Blues In The Park Byhalia Mississippi

Visit The Delta!! From The Mississippi Delta Tourism Association

This is a great contest from the good people at the Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. Check out more information at their website.

Register for the trip at www.visitthedelta.com/sweepstakes

Enter the High Times in the Lower Delta Giveaway Register to win a 3-night stay in the legendary Mississippi Delta! Enter to win a customized 3-night stay in the legendary Mississippi Delta - Where Music Meets the Soul. This customized itinerary features the lower Delta cities of Greenwood, Yazoo City and Vicksburg. Register to Win Register to win today at http://www.visitthedelta.com/sweepstakes/. Entries will be accepted until November 24, 2008. A sample of what you can expect: Gaming action Free admission to the Delta’s finest attractions The best food and shopping the Delta has to offer Click here for more details Official Rules “The High Times in the Lower Delta” vacation is scheduled for December 5-7, 2008 and is nontransferable.

Mississippi Delta Tourism Association P.O. Box 68 - Greenville, Mississippi 38701 Toll Free: 800-467-3582 Copyright © 2008 Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. All Rights Reserved. Web Services by Aristotle Web Design.

Press Release: New Blues Trail Marker In Mississippi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: LYNN ORMAN 847-452-6469

BLACK PRAIRIE BLUES TO BE HONORED WITH BLUES TRAIL MARKER

MACON, MS (AUGUST 19) The Black Hill Prairie Blues will be honored with
a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, which was developed under the
leadership of Governor Haley Barbour and is designed to preserve the
state’s musical heritage through more than 100 historical markers and
interpretive sites. The ceremony will take place Tuesday, August 19,
2008 at 11:00 a.m. on the corner of Green and Jefferson Street in Macon,
Mississippi.

“Macon in Noxubee County represents the heart of Mississippi’s own
Black Hill Prairie Blues. As home to some of the state’s most
recognized Blues musicians, including fiddler Eddy Clearwater and
harmonica player Carey Bell, this region has long played an important
role in the development of our unique musical heritage,” Governor
Barbour said. “Noxubee County and the Black Hill Prairie region are a
welcome addition to the Mississippi Blues Trail.”

The roots of blues and gospel music run deep in the African American
culture of the Black Prairies region. Several performers born near Macon
in Noxubee County, including Eddy Clearwater, Carey Bell, and Jesse
Fortune, went on to achieve renown in Chicago blues, while others, such
as Brother Joe May and Robert Blair, became gospel singing stars. In
Prairie Point near the Mississippi-Alabama state line, Willie King
kindled a new blues movement as the political prophet of the juke
joints.

Noxubee County, with the highest percentage of African American
population of any county in eastern Mississippi, has much in common with
the Delta, including a legacy of cotton, blues, and economic struggle.
In antebellum days when slaves sang spirituals and work songs on the
local cotton plantations, those with musical talent also played fiddle
or banjo as entertainers at white social affairs. This musical tradition
carried over into the 20th century, when a number of African American
string bands were active in the county, playing for both white and black
audiences. These included the Duck Brothers (Charlie, Albert, and Vandy
Duck), the Salt and Pepper Shakers (Perie, Doc, and Preston Spiller),
and the Nickersons (featuring fiddler Booger Nickerson).

Another Macon fiddler, Houston H. Harrington, guided a branch of what
would become one of the most prolific families in the blues. Harrington
married Perie Spiller's daughter Hilda and moved to Chicago, where their
sons Joe and Vernon formed a blues band. His nephew, Eddy Harrington, is
well known on the international blues circuit as Eddy Clearwater.

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Clearwater, famed for his flamboyant stage act as “The Chief,”
attired in an American Indian headdress, was born just east of Macon on
January 10, 1935.

