Mississippi Blues Trail

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Marker for Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi:: photo by Angela Jett
Marker for Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi[1]:: photo by Angela Jett

The Mississippi Blues Trail, created by the Mississippi Blues Commission, is a project to place interpretive markers at the most notable historical sites related to the growth of the blues throughout the state of Mississippi. The trail extends from the border of Louisiana in south Mississippi and winds its way to Memphis, Tennessee.[2]

Contents

[edit] Implementation

The list of markers and locations has been developed by distinguished blues scholars and historians. The trail is being implemented in stages as funds become available. The National Endowment for the Arts has provided a grant for partial funding.[3]

More blues singers have come from the state of Mississippi, especially the Mississippi Delta, than all the other Southern States combined. These include Son House, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Muddy Waters, Skip James, Bukka White, John Lee Hooker, and B. B. King. [2]

The first marker was placed at Holly Ridge in 2005. It is dedicated to Charlie Patton as the "Father of the Mississippi Delta Blues".[4]

The second marker is located in front of the Second Whispers Restaurant on Nelson Street in Greenville, a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit in the early days of the blues.[5] This historic strip which in the 1940s and 1950s drew crowds to the flourishing club scene to hear Delta blues, big band jump blues and jazz.

The third marker ceremony was at the WGRM radio station location in Greenwood where B. B. King first broadcast.[5]

[edit] Current markers

Marker Name Marker Location
Blue Front Cafe Bentonia, Mississippi
Bo Diddley McComb, Mississippi
Broadcasting the Blues Gulfport, Mississippi
Charley Patton gravesite Holly Ridge, Mississippi
Columbus - Catfish Alley Columbus, Mississippi
Dockery Delta(N)
Elks Lodge Greenwood, Mississippi
Elvis Presley and the Blues Tupelo, Mississippi
Hickory Street Canton, Mississippi
Highways 10 & 61 Leland, Mississippi
HoneyBoy Edwards Shaw, Mississippi
Howlin' Wolf West Point, Mississippi
James Cotton Tunica, Mississippi
Jimmie Rodgers Meridian, Mississippi
"Livin' at Lula" Lula, Mississippi
Magic Sam Grenada, Mississippi
Memphis Minnie Walls, Mississippi
Mississippi John Hurt Valley
Muddy Waters' cabin site Clarksdale, Mississippi
Nelson Street Greenville, Mississippi
Natchez Rhythm Club Natchez, Mississippi
Otis Rush Philadelphia, Mississippi
Peavine Branch Boyle, Mississippi
Pinetop Perkins Belzoni, Mississippi
Rabbit Foot Minstrels Port Gibson, Mississippi
Red Tops Vicksburg, Mississippi
Riverside Hotel Clarksdale, Mississippi
Robert Johnson birthplace Hazlehurst, Mississippi
Robert Johnson gravesite Greenwood, Mississippi
Robert Nighthawk Friars Point, Mississippi
Rosedale Rosedale, Mississippi
Son House Tunica, Mississippi
Subway Lounge Jackson, Mississippi
Tommy Johnson Crystal Springs, Mississippi
Trumpet Records Jackson, Mississippi
WGRM Radio Studio Greenwood, Mississippi
Willie Dixon Vicksburg, Mississippi
Bertha Lee Lula, Mississippi
Sam Carr Lula, Mississippi
Frank Frost Lula, Mississippi
Alamo Theater/Dorothy Moore Jackson, Mississippi

Source: Mississippi Blues Trail official web site

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Elvis gets marker on Mississippi Blues Trail - USATODAY.com. usatoday.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  2. ^ a b Widen, Larry. JS Online: Blues trail. www.jsonline.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  3. ^ Mississippi Blues Commission - Blues trail. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  4. ^ Haley Barbour Unveils First Marker of Mississippi Blues Trail. Jazz News. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  5. ^ a b Blues Matters! - Delta sites to be included on new blues trail. www.bluesmatters.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.

[edit] External links