Morgan Freeman drops first song in 89 years ahead of blues album release

Morgan Freeman has released a new song from his forthcoming blues album. 

The 89-year-old American actor and film producer is working on his upcoming debut blues album, Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, as per the Friday, June 19 announcement.

Freeman released a new single, Death Letter Blues, from the record on Juneteenth, which features Taj Mahal on vocals and guitar.

The album consists of 12 songs that chronicle a 100-year cinematic journey through blues, according to the press release. Freeman worked on the album alongside Keb' Mo', Shemekia Copeland, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, and Taj Mahal.

The Oscar-winning actor said in the press release, “I heard the blues for the first time on my grandmother's porch in the Mississippi Delta, and it has never left me.”

"Having Taj Mahal kick off this album with a cover of Son House's classic 'Death Letter Blues' strikes the perfect tone for the introduction of this album. Releasing this on Juneteenth is not just symbolic — it is the truth of where this music comes from and who made it. I hope people listen and remember,” Freeman stated.

Eric Meier, a producer on the album, went on to quip that he thought Juneteenth would be the best day to drop the “powerful single” because “this music was born from the same history that Juneteenth commemorates.”

It is pertinent to mention that Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is scheduled to be released on August 7, 2026, under the banner of Decca Records.