At the tab "Music History", you will find much detail about the evolution of the Blues, of Rhythm and Blues, and, of Rock 'n' Roll. Here are some excerpts from this site:
Origins of the Blues and Beyond
Myths, Legend, and Interesting Facts
Be sure to read about the legend of Robert Johnson at "the Crossroads", in Clarksdale.
Here is Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood giving a good account of themselves in "The Crossroads", a Robert Johnson classic. Clapton is very much an originalist...my word for rockers who truly appreciate those long ago first blues men who knew what the struggle was all about and who were truly the "pioneers" of all the music we enjoy today. Some younger blues men that I like are John Nemeth and Robert Randolph.
And, a more traditional rendition....Clapton, Phil Collins, Nathan East
I believe this was in 1986 in Birmingham, England
B.B. King, Eric Clapton and friends - "Rock Me, Baby"
Of course, all of this history around Clarksdale and Memphis I would not appreciate until I became an adult and left my two home towns and headed for Dallas, where I lived for 35 years before returning to my "roots" in 1997. As a pre-teen, we lived in Memphis where I attended three schools, then, as a teenager in the Mississippi Delta -- I lived in Drew, Belzoni, and then Clarksdale, where I graduated high school -- I was right in the middle of a revolution and didn't even know it! In the "Musical History" tab, I recount my first encounter with the fledgling beginnings of "rock 'n' roll".
Following are links to more information about Clarksdale, including pictures. So, get acquainted with the "real birthplace of the blues"! The map shows the areas that are most associated with the origins of the blues, and, coincidentally, my "history" as well.
Memphis and Mississippi Delta Map
Delta Blues Museum
Ground Zero Blues Club
Shack Up Inn (No Joke!)
Check out the Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale! Be sure to click on the pictures to pick out your room! Really colorful, fun experience. If this is not your cup of tea, there is a Comfort Inn with slightly better "drive-up appeal" but not nearly as colorful!
Sunflower Blues Festival - Clarksdale
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| Blues great, B.B. King is from Indianola, MS. |
Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely based on Homer's epic poem, Odyssey. The title of the film is a reference to the 1941 film Sullivan's Travels, in which the protagonist (a director) wants to film a fictional book about the Great Depression called O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Alison Krauss - Gillian Welch - I'l Fly Away
Oh! Brother Where Art Thou - The Soggy Bottom Boys
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow
Notables from the Delta/Clarksdale area: Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, W.C. Handy, John Lee Hooker, Johnny B. Moore, Sam Cook, Morgan Freeman, all were born or lived in Clarksdale. Conway Twitty was born at nearby Friars Point. Other Delta celebrities include B.B.King, who was born in Indianola; Tennessee Williams, born
in Columbus; Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, but he lived in Greenwood. He now has two restaurants in Clarksdale (Ground Zero and Mididi's), and one in Memphis (Ground Zero).
in Columbus; Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, but he lived in Greenwood. He now has two restaurants in Clarksdale (Ground Zero and Mididi's), and one in Memphis (Ground Zero).Blues Highway Map
Blues Highway Driving Trip - Southern Living
Blues Highway Map
The map is part of National Geographic's Blues Highway
driving trip, Tennessee/Mississippi.
Nat'l Geographic's Drives of a Lifetime - Blues Highway TN and MS
Google Map of "Blues Highway" trip
