All The Way To Memphis

The Mississippi Blues Trail officially crossed state lines today at the Rock 'n' Soul Museum at the Fed Ex Forum on Beale Street in Memphis. Local Fox 13 station covered the event with this news story.

photo courtesy Merete Eide

Blues Trail: Roots of Rock and Roll

Saturday at 8:30am the Roots of Rock and Roll Blues Trail marker will be unveiled at 614 Mobile Street.

Blues Trail - Freedom Village

On Wednesday, September 17, at 5:30 p.m., the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau will unveil the latest Mississippi Blues Trail marker, honoring Freedom Village.

Black Prairie Kings

Scott Barretta writes about the Black Prairie Blues with a picture of the historic performance of Steve Bell, Eddy Clearwater, and Willie King at the recent BPB Mississippi Blues Trail marker dedication in Macon.

On Aug. 19 several hundred people gathered in downtown Macon for the unveiling of a Mississippi Blues Trail marker acknowledging "Black Prairie Blues." On Friday night, marker honoree Willie King headlines the 13th annual Howlin' Wolf Memorial Blues Festival in West Point as part of the "Black Prairie Kings," which also includes harmonica player Blind Mississippi Morris.

Although the Delta dominates public imagery of Mississippi blues, many important artists came from the prairies. Honored in Macon alongside King were natives Eddy Clearwater, who drove down from Illinois for the unveiling, and the late harmonica great Carey Bell, represented by his harmonica-playing son Steve of Kosciusko.

Forthcoming markers in Crawford for Big Joe Williams and in Aberdeen for Booker White will highlight the area's rich blues heritage, while Howlin' Wolf's legacy in West Point is secured. A statue of the bluesman - Chester Arthur Burnett - stands next to a Blues Trail marker in his honor, and the nearby Howlin' Wolf Blues Museum has amassed an impressive collection of Wolf-related artifacts from around the world.

King, Clearwater and Bell honored with Blues Trail Marker

Starkville Daily News reports on the Noxubee marker:

History was made Tuesday in the Black Prairie region of the state [with]...a Mississippi Blues Trail Marker unveiling ceremony in Downtown Macon. The Black Prairie Blues marker will honor legendary bluesmen Willie King, Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater and Carey Bell. King and Clearwater were on-hand for the ceremonies and were joined by the late Bell’s son Steve, a talented harmonica player in his own right. Among those in attendance were legendary Jackson bluesman and Blues Commissioner Jesse Robinson, Highway 61 Radio Host and Living Blues Magazine Editor Scott Baretta, Co-founder of Rooster Blues Records and Living Blues Magazine Jim O’Neal, Howlin’ Wolf Blues Society Director Richard Ramsey, Philadelphia blues prodigy Caleb Childs and Waverly Waters Resort and 2 Brothers BBQ CEO Mike Reilly. Several family members of King, Clearwater and Bell were also on hand. Tuesday’s Black Prairie Blues Trail Marker unveiling was the 46th Blues Trail Marker unveiling ceremony, and its crowd of roughly 160 visitors made it the largest crowd for an event of its kind to date, according to Baretta and Heritage Trails Program Manager Alex Thomas. “Although, collectively, the three blues artists have performed at venues from Jackson to Stockholm, Sweden, they always make sure people know they are from Noxubee County,” said Noxubee Alliance Director Brian Wilson during the opening ceremonies. “And it means so much to have them back here in Noxubee County today.”

WCBI in Macon

WCBI covered the Mississippi Blues Trail event in Noxubee County and gave this report: Noxubee County on the Blues Trail

Blues Makin in Macon

Several hundred folks turned out yesterday in Macon for the dedication of the Black Praire Blues marker on Mississippi's Blues Trail honoring Noxubee County natives Eddy Clearwarter, Carey Bell, and Willie King.

The Commercial Dispatch has a great article on it:

“It’s important for us to keep the spirit of the blues alive,” Willie King said as he stood next to a freshly unveiled historical marker displaying his name. “It tells the story of reality.”

King, 65, and fellow Noxubee County blues musicians Eddy Clearwater, 78, and the late Carey Bell dedicated nearly all their lives attempting to paint a picture of their realities in East Mississippi using their music. And on Tuesday, the trio of artists permanently became icons of the reality and history of the small Noxubee County city. The marker will serve as a permanent symbol of East Mississippi’s Black Prairie region, which produced several of the world’s most well-known blues artists.

