally aired on February 19, 2017.Robert Barclay featured the work of Chicago blues harp player and singer Charlie Musselwhite. During his interview with Charlie, they discussed Charlie's years in Memphis and Chicago, where he learned from the blues masters before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he has been based ever since.
