Dr. Charles L. Hughes is Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies. Dr. Hughes earned his Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he also earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in African American Studies. From 2015 to 2024, he was Director of the Lynne & Henry Turley Memphis Center at MAX. His research focuses on popular culture in the United States, most specifically African American music and its relationship to larger historical changes. His courses include Black Music and American History; Disability Histories; The History of Memphis; Beale Street: Past, Present and Future; and The Music of the American South. His acclaimed first book, Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South, was named one of the Best Music Books of 2015 by Rolling Stone and No Depression, and in 2021 he published Why Bushwick Bill Matters, a critical biography of the disabled hip-hop star. He is co-editor of the at the University of Texas Press, and he also serves on the faculty editorial board for the journal Southern Cultures, where he guest-edited . He has published numerous essays and given numerous talks for a range of audiences and was a regular contributor to two seasons of the podcast produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice project. In 2023, he wrote the liner notes for the 10th-anniversary reissue of . He is currently working on a book about the history of African Americans and professional wrestling in the United States, as well as articles on disability in popular music. He is the co-founder of the digital music newsletter , and he is a voter for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Selected Publications