Clearwater, a blues guitarist and songwriter who was born in Macon in 1935 and has been bestowed with several blues honors — including the Chicago Music Award, grinned and laughed as he explained his love for Macon. “If heaven is better than this, then that’s a place I want to go,” Clearwater said in reference to Macon. “This is like heaven here today." “When I was young, we would go down the street here to the movie theater and see cowboy movies,” Clearwater added as he pointed northward on Jefferson Street. “This honor means so much to me and I will always uphold the name of Macon, Miss., wherever I go.”

Bell died last year at the age of 70, though several of his family members assured the blues harmonica legend was watching the ceremony from above. “Carey has passed on, but I know he is smiling from above,” said Vanessa Carson, Bell’s aunt, said in reference to the Macon native whose death garnered national media attention. “We are so proud of him and we know he is proud of Macon and Mississippi as he’s smiling down from heaven,” Carson added. “Thank you, Macon, for putting out a man like Carey Bell.”

“We are here today to honor three blues legends who are Noxubee County natives,” Noxubee Alliance Director Brian Wilson said as he looked at the three blues musicians. “These three men have meant so much to the world of music, and they always do so while representing Noxubee County. “Whether it’s Stockholm, Jackson or Italy, they always make it known that they are from Noxubee County, Miss., while they are rocking out the world,” Wilson repeated.

The Macon blues marker will join similar monuments in Meridian, Columbus and West Point in directing visitors through the hometowns of many of the state’s blues legends, explained Scott Baretta, research coordinator of the Mississippi Blues Trail. “Mississippi blues is mostly associated with the Delta,” Baretta said. “But the markers we now have in the Black Prairie and other areas in East Mississippi will hopefully draw a lot of blues tourists who would normally veer west. “This has to be the largest marker unveiling I’ve been to, as far as the number of people who came to the ceremony,” Baretta added. “The markers are a showcase of the heritage of Mississippi, and today we will certainly add to that.”

(Read the full article here.)

Blues Trail Marker in Noxubee County

A few pictures from today's event in Macon honoring the Black Prairie Blues, Eddy Clearwater, Carey Bell, and Willie King.

A Native Son Paints the Blues

In coordinatin with the Black Prairie Blues trail marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Macon Welcome Center will exhibit works by native son James Conner.

Twenty-eight pieces by Conner, a widely known artist and lecturer, will be exhibited from August 19 to September 17, 2008. Conner, a native of Shuqualak, Mississippi, holds a B.F.A. degree from Wayne State University, and a Masters degree in Fine Arts from the University of Mississippi. He served two tours in Vietnam and one in Germany as a member of the U.S. Army 423rd Ordnance Supply. He has been an art instructor at Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women, and Meridian Community College. He is presently a spring lecturer at the University of Alabama where he and his family live.



The exhibit is divided into three sections: THE BLUES, executed with rhythmic strokes in deep brooding color; HERITAGE, which includes poignant paintings from Conner’s childhood memories; and TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN, three paintings memorializing the renowned World War II aviators.

The Macon Welcome Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, or by appointment. For more information contact: maconmainstreet@aol.com; or call 662-694-1094.

Historic Joint Peformance by Black Prairie Blues Legends

It is homecoming time, blues style, in Noxubee County. Blues legends Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater and Willie King will perform together for the first time ever on Tuesday, August 19 at 11 a.m. during the Black Prairie Blues marker dedication ceremony in downtown Macon, Mississippi. The Black Prairie Blues marker is the newest addition to the Mississippi Blues Trail and will honor Noxubee County natives and Blues legends Carey Bell, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, and Willie King. In addition to the Clearwater King performance, Steve Bell, son of deceased honoree Carey Bell, will represent his father and perform with Jesse Robinson and the 500 Pounds of Blues Band. Scott Barretta, host of Highway 61 radio show on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and former editor of Living Blues magazine, will make a special presentation. And there will be lots of BBQ and cold drinks on this hot and bluesy Mississippi reunion.

