Blues in the Delta

MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL

The Mississippi Blues Trail is our state’s tribute to a truly American music genre. The trail includes more than 100 historical markers throughout Mississippi. Each marker tells a story about a person, place or event essential to the creation of the Blues. Start your Tunica Blues experience at the Gateway to the Blues Museum and Visitors Center, home to the Mississippi Blues Trail U.S. Highway 61 marker, where our visitor center staff can provide directions and tips on how to navigate the trail beginning with the markers right here in Tunica:

• Blues Highway 61
• Abbay & Leatherman Plantation
• Eddie James “Son” House
• Harold “Hardface” Clanton
• James Cotton
• Hollywood Cafe

The Mississippi Blues Trail winds throughout the state, passing through legendary towns right here in the Mississippi Delta where The Blues was born. For a complete list of blues markers, visit www.msbluestrail.com

MISSISSIPPI DELTA – Find your Groove in the Mississippi Delta – where the music meets the soul.

Clarksdale

Clarksdale is Blues to the bone, with the legacies of W.C. Handy, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton and so many others living on in the local clubs. Visit the Delta Blues Museum, historic Blues Alley or take in a live show at one of the clubs such as Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero. Contact Coahoma County Tourism Commission at 800-626-3764 or www.clarksdaletourism.com or www.groundzerobluesclub.com.

Cleveland

Cleveland is a gem that shines as one of the top 100 small cities in America. Enjoy dining, shopping, arts and a rich Blues tradition. Browse the Historic Crosstie Shopping District offering specialty and antique shopping. Cleveland is home to McCarty Pottery and Peter’s Pottery, both well known for creating collectables and works of art from Mississippi Mud. Contact Cleveland-Bolivar County Tourism at 800-295-7473 or www.visitclevelandms.com.

DeSoto County
Located due east of Tunica and just across the border from Memphis, DeSoto County is the home of Jerry Lee Lewis, John Grisham and timeless Delta traditions. Visitors will find the final resting places of blues greats, like Gus Cannon and Memphis Minnie. Contact DeSoto County Tourism at 662-393-8770 or www.sodesoto.com.

Greenville

A city that reminds us that the Delta is not only has produced great musicians, but has also produced great writers. The Greenville Writer’s Exhibit features the works of over 100 published writers who have called Greenville home, including Pulitzer Prize winners Hodding Carter, Jr and Shelby Foote. Visit a National Historic Landmark and one of the nation’s most significant prehistoric archeological sites, the Winterville Indian Mounds and Museum. Stop by the birthplace of Kermit the Frog and creator, Jim Henson’s boyhood home. Contact Greenville/Washington County CVB at 800-467-3582 or www.visitgreenville.org.

Indianola

Indianola is the hometown of Blues legend, B.B. King. Stop by the B.B. King Museum and Interpretive Center to learn about his great influence. Visit Club Ebony and 308 Club to appreciate just how alive the Delta Blues is today. Get back to the Delta’s roots with an agritourism experience at Billops Plantation and Holly Ridge gin where you will learn about crops like rice, catfish and the Delta’s “white gold”- cotton. Contact Indianola Tourism Council at 662-887-3009.

Greenwood

Visit the resting place of Robert Johnson and tour the Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum and Gallery. A stop at the Cottonlandia Museum will help you put the Blues, the Mississippi Delta and the story of Cotton into context. In addition, the museum features Civil War relics and Native American artifacts and a regional artisans gallery. Contact Greenwood CVB at 800-748-9064 or www.greenwoodms.org.

Yazoo County

Yazoo City offers lush rolling hills and a collection of antebellum, Victorian and 20th century architecture including the Wilson-Gilruth House. Visit the meticulously restored Oakes African American Cultural Center and the Triangle Cultural Center, which offers several museums, a theatre and historical displays including a tribute to writer Willie Morris, author of My Dog Skip. Contact Yazoo County CVB at 800-381-0662 or www.yazoo.org.

BRIDGING THE BLUES

Celebrate the richness of the blues tradition over two weeks in the fall beginning with the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival in Greenville and ending with the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas. During these two weeks a series of blues events take place in juke joints, casinos and town squares throughout the Mississippi Delta. The Gateway to the Blues stage features a free show during the festivities.  For more information, visit www.bridgingtheblues.com.