Mississippi Blues Trail
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 southern Mississippi and winds its way to Memphis, Tennessee. One marker was recently erected in Chicago, Illinois, where many Mississippi-born blues musicians, like Muddy Waters, moved before becoming famous.[2]
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]
The Mississippi Blues Trail added the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman) to its list of sites at 10 AM on Tuesday September 28, 2010; Parchman received the trail's 113th historical marker.[6]
Current markers
| Marker Name |
Marker Location |
| Ace Records |
Jackson, Mississippi |
| Alamo Theater/Dorothy Moore |
Jackson, Mississippi |
| Arthur Crudup |
Forest, Mississippi |
| B.B. King Birthplace |
Berclair, Mississippi |
| Bertha Lee |
Lula, Mississippi |
| Bo Diddley |
McComb, Mississippi |
| Broadcasting the Blues |
Gulfport, Mississippi |
| Cassandra Wilson |
Jackson, Mississippi |
| Charley Patton gravesite |
Holly Ridge, Mississippi |
| Chicago |
Chicago, Illinois |
| Church Street |
Indianola, Mississippi |
| Columbus - Catfish Alley |
Columbus, Mississippi |
| Dockery Plantation |
Dockery, Mississippi |
| Elks Lodge |
Greenwood, Mississippi |
| Elvis Presley and the Blues |
Tupelo, Mississippi |
| Frank Frost |
Lula, Mississippi |
| Henry Townsend |
Shelby, 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 |
| Malaco Records |
Jackson, Mississippi |
| Memphis Blues |
Memphis, Tennessee |
| Memphis Minnie |
Walls, Mississippi |
| Mississippi John Hurt |
Avalon, Mississippi |
| Mississippi State Penitentiary |
Sunflower County, Mississippi |
| Mississippi to Alabama |
Muscle Shoals, Alabama |
| Mississippi to Helena |
Helena, Arkansas |
| 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 |
| Po' Monkey's |
Merigold, 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 |
| Sam Carr |
Lula, 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 |
| W.C. Handy/Sonny Boy Williamson |
Tutwiler, Mississippi |
Source: Mississippi Blues Trail official web site
See also
|
Mississippi portal |
|
Blues portal |
References
External links