TheBluesmobile.com's live stream is coming soon! You can join up with the Blues Brethren to receive an update when it goes live.

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Thanks for checking out my new internet radio station, TheBluesmobile.com!

In the future, this will be the spot for the best in blues -- from the roots to the fruits, 24/7!

We have more than 4,000 hours of interviews with all the blues greats as well as the up and comers. Combine that with one heck of a music library and years and years worth of House of Blues Radio shows, and we think we have the makings of an amazing online radio station.

Click on these links to hear examples of other blues shows we've done:

The Blues (a radio documentary hosted by Keb' Mo')

Riding With The King (BB King birthday salute)

First Time I Met The Blues (The Buddy Guy Story)

Library of Congress / NPR Special (a Mamie Smith classic recording)

We had hoped to have this blues station up and running for our web launch, but the Copyright Royalty Board recently ruled in favor of the RIAA (the organization that represents the big record companies) to massively increase the royalty rates webcasters pay to use music.

The new rates are way higher than what regular radio stations pay and what satellite radio pays. And the decision is opposed by many indie labels and artists who can't get exposure on corporate radio.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to cut checks to all the musicians whose songs we'll play on the internet station.  All of us are aware that too many blues greats have been ripped off in the past.

But the fact is, the new rates would simply put us out of business, and two thirds of all online radio stations would have to shut down as well.

So in terms of making this thing work, we're gonna have to take some time to figure it out.

In the meantime, you can do a couple of things:

1) Ask your Congressional Representative to support the Internet Radio Equality Act. This piece of legislation would create a level playing field where internet radio pays the same rates as satellite radio. Learn more at SaveNetRadio.org.

2) Let me know what you think. Would you cough up a few bucks a month for an online blues station that features great music, interviews, documentaries and hard-to-get stuff? What kind of stuff would you want to hear?

Stay Tuned!

Elwood