He began teaching at Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 2005 in the Masters in Fine Arts program, ranked by "Poets & Writers" Magazine as one of the top 15 such programs in the US. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2010; his works – "Feel Like Going Home: Portraits in Blues, Country and Rock 'n' Roll, Lost Highways: Journeys & Arrivals of American Musicians, Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm & Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom" were designated as blues literature classics.