That's a kind of old theme in music, the myth of the blues musician who sells his soul to the devil and plays great music as a result.

NPR: Singer and Songwriter Neil Young

He wrote a memoir, put out a soul-food cookbook, and occasionally hit the stage at his Music Food Passion barbecue restaurants in Chicago and Memphis.

NPR: Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

And I'm also a music scholar in my professional life, and so I've been running Soul Sides the audio blog now for - since about 2003.

NPR: Soul Sides: A Love for Soul Music