I had the incredible opportunity to host Delbert McClinton on my podcast, How I Broke That, about all things breakage-related — the good, the bad, and everything in between. We captured an incredible conversation and built out a series of three podcasts, the first of which was recently released.
About Delbert McClinton
If you don’t know Delbert yet, you’re missing out. This man played an impressive 63-year-long music career, ending with 4 grammies, 25 albums recorded, chart hits in 4 genres covered (rock, blues, country, and pop), and tours with big names like Bruce Chanel, Tanya Tucker, the Beatles, and more.
Delbert was a breaker his entire life, starting with his rags-to-riches beginning and ending with one of the longest touring careers in existence. He broke professionally as well as personally, with challenges such as divorce heart surgery, and more piled onto his plate. He even broke racial barriers during a time of stern separation in the 40s, 50s, and 60s in the United States by playing in clubs of all colors — without giving a single second of time to attempts of segregation that occurred.
Nonetheless, Delbert kept pushing forward, finding success in his music career and life in general. He recently retired and enjoying life with his soul mate, Wendy, today.
Delbert the Breaker: Part One
In the first episode of the How I Broke That series, we dive into Delbert’s early life. We cover his childhood in Lubbock, Texas, how he was introduced to the music scene, and his earliest experiences with racism in the south.
We hear about:
Delbert’s square dancing trips with his parents — his first experiences hearing live bands
His first memory of being captivated by the music life
How he viewed racism with confusion and frustration, even though it was the norm at the time
His attempts to hear Black music in an all-white community
And more
How You Can Listen Along
If you’re ready to discover Delbert McClinton’s inspiring and interesting early days, you have two new options to enjoy:
And don’t forget to follow along for the release of episodes 2 and 3 by subscribing here — subsequent episodes will cover Delbert’s England tour with the Beatles and more about the personal hardships he has faced. I had such an incredible time creating this series, and I can’t wait for you to listen along to the final product, too.
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