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Mahalia Jackson in Concert (09/20/1957)

September 22, 2023, 11:00 pm

Mahalia Jackson in concert at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, April 23, 1961 [Photo: Dave Brinkman, GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL)]

Tonight on the Best of Studs Terkel we bring you an archive favorite, and one of the programs that Studs loved best. This broadcast took place in 1957 at the old Hotel Morrison on the Near west side of Chicago. We’re in the ballroom, which is filled to capacity. Studs is in his element as he hosts this live concert featuring his friend, gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, with Mildred Falls at the piano.

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Meet the Host

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) radically redefined the concept of radio interviews. For 45 years starting in 1952, WFMT was his homebase. His daily radio show was a pillar of WFMT’s programming, with its eclectic and astute mix of music and conversation. Studs juxtaposed interviews with the many of the 20th century’s most significant figures with the voices of uncelebrated, working people from Chicago. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Studs helped established oral history as a popular and socially ambitious literary genre. Some of his titles include: Division Street, Hard Times, Working, Race and And They All Sang (Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey). Studs was also a recipient of the National Book Award.

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Mahalia Jackson in Concert (09/20/1957)