Fat Possum Case Study (No. 1)

While Matthew Johnson was a student at University of Mississipi, Oxford, he discovered the overlooked work of the "hill country bluesmen." In 1992, he founded the Fat Possum record label as a way to record, document and promote these artists bringing their work to a larger audience. Think about the cultural implications of combining the legacy of fife and drum music, the diddley bow, the blues, cheap electric guitars, the music CD, and the power of the credit card. Fat Possum continues to this day with Johnson as president and a roster that now includes young touring bands. The video documentary, You See Me Laughin': The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen, features interviews with the Fat Possum artists R. L. Burnside, Cedell Davis, T-Model Ford (he's still alive and touring starting in February) and Junior Kimbrough.