News and Press
2013 News and Events
Sunflower Congratulates Former Festival Headliners Nominated for Prestigious 2014 Grammy Awards
(December 09, 2013)
Press Release - Sunflower River Blues
The Sunflower River Blues Association congratulates former headliners Charlie Musselwhite, Bobby Rush and Robert Plant on their 2014 Grammy nominations, announce...
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Foxtrot Pottery 4th Annual Christmas Showcase
(December 05, 2013)
Join us on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 6:00pm for the 4th Annual Foxtrot Pottery Christmas Showcase featuring works from Austin Britt and Valerie Britt. There will also be a live performance by Blackwater Trio. Download Flyer
Giving Tuesday
(December 03, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
All of us at the Delta Blues Museum are thankful for, and humbled by, friends like you who support our work. Visitors, members, donors, and friends like you allow us to further our mission and to protect and preserve the musical heritage of...
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Sunflower Thanksgiving Eve Party ‐ November 27, 2013
(November 16, 2013)
Press Release
Sunflower Festival
Be sure to join us at Ground Zero Blues Club on Wednesday, November 27, 2013 for the Sunflower Festival's Annual Thanksgiving Eve Party.
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Fall Harvest Celebration ‐ November 10, 2013
(November 08, 2013)
Join us at the Fall Harvest Festival Celebration on Sunday, November 10, 2013. The Festival held at Coahoma Community College features the Coahoma Community College Concert Choir, and more. Download Flyer
Johnny Lewis ‐ RIP ‐ October, 2013
(October 21, 2013)
The Delta Blues Museum is greatly saddened by the passing of former board member Johnny Lewis. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Lewis' family and friends, and we will miss him very much.
DBM Band CD Release Party ‐ October 9, 2013
(October 08, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum E-Vite
Join us at Ground Zero Blues Club on Wednesday, October 9th for the DBM Band's CD release party...
E-vite
"Bridging the Blues" at the Delta Blues Museum
(October 2, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum Media Advisory
October 2013 Events and Exhibits at the Delta Blues Museum. New exhibit opening, DBM Band performances, DBM Band CD release party and more...
Advisory
King Biscuit Blues Festival - October 10 - 12, 2013
(September 17, 2013)
Be sure to check out this years King Biscuit Blues Festival in West Helena, AR. Featured artists for this years festival are Gregg Allman, Robert Cray and Marcia Ball. For more information visit: kingbiscuitfestival.com
Care Fest - September 12, 2013
(September 10, 2013)
Be sure to join us at the Ground Zero Blues Club for Care Fest on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 7:00pm. Featured acts include: Jo O and GV; John Mohead, Super Chikan, Bill Perry, Kandis Webb and many more. Tickets are available at the door and at all Clarksdale banks. Download Flyer
Mississippi Blues Fest - October 5, 2013
(August 30, 2013)
The October Mississippi Blues Fest will be held in Greenwood, MS on Saturday, October 5, 2013, beginning at 7:00pm. To purchase tickets and view the artist line-up mississippibluesfest.com
Retirement Party - Bob Kimbrough
(August 23, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
On Wednesday, August 28, 2013, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, the Delta Blues Museum will host a public "thank you" reception for DBM employee Bob Kimbrough. Kimbrough is retiring after eight years of service.
E-vite
Limited Edition of Cathead Vodka to Benefit Deeper Roots Campaign
(August 16, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
The Delta Blues Museum is partnering with Cathead Vodka, Mississippi's first legal distillery, on a new, limited edition series that will directly benefit the Museum's Deeper Roots campaign.
Press Release
DBM Artist Spotlight - Arthneice "Gas Man" Jones
(August 2, 2013)
In time for the 26th annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, the Delta Blues Museum honors Clarksdale's own Arthneice "Gas Man" Jones. An accomplished vocalist and harmonica player, he and his band were among the regularly ... Read More
2013 Sunflower Festival, Events & Exhibits at Delta Blues Museum
(July 31, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum Media Advisory
2013 Sunflower Festival, Events and Exhibits at the Delta Blues Museum. Arthneice "Gas Man" Jones discussion and benefit, DBM Band performances, "26 Years of Sunflower" Exhibit Opening and more...
Advisory
Blue Star Museum Participant
(July 19, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum Newsletter
This summer we are saying a special "thank you" to active duty military families by participating in the Blue Star Museums program. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than...
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Teachin' the Blues: Richard Crisman aka "Daddy Rich," A&E Program Instructor
(July 19, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum Newsletter
We caught up "Daddy Rich" on his way out of the DBM classroom, where he teaches in our Arts and Education Program, to talk a bit about his musical background and his work with the students to keep blues culture alive and jammin.'
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Explore & Learn - Follow Robert Johnson
(July 17, 2013)
DBM's latest Explore & Learn feature focuses on Robert Johnson, his life, his rambles and his journey to the Crossroads. Visit Page
James Lewis Carter aka "T-Model Ford" - RIP ‐ c.1920's - 2013
(July 16, 2013)
Ford taught himself to play blues at age 58, when a departing wife left him a guitar. Ford toured Delta juke joints (including many nights at Clarksdale's Red's Lounge and other... Read More
Delta Blues Museum Receives MAC Grant
(July 11, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
The Delta Blues Museum is set to receive a $27,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.27M in grants that the Commission will award in...
