By: Cynthia J. Golden | November 12, 2025
Clarksdale, MS — Earlier this year, author Marvin Reddick, a 1985 Clarksdale High School graduate and retired police officer, published his latest book, The Real Blues, a compelling exploration of the history, culture, and language of the Blues—going far beyond the music itself.
Reddick grew up deeply immersed in the Blues culture. “B.B. King ran errands for my foster mom. Ike and Tina Turner have been to my house,” he recalls. His life experiences and upbringing in Clarksdale—the heart of the Delta Blues—shape the authenticity and insight found throughout his work.
The Real Blues is about more than the sound; it’s about the people and the roots that gave birth to it. The book delves into the causes and needs that gave rise to Blues music, exploring the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the people behind the sound.
“Often, when people visit Clarksdale or other places in the Delta for ‘the Blues,’ they come for the music and the performers,” Reddick explains. “What they don’t realize is that there are still Blues people here—relatives and descendants of iconic musicians who continue to carry that legacy.”
The book documents Blues families and connects generational stories that are not widely known, offering readers a rare look into the human side of the Blues tradition. Reddick also traces the lineage of individuals who worked on slave plantations, illuminating how the pain, resilience, and creativity of those ancestors shaped the people and the music of Clarksdale.
Reddick spent six years developing The Real Blues, with editorial support from Cynthia Pope Golden, a fellow Clarksdale native and 1983 CHS graduate, who helped bring the book to publication this past spring.
The Real Blues is available on Amazon: The Real Blues: Reddick, Marvin C., Golden, Cynthia J. (ISBN: 9798315388197).
Join the Coahoma County Higher Education Center as they present Cutrer Book Talks with Marvin Reddick, author of The Real Blues, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the historic Cutrer Mansion. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the talk begins at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
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