Yet another Macon product who attained worldwide fame after moving to
Chicago was harmonica virtuoso Carey Bell, whose real surname was also
Harrington. Bell (born Nov. 14, 1936), played with Muddy Waters, Willie
Dixon, and many others, and also fathered a brood of blues musicians,
including renowned guitarist Lurrie Bell and harmonica protégé Steve
Bell. Carey Bell died on May 6, 2007. Vocalist Jesse Fortune, who was
born near Macon on Feb. 28, 1930, also embarked on a lengthy blues
career in Chicago in the 1950s.

Big Joe Williams, one of the most prominent blues recording artists
from the Black Prairies, came from Crawford to perform in Noxubee County
at times. Guitarist Elijah Brown, a friend of Williams, was born in
Macon. Williams (1903-1982) and fellow bluesman John Wesley Macon (c.
1923-1973), known as “Mr. Shortstuff,” both died in Macon.

Guitarist Willie King (born in Grass Hill, east of Macon, on March 18,
1943) and his band have carried on the local blues tradition with
performances at juke joints, house parties, and festivals. In 2000 King
began to draw widespread acclaim for his recordings of
politically-themed “struggling songs,” an outgrowth of his
activities in civil rights in Pickens County, Alabama. Several members
of King's band, the Liberators, have also hailed from Macon, including
Willie James Williams, Willie Lee Halbert, and Johnnie B. Smith. Other
performers active on the local music scene around Brooksville have
included Robert Earl Greathree and Brown Sugar.

For more information on Mississippi blues artists, or to submit
information on blues artists, contact:
Jim O’Neal, Mississippi Blues Trail Research Director (816-931-0383,
bluesoterica@aol.com).

The Mississippi Blues Trail markers are funded in part by a grant from
the National Endowment for the Humanities and by support from the
Noxubee Economic & Community Development Alliance, Mississippi
Department of Transportation, Delta State University and the Mississippi
Development Authority.

To contact the Mississippi Blues Trail office in Jackson, contact Alex
Thomas (601-359-3297, athomas@mississippi.org) or Leigh Portwood
(601-359-3061, lportwood@mississippi.org).

For further information on the Mississippi Blues Trail, go to
www.msbluestrail.org.

Mississippi Tourism Contest!!!

It is time for the Mississippi Tourism contest for blues lovers!!!!

CHECK THIS OUT

Enter the Mississippi Delta Road Trip Giveaway Experience the Mississippi Delta in a way you'll never forget. Enter for your chance to receive a customized 3-night stay in the legendary Mississippi Delta - Where the Music Meets the Soul. This customized itinerary features the mid-Delta cities of Indianola, Cleveland and Greenville. Escape to the Mississippi Delta! You'll be treated to wonderful accommodations, incredible food and exciting nightlife as you explore the Mississippi Delta. A sample of what you can expect: Gaming action Admission to the Delta's finest attractions such as the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center Blues heritage & live entertainment Festival fun and the best food and shopping the Delta has to offer Register Today Get more details. Official Rules View the official contest rules, and enter for your chance to experience the Delta as its own personal guest! To read what others had to say about their trips in the Mississippi Delta, visit the Mississippi Delta MySpace page at myspace.com/visitthedelta.

Mississippi Delta Tourism Association P.O. Box 68 - Greenville, Mississippi 38701 Toll Free: 800-467-3582 Copyright © 2008 Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. All Rights Reserved. Web Services by Aristotle Web Design.

2008 Blues Music Awards Tickets On Sale Now!!

New press release, the 2008 BMA's in Tunica Mississippi are on sale now. Here is the press release

Tunica, MS – January 2008 – Tickets are now on sale for the most prestigious event in all of Blues music in 2008. The Blues Music Awards, to be held Thursday May 8, 2008 at the Grand Casino Resort Tunica (soon to be Harrah’s Casino Tunica), brings together Blues performers, industry representatives and fans from all over the world to celebrate the best in Blues recordings and performances from the previous year.
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“Each year, the Blues Foundation presents The Blues Music Awards to the artists selected by its members,” Jay Sieleman, the executive director of the Blues Foundation, said. “The awards are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists.”

