This week on Beale Street Caravan, we feature Cyrena Wages, live from the Overton Park Shell. A Memphis native with deep Southern roots, Cyrena’s music explores themes of identity, resilience, and self-discovery. Her debut album, *Vanity Project*, produced by Matt Ross-Spang, captures her raw, soulful sound and the influences that shaped her.
Grammy nominated blues man, Guy Davis, will also be with us to deliver an installment of the Blues Hall of Fame, an exploration of the lives of the pioneers and innovators enshrined in the Blues Hall of Fame.

John Kilzer is a lot of things: Former NCAA basketball standout at the Univ. of Memphis, college professor, major-label recording artist , and a behind-the-scenes songwriter for the stars. Most recently, he’s added minister to the list. For some rock and rollers, that would indicate quite a departure. But for John Kilzer, it’s all part of a bigger plan. On this week’s program, we catch up at the Levitt Shell in Midtown, Memphis and talk about songwriting, his friendship with Teenie Hodges, and how his ministry uses music to touch lives.

This week on Beale Street Caravan, listen to highlights from the 2025 Blues Music Awards, held at the Renasant Convention Center in Downtown Memphis, TN. The episode features performances from Southern Avenue, The Ronnie Baker Brooks Band, and a tribute to B. B. King featuring Castro “Mr. Sipp” Coleman.

This week we feature the mysterious, inscrutable, ever changing Sons of Mudboy.

Also joining us will be BSC contributor, Jim Spake, exploring the legendary sidemen from the early years of rock and roll that played rock’s original lead instrument in a series called “Crazy About a Saxophone.”

From the Caravan vault: We’re excited to feature the world’s oldest teenager, Rufus Thomas. Rufus is synonymous with Memphis and Beale Street, having began his career at 10 years old tap as a tap dancer on Beale. His prodigiousness was passed to his offspring, Carla, Marvell, and Vanese, who, with their father and on their own, crafted influential music careers.This week’s show captures Carla performing at BB Kings’ Blues Club on Beale Street back in 2001. A young Pat Mitchell is there and she sits down with Carla and her father for an interview that you absolutely must hear.