Mississippi Blues Trail facts for kids

Blues Trail marker in Hernando, Mississippi

The Mississippi Blues Trail is a special project that started in 2006. Its main goal is to put up signs, called "interpretive markers," at important places where the blues music began, grew, and became famous. These places are mostly in the state of Mississippi, but some are in other states too, like Chicago, where Mississippi blues music also made a big impact.

The trail stretches across Mississippi, from the Gulf Coast up north. You can find markers in many cities, including Natchez, Vicksburg, Jackson, and Clarksdale. Many markers are located in the Mississippi Delta, which is a very important area for blues music.

How the Blues Trail Was Made
- First Markers on the Trail
Notable Blues Trail Markers
Images for kids
See also

How the Blues Trail Was Made

A group of experts, including blues scholars and historians, decided where each marker should go. The trail has been built step-by-step as money became available. Different groups, like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, helped pay for the markers. Local communities also contributed funds.

The information on each marker was carefully researched and written by experts like Jim O'Neal and Scott Barretta, who used to work for Living Blues magazine.

First Markers on the Trail

Before the official trail began, two markers were placed in Indianola, Mississippi. One was at a street corner where the famous blues musician B.B. King played when he was young. The other was at a place called the Club Ebony.

The very first three official Mississippi Blues Trail markers were put up on December 11, 2006.

The first marker was in Holly Ridge. It honors Charley Patton, who was a very early and important Delta blues musician.
The second marker is in Greenville, on Nelson Street. This street was once a busy center for African-American businesses and entertainment. Many clubs and cafes there played different kinds of music, like Delta blues, big band, and jazz.
The third marker was placed in Greenwood, at the original location of the WGRM radio station. This is where B.B. King first sang on the radio as a gospel singer.

By the end of 2016, almost 200 markers had been placed along the Mississippi Blues Trail. These markers celebrate many things:

Famous blues artists
Clubs and places where blues was played
Record companies and radio stations
Important historical events
Even plantations, streets, cities, and counties that were key to blues music.

One marker is at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. This is because people like Alan Lomax recorded blues songs there by prisoners, including Bukka White, starting in the 1930s.

Notable Blues Trail Markers

The Mississippi Blues Trail has many markers that tell the stories of blues music. Here are just a few examples of the interesting places and people honored:

B.B. King has markers at his birthplace in Berclair and in Indianola, where he spent much of his life.
The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale has a marker. This museum is a great place to learn about blues history.
Muddy Waters, another blues legend, has markers in Rolling Fork and at his cabin site in Clarksdale.
The Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia is a famous juke joint, a type of informal club where blues music was played. It also has a marker.
Markers also celebrate how Mississippi blues spread to other places, like the "Mississippi to Chicago" marker in Chicago, Illinois.