Tickets are on sale online at www.blues.org/tickets/bma.php. On that site as well, members are able to access the ballot to determine which of the nominees will be selected to receive the 25 Blues Music Awards. Rooms can also be booked now at the special Blues Music Award rate by calling Grand Casino Resort Tunica at 1-800-394-7263 and mentioning the group code S05BLUE.

Sieleman says holding the Blues Music Awards in the Mississippi Delta in Tunica, Mississippi, The South’s Casino Capital, will be a first for this prestigious event. The Blues Music Awards will be held at the Grand Casino Tunica Event Center, which is a state-of-the-art, 2,500 seat venue.

“We are honored to be able to host the 2008 Blues Music Awards,” Bill Wright, general manager of Grand Casino Resort Tunica, said. “We hope this is the beginning of a great tradition where the music indigenous to Mississippi is celebrated in Tunica, Mississippi, for years to come.”

The State of Mississippi, the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau and Harrah’s Casino Tunica are sponsoring the Blues Music Awards.

“Tunica is the logical place to host this international event,” Webster Franklin, president and CEO of the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau, said. “Not only is Tunica the entrance to the Blues Highway 61, but it’s also the South’s Casino Capital, making it an entertaining destination for all visitors coming to this event.”

In previous years, viewers have seen the appearance of more than 60 nominees and almost 30 nominee sets, many with one of a kind pairings. The 2008 show can be expected to improve on these critically-acclaimed shows.

The Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Charter Member’s Dinner will be held the night before on Wednesday, May 7th at the $28 million Tunica Riverpark museum that sits right on the banks of the Mississippi River.

In addition, Blues fans can be assured that many additional events will be scheduled in the area during the week. For example, the State of Mississippi has created a Blues Trail for blues enthusiasts to travel along the Mississippi Blues Trail, walk where they walked, dance where they danced, and experience the blues where they were born. Come on an unforgettable journey and follow the Mississippi Blues trail, from street corners where blues musicians played for tips to places they called home and even to their final resting places. Point your browser to www.msbluestrail.org and start planning your authentic experience now.

The Presenting Sponsor for the Blues Awards 2008 is The GIBSON Foundation. The Blues Music Awards are also sponsored by BMI, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Located 30 minutes south of Memphis, Tunica is The South’s Casino Capital. Be Taken Away by the nine world-class casinos, 6,000 luxurious hotel rooms, fine dining restaurants and buffets, headline entertainers, championship golf and tennis, award-winning museums, lavish spas, and outlet/antique shopping. Come see why everyone is saying, “Take Me Away to Tunica!” Call 1-888-4TUNICA to request a value-packed Winner’s Guide, or visit www.TunicaMiss.com for travel information.
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Contact:
Claire Pittman, Public Relations Manager
Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau
662-363-3800
888-488-6422

New Contest From Mississippi Delta Tourism

just got this from the Mississippi Delta Tourism

View the full itinerary and official rules For more information on attractions in the Mississippi Delta, visit http://www.visitthedelta.com/ Register to Win Today Register to win the trip at www.visitthedelta.com/sweepstakes

“The Delta Gateway Getaway” Vacation Sweepstakes Register to win a 3-night stay in the legendary Mississippi Delta! The Mississippi Delta Tourism Association (MDTA) is giving away a three night Mississippi Delta getaway, featuring the gateway areas to the region – DeSoto County, Tunica and Clarksdale. How to Register Register to win the trip at http://www.visitthedelta.com/sweepstakes/. The promotion will be accepting entries until March 31, 2008. About the Trip The package features exciting activities such as Southaven Springfest and a night at a Casino Hotel Resort in Tunica. Other Gifts Include… Accommodations across the region Some of the Delta’s finest cuisine Visits to Delta attractions, including the Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival The “Delta Gateway Getaway” vacation is scheduled for April 17 – 19, 2008 and is non-transferable.

Mississippi Delta Tourism Association P.O. Box 68 - Greenville, Mississippi 38701 Toll Free: 800-467-3582 Copyright © 2007 Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. All Rights Reserved. Web Services by Aristotle Web Design.

2008 BMA's To Be Held In Tunica Mississippi

According to the Sun Herald, the Blues Music Awards will be held in Tunica Mississippi. To read more about it Click HERE.

Elvis Honored With Blues Trail Marker

Just found this article from the Associated Press, Elvis Presley is being honered with a Blues trail marker in Mississippi. The marker is being placed in his hometown of Tupelo Mississippi. To read the AP article Click HERE.

New York Times Review: Honeydripper

Well, it looks like the New York Times panned Honeydripper, a movie about the birth of Rock And Roll in Mississippi. Of course the movie is fiction it is not based on anything that really happened in Mississippi, but what was probably happening all over the south during late 40s and early 50s. It is also a movie about Jim Crow, which hopefully will open some eyes to people who think the south was some idyllic wonderland, and it certainly wasn't at least not for African Americans. If you want to read the review Click HERE.

As I have said before, never pay attention to a bad review, if you like the music, actors, or just the time period go see the movie!!!!! Don't let some lazy reporter, sitting in an cushy office in the New York Times make your decision for you! Check it out for yourself!!!

Mississippi Blues Marathon!!

It's not what you think! Of course a marathon of blues would be a lot of fun, but this is an actual marathon! It takes place January 5th in Jackson Mississippi. (click here for more details) A portion of the proceeds are going to the Mississippi Blues Foundation to promote Mississippi blues artists.

Touring The Delta

This is a great story (Click HERE)that I found on the Canadian Press site, although I think that it is really a story from the AP by Justin Norton. It is about Norton and his tour of the Mississippi Delta. It is a really good story, and Norton writes a paragraph that tells me that he knows what he is talking about when it come to the Delta blues!

I arrive in Clarksdale after a daylong drive through Oklahoma and Arkansas, passing the famed "Crossroads" of blues legend as I enter town. The Crossroads have a special place in blues mythology as the location where aspiring musicians sold their soul to the Devil in exchange for musical prowess. A bluesman could wait at a crossroads at dark for the Devil, who would take the musician's guitar, tune it, and hand it back. The musicians could then play any song they wanted.

When blues artists referred to the Crossroads, they were likely talking about any number of backroads intersections, but the story has stuck to the intersection of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale.

The story is usually associated with Robert Johnson, who hints at the diabolical on songs like "Hellhound on My Trail." But the myth of a Crossroads deal would be better attached to guitarist Tommy Johnson, who boasted about a backroads pact with a shadowy apparition. The Crossroads don't seem as menacing now with a kitschy sign of interlocking guitars marking the spot. But they are a sign that what matters here is the music - and your ability to play it well.

That is what good journalism is about. Doing your homework, and knowing what you are talking about!!

Delta Blues Lives at The Ground Zero Club!

Ground Zero Club located in Clarksdale Mississippi, is keeping the blues alive by featuring great blues musicians from the delta. Click HERE, for an article from the National Post in Canada for an article about Ground Zero and their efforts to keep the blues alive.

Mississippi Tourism

So did you wonder who won the contest to the delta, and how did their trip go? Wonder no more! Our good friends down at Visit The Delta have a some blog posts from the winner as she took her trip down through the Mississippi Delta. You can check out her adventures on the Mississippi Delta myspace page HERE.

Memphis Minnie Gets Highway Sign

I have been reporting about highway signs for blues artists in Mississippi since the beginning of the blog, and now Memphis Minnie has hers!! Tommy Johnson also gets one!!! Hmmmmmm, wonder who made a deal with the devil for that one:-) Also the Rabbit Foot Minstrels will have a highway marker. (click here for story) Mississippi is really getting behind blues tourism, and it is a great story. For more on Mississippi Tourism click HERE.