Eddy Clearwater
Willie King
Carey Bell
Jesse Robinson

Two Great Blogs

I just added these to the link list. But check out Jim O'Neal's "Stackhouse & BluEsoterica" and for sure you need to visit Jim and Scott Barretta's unofficial "Mississippi Blues Trail" blog.

Black Prairie Blues

The Black Prairie Blues Marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail will be unveiled Tuesday in Noxubee County. The marker honors Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, Carey Bell, and Willie King: 11am - Corner of Green and Jefferson in Macon, Mississippi. There will be BBQ plate lunches available for $7, live music, and lots of folks ready to boogie.

RIP Alex "Little Bill" Wallace

Delta Blues native Alex "Little Bill" Wallace of Leland, Mississippi passed away on Sunday, August 10, 2009. "Little Bill" was one of the first delta blues men to play the electric guitar. Wallace influenced and performed with many great musicians including BB King, whom he played with in their younger days.
Photo: Alex "Little Bill" Wallace with Alex Thomas, Mississippi Blues Trail Director at the David "Honeyboy" Edwards marker ceremony on April 13, 2007.

T-Model Ford Hospitalized

Alex Thomas, Program Manager for the Mississippi Division of Tourism's Heritage Trails, passes this note along regarding T-Model Ford:

Greenville blues musician James "T-Model" Ford was hospitalized Thursday with heart complications. I was informed by T-Model's family that he will undergo surgery Friday morning at Delta Regional Hospital. He is scheduled to be honored on the Mississippi Blues Trail on September 26, 2008 at his birthplace in Forest, MS. Please keep T-Model and his family in your prayers.

Blues Trail License Plate

The Mississippi Blues Commission has designed a Mississippi Blues Trail license plate. They need commitments of those who would purchase them as their tags before they can proceed with the license plate process. If you are interested in the Mississippi Blues Trail license plate for your automobile, contact Leigh Portwood at the Heritage Trails Program at MDA.

Upcoming Blues Trail Marker Events

The Mississippi Blues Trail will be adding these two markers in August.

Black Prairie Blues Marker featuring Eddy Clearwater, Willie King and Carey Bell
August 19, 2008; 11:00 AM
Macon Welcome Center (Corner of Green Street and Jefferson Street)
Macon, Mississippi

Piney Woods Marker featuring Blind Boys of Mississippi and Sam Myers
August 29,2008; 9:00 AM
Piney Woods School (23 miles South of Jackson, Mississippi on Highway 49)

Thursday in Leland is Jimmy Reed Day

The Delta Democrat Times reports that Leland's board of aldermen has proclaimed Thursday to be Jimmy Reed Day. Reed is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Reed, one of the most influential of all the Delta bluesmen, was the first to cross over on to the R&B and pop charts. Reed scored a remarkable 18 top twenty hits on the R&B charts in a period from 1955-1961. He also had a dozen hits on the pop charts.

The popularity of his music in both white and black audiences led him to play such hallowed venues as Carnegie Hall and The Apollo Theater. His songs have been covered by The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, The Grateful Dead, and Elvis Presley.

A Mississippi Blues trail marker will be unveiled in his honor on Collier Road at Dunleith Thursday at 4 p.m. The ceremony will be followed by the dedication of a mural of the famous Washington County native at 101 North Broad in Leland at 5 p.m., immediately to be followed by a reception at the Highway 61 Blues Museum.

Read the full story here: Leland to honor native bluesman Thursday

Blues Trail: Big Walter Horton, Jimmy Reed

Mark your calendars for two upcoming Mississippi Blues Trail markers.

June 19 - A marker for Jimmy Reed at Collier Road in Dunleith, Mississippi 4pm (followed by a mural unveiling at 5pm on Broad Street in Leland and a reception at the Highway 61 Blues Museum).



June 20 - A marker for Big Walter Horton on Center Street in Horn Lake, Mississippi 10:30am.

Noxubee 3 on the Blues Trail

The Mississippi Blues Trail will recognize three Noxubee County natives at a marker ceremony on August 19: Carey Bell, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, and Willie King.

The Noxubee Alliance, along with local partners Main Street Macon and the Noxubee County Historical Society, will join with the Mississippi Blues Commission and the Mississippi Development Authority Tourism Division to host the marker unveiling and dedication ceremony at the new Macon Welcome Center on Jefferson Street in the Downtown Macon Historical District. Honorees Eddy Clearwater and Willie King are scheduled to attend and perform together. Lurrie Bell, son of deceased honoree Carey Bell, is scheduled to represent his father and also perform. Bruce Iglauer, founder and president of Alligator Records in Chicago - the largest independent Blues label in the world - is helping to coordinate the event and has been invited to speak at the ceremony.

"Cultural and heritage tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism economy and accounts for around 80% of domestic travelers. We lobbied hard for this recognition, and we will continue to aggressively market the existing strategic assets found right here in Noxubee County. I have already received a couple of inquiries from Blues journalists and tourists from other parts of the country who have heard the rumor that Eddy Clearwater, Willie King, and Lurrie Bell will all be together on the same stage for our event. The marker ceremony and performances by these legends will be a great day for Noxubee County and all of Mississippi," said Brian Wilson, executive director of the Noxubee Alliance.

Carey Bell, a Blues harmonica legend, was born in Macon on November 14, 1936 as Carey Bell Harrington.. His passing on May 6, 2007 was mourned by the blues world.

Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, one of the finest Blues guitarists and songwriters, was born in Macon on January 10, 1935 as Edward Harrington. He is a cousin to the late Carey Bell. Eddy Clearwater has received numerous awards such as the W.C. Handy Award and Chicago Music Award, and he has also been nominated for a Grammy.

Willie King, an award-winning guitarist and singer/songwriter, was born in Prairie Point, Mississippi on March 8, 1943. Willie King has received several awards from Living Blues Magazine and was inducted into the Howlin' Wolf Hall of Fame. King is the subject of "Down in the Woods", a documentary by Dutch filmmakers Saskia Rietmeijer and Bart Drolenga which was nominated for the 2008 Blues Music Award.

Lurrie Bell, son of deceased honoree Carey Bell, is a critically-acclaimed Blues guitarist and singer. He was selected as Most Outstanding Guitar Player in Living Blues Magazine's 2007 Critics' Poll and nominated for several Blues Music Awards presented by the Blues Foundation of Memphis.

RIP Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley, a McComb Mississippi native and a founding father of rocknroll, died today.

From Modern Guitar Magazine:

On June 2, 2008, the music world lost the man behind the signature voice and choppy guitar riffs immediately identifiable as Bo Diddley. Born Otha Ellas Bates McDaniel in McComb, Mississippi, on December 30, 1928, at the age of seven his family moved to Chicago where he would be turned on to the guitar by John Lee Hooker and don the stage name Bo Diddley. The cause of death has been noted as heart failure.

During the Fifties and Sixties, Diddley was the epitomy of cool with his hip dark glasses, black hat, his homemade square guitar and rhumba-like guitar rhythms on songs like his 1955 record “Bo Diddley” with the now classic flip side, “I’m a Man." Both tracks were chordally constrained, but fueled by the deliberate and hypnotic chunka-chunka rhythms that became his signature sound and inspired countless musicians around the world, including Jimi Hendrix; Pete Townshend, Paul Butterfield, Jimmy Page, the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.

Listen to Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and the Bo Diddley-style riff drives it. All guitarists, whether they were figuring out chords in garage bands or launching their own claims to fame found his haunting guitar work gripping, so much so that Rolling Stone magazine would name him as one of the top 50 “Immortals” of rock ‘n’ roll.

As a young musician, he found himself center stage on Chess-Checkers Records with such blues masters as Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Spann, Elmore James and Muddy Waters.

Diddley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 with Howard Kramer, Assistant Curator, celebrating the artist’s accomplishments and influence by noting that Bo’s Chess recordings, “…stand among the best singular recordings of the 20th century.”

Governor Haley Barbour release a statement saying, "Bo Diddley was born a Mississippian and grew up in a world where natural talent earned him fame and respect. He was a rock-and-roll icon, a true pioneer whose style generated a lot of copies that were not nearly as good as the original. Marsha and I mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to his family."

(Governor Haley Barbour, First Lady Marsha Barbour, and Bo Diddley)

On November 2, 2007 Bo Diddley was honored with a Mississippi Blues Trail Marker, in McComb Mississippi.