Almost 19 years after his death, St. Louis blues legend Henry “Mule” Townsend will be inducted on Wednesday into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in Memphis.
Townsend holds the distinction as the only bluesman to record music every decade from the 1920s to the 2000s. The musician toured up until his death in 2006 at the age of 96.
Documentary filmmaker Kathy Corley recognized Townsend’s relevance in 1984. Upon meeting Townsend through their mutual friend, blues musician Ron Edwards, she produced a documentary about his life and career called “That’s the Way I Do It.” She told St. Louis on the Air that Townsend’s induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame is important to his legacy and St. Louis’ place in music history.
“The stories that [Townsend] had to tell about his own music but also being an African American and all the things he had to go through to survive are very important for people to learn about and remember,” Corley said. “I cannot put into words how warm he was, how thoughtful and reflective about his own life and where it fits into this whole music scene. … It’s gratifying to see years later that he’s recognized.”
Townsend’s youngest child, Alonzo Townsend, has come a long way from when he appeared in the documentary — as an infant. He said early on he wasn’t fully on board with blues music.
“When I was growing up, I used to always [say]: ‘Here we go with this old people music again. What is this?’ I didn’t understand the gravity of not only what he represented but the story that he was continuing to tell,” he said.
Alonzo Townsend, who works as a music manager and is the founder of Townsendx3 Live Productions, is now passionate about keeping blues music and its history at the forefront of music lovers and St. Louisans’ minds. He and Corley are working together to produce a documentary focusing on the Black women of blues titled “Mother Blues.”
On his father’s induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, Alonzo Townsend said this is both a long time coming as well as right on time.
“For me, it’s extremely special. [My father] literally represents what the blues is, the definition of what blues music is overall in America and especially here in St. Louis,” he said. “You cannot tell the story [about the blues] without talking about Henry Townsend.”
For more about maintaining blues music, history and how Henry Townsend’s life and career continue to inspire blues musicians around the world, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