Film Fest Starts Tomorrow As Part Of The Mississippi Delta Blues And Heritage Festival

Just ran across this today. Tomorrow there is a film festival that is part of the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival. According to the Delta Democrat Times the film festival takes place at Nelco Cineplex on Mississippi 1 South. Hopefully if you are down there, you know where that is at:-) Here is the schedule of films that will start at noon tomorrow.

“The Death of Emmett Till” by Stanley Nelson, noon

“Teranga Blues” by Simbi Hall, 2 p.m.n

“The Legend of Black Tom” by Deron Albright, 4 p.m.

“Long Story Short” by Hall, 4:20 p.m.

“Silence” by Matee Kemet, 4:40 p.m.

“Don't Shoot the Messenger” by Ngozi Onwurah, 5:30 p.m.

“Before the Music Dies,” featuring Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt and the festival performers the North Mississippi All-Stars, and narrated by Forrest Whitaker, 7:30 p.m.; and “Muddy Waters Can't Be Satisfied” by Robert J. Gordon of Memphis, 9 p.m.


For more information Click HERE.

Winner For The Mississippi Delta Vaction!!

Just received this from Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. They have announced a winner for the vacation in the delta, and it wasn't me:-( Well, it is probably a good thing I didn't win because people might think it was rigged:-)

Anyway the good people of the MDTA, sent this press release about the winner and her upcoming trip:

MORE INFORMATION:

Stephanie Coomer

Phone: 662-842-5040

moody-coomer@bkingassociates.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 6, 2007

MISSISSIPPI DELTA TOURISM ASSOCIATION WINNER TO BLOG ON MYSPACE

Vicksburg, Miss. – The Mississippi Delta Tourism Association (MDTA) has named a winner in the Rollin’ Down the River prize package.

Darla Webb of Pontotoc, Miss. was chosen to receive the prize package featuring giveaways such as gaming in Tunica and a night at the world-famous Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood. Other gifts include accommodations across the region, some of the Delta’s best cuisine and visits to Delta attractions including the Vicksburg National Military Park, the Delta Blues Museum and Brussel’s Bonsai. The trip wraps up in Greenville at the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival – a celebration of the musical heritage created for the world in the Mississippi Delta.

Myspace guests can read about Webb’s week through the Mississippi Delta on the MDTA Myspace page. Webb will post daily accounts of her trip in the Mississippi Delta on the association’s blog found at www.myspace.com/visitthedelta. MDTA recently joined over 100 million members of myspace.com, a social networking website and one of the most popular websites in the United States.

The service offers an interactive network of friends allowing members to post profiles, blogs, photos, music, videos and much more content that can be viewed internationally.

MDTA’s Myspace page provides a positive image of the Mississippi Delta by posting pictures of the region, paying tribute to the music that was born in the Mississippi Delta and linking to the association’s website.

“I can’t wait to explore the Mississippi Delta and share it on the blog!” stated Webb.

For more information on the Mississippi Delta, visit the website at www.visitthedelta.com or check their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/visitthedelta.

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The Mississippi Delta Tourism Association is a regional marketing organization that promotes the Mississippi Delta and is made up of tourism organizations in the following Delta locations: DeSoto County, Tunica, Clarksdale, Greenville, Greenwood, Cleveland, Indianola, Yazoo County and Vicksburg.

Filmmakers Needed For Blues Movie In Mississippi

From the Clarion Ledger:

Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson will be the host of a training session this fall for filmmakers, focusing on the culture and history of the Mississippi Delta and the impact of blues music in America.

The session, scheduled for Nov. 11-17, is sponsored by the National Black Programming Consortium, a provider of public television programming that recognizes the cultural heritage of African Americans and the African diaspora. Organizers are searching for 25 participants.

The week-long on-site residency session in Jackson follows a six-week virtual workshop series — NBPC’s New Media Institute, a professional development training program for new and experienced filmmakers interested in working with the latest in digital technology.

For more details Click HERE for the NBPC website.

Mississippi Tourism

Visit the delta website now has a myspace page. I think that they just set it up since I couldn't access it this afternoon. It might be tomorrow before it is online, but go check it out. I posted about their cool trip across the delta contest a few weeks ago. If you can't check out the myspace page, then check out their home page since it is very cool, and has a lot of great information about the home of the blues.

Win A Trip Across The Delta!!

The Mississippi Delta Tourism Association has a very cool contest going on. You can win a trip across the Mississippi delta. Click Here to enter the sweepstakes. If you win here is the itinerary from the website: Visit the delta.

Monday, September 10th – Arrive in Vicksburg for Gaming, Town Tour and Overnight

• Accommodations at the AmeriStar Casino
• Dinner at the Bottleneck Blues Bar located in the casino
• Vicksburg gift basket
• Passes to area attractions

Tuesday morning, September 11th – Travel to Yazoo City for lunch and town tour

• BBQ for two at “Memphis in May award-winning” Ubon’s
• Town tour
• Gift basket from the Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Tuesday afternoon, September 11th - Travel to Greenwood for Town Tour and overnight

• 1 night stay for 2 at the Alluvian Hotel
• 2 free passes to Cottonlandia Museum
• Walking tour of historic downtown Greenwood
• Visit to Robert Johnson's gravesite
• Dinner for two at Lusco's on Tuesday night

Wednesday morning, September 12th – Travel to Indianola for lunch and town tour

• Lunch for two from the Crown Restaurant
• Gift basket and gift certificates from Taste of Gourmet and the Indianola Pecan House.
• Copy of Steve Cheseborough’s “Blues Traveling”
• Behind the scenes tour of B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, under construction
• Tour of Indianola blues sites

Wednesday afternoon, September 12th – Travel to Clarksdale for Town Tour and overnight

• Delta Blues Museum admission
• Ground Zero Blues Club Gift Certificate
• Gift Certificate for Dinner at the Silver Moon
• Gift Basket with Gift Certificates from Downtown
• Merchants
• Overnight Accomodations at the Big Pink
• Guesthouse
• Gift Certificate for breakfast at Resthaven

Thursday morning, September 13th – Travel to DeSoto County for County Tour and Shopping

• Complimentary breakfast in Olive Branch
• Tour of Brussel’s Bonsai including a gift certificate
• Travel to Old Towne to shop
• Travel to Southaven for shopping at Southaven Towne Center
• Travel to Hernando for a free lunch at Timbeaux’s
• Tour of DeSoto County Museum and the Historic Hernando Courthouse

Thursday afternoon, September 13th – Travel to Tunica for Gaming, Town Tour and overnight

• 1 night stay at one of Tunica' 9 Casino Hotel Resorts
• Admission to the Tunica RiverPark Museum including a Cruise on the Tunica Queen
• $100 in gaming coin

Friday, September 14th – Travel to Cleveland for Town Tour and overnight

• Gift certificates for dinner at the Pickled Okra and lunch at the Warehouse
• Tour Guide: Blues and Culture Tour
• One Night Accommodations: The Holiday Inn including continental breakfast
• Gift basket and discount shopping coupons

Saturday, September 15th – Travel to Greenville for Town Tour, MS Delta Blues and Heritage Festival and overnight

• Overnight accommodations at the Greenville Inn & Suites for Saturday, September 15
• Dinner for two at one of our local restaurants
• Tickets for two to the MS Delta Blues & Heritage Festival.

Sunday, September 16th – Depart for home

Transportation not provided.

It does look like you will have to transport yourself, which could be expensive given the current 3.00 dollar a gallon gas. However, it looks like a good time. So good luck!!!!

Willie Dixon Honored in Vicksburg.

More Mississippi tourism news. A highway marker, a mural, and a jam session this Thursday celebrate the life of hometown hero Willie Dixon. The Vicksburg Post has an remarkable article on the proceedings and a few nice quotes from Willie Dixon's daughter, Jacqueline. For more info on the ceremonies click HERE.