Press Release
Bobby "Blue" Bland - RIP ‐ 1930 - 2013
(June 23, 2013)
"His vocals, punctuated by the occasional squalling shout, were restrained, exhibiting a crooner's delicacy of phrasing and a kind of intimate pleading. He influenced... Read More
Pinetop Perkins Foundation Workshop - Reception
(June 13, 2013)
We hosted a reception for the participants in this year's Pinetop Perkins Foundation Workshop. Museum supporters and the public dropped by to meet this talented up-and-coming group of future blues musicians.
Dr. Bruce Conforth - Lecture & Book Signing
(June 5, 2013)
As part of our ongoing "From the Archive Series", we hosted a lecture and book signing by Dr. Bruce Conforth, ethnomusicologist, musician, and formerly the first curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His new book, African American Folksong and American Cultural Politics: The Lawrence Gellert Story, describes one of the most unusual collections of African-American folk music ever amassed, and the remarkable story of the man who produced it. A decade before America's best-known song collectors, John and Alan Lomax, began recording music for the Library of Congress, Gellert made the first disc field recordings of African Americans. by adapting an old Edison phonograph. He captured hundreds of folksongs, blues, spirituals, and work songs throughout North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. His collection has been kept private for over 80 years, but is now explored in this new book.
Arthneice Jones - RIP ‐ 1946 - 2013
(May 24, 2013)
Press Release
Panny Mayfield - Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival
One of the most extraordinary blues musician/songwriters in Clarksdale and the Mississippi Delta - Arthneice "Gasman" Jones - died Wednesday, May 22, 2013 outside his home in Clarksdale's Riverton area.
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Driving the Juke Joint Trail
(May 17, 2013)
Alex Crevar
New York Times
The next day, evidence of Clarksdale's singular focus was everywhere. At one end of town, on the grassy front quad of the Delta Blues Museum, teenagers, college students and families lounged in the sun and listened to live bands. In the town's center...
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Travel Top 5: Innovative U.S. Museums
(May 16, 2013)
Linda Zavoral
mercurynews.com
If your vacation plans include a U.S. trip, check out this list of stellar museums. This month, first lady Michelle Obama honored these five with the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Services for their innovation and outreach...
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Delta Blues Museum Selected as Finalist for NAHYP Award
(May 16, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
The Delta Blues Museum's Arts & Education Program has been chosen for recognition as a 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (NAHYP)...
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Press Release
Delta Blues Museum Acceptance of 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service
(May 9, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
First Lady Michelle Obama presentS the National Award in ceremony at the White House. Shelley Ritter, Delta Blues Museum's executive director and community member Travis Calvin accept...
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Reception for the Delta Blues Museum Following Award Ceremony at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington DC
(May 8, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
Come out and celebrate the Delta Blues Museum's National Medal Honor with the Nighthawks from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Rock & Roll Hotel 1353 H St NE (between N 14th St & N Linden Ct) Washington, DC 20002 (202) 388-7625
www.rockandrollhoteldc.com
Delta Blues Museum to Receive 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service - with live viewing
(May 8, 2013)
Press Release - Delta Blues Museum
First Lady Michelle Obama to present the National Award in a live ceremony today at the White House. Shelley Ritter, Delta Blues Museum's executive director and community member Travis Calvin will...
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Delta Blues Museum to Receive National Medal Today in White House Ceremony
(May 8, 2013)
Advisory - Delta Blues Museum
This afternoon, in a White House ceremony in the East Room, First Lady Michelle Obama will join Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Director Susan Hildreth to present the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to Delta Blues Museum. The...
Advisory
First Lady to Present National Medal to Outstanding Museums, Libraries May 8, 2013
(May 2, 2013)
Media Advisory - IMLS
In a White House Ceremony on May 8, First Lady Michelle Obama will join Director Susan Hildreth and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to present the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Ten institutions from across the country will be honored. In addition to the museum and library leaders, a member from each recognized community will participate in the ceremony to highlight how the museum or library has affected their lives.
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Explore & Learn - Explore the New World
(April 29, 2013)
DBM's latest Explore & Learn feature focuses on a timeline of Clarksdale, from 1839 to present day; covering material such as Clarksdale's music history, way of life, longstanding families and much more. Visit Page
Delta Blues Museum to Receive 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service
(April 23, 2013)
Press Release - Delta Blues Museum
DBM has been announced as one of 10 recipients of this year's National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The nation's highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to the...
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Mississippi AllStars, Bobby Rush to Headline 26th Sunflower Festival
(April 10, 2013)
Press Release - Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival
The acclaimed North Mississippi AllStars and celebrity entertainer Bobby Rush will headline the 26th annual Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in downtown Clarksdale August 9-10-11, 2013, according to co-chairman Margaret Jordan-Walker.
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Robert Gordon - Muddy Waters Discussion & Book Signing
(April 10, 2013)
Be sure to join us Friday, April 26, 2013 at 4:00pm for our latest "From the Archives" speakers series, Robert Gordon, author of "Can't Be Satisfied", the definitive Muddy Waters biography, speaks on the life and musical times of the legendary musician, followed by a book signing.
DBM Receives Blues Trail Marker
(April 10, 2013)
Be sure to join us for the unveiling of the Museum's Blues Trail Marker April 11, 2013 at 5:00pm. There will be a reception with music by the DBM Band.
Juke Joint Festival - April 13, 2013
(April 10, 2013)
The Annual Juke Joint Festival is Saturday, April 13th. There will be music on the DBM Stage all day, with a performance by the DBM Band at 3:00pm.
Hill Country Blues and Delta Blues
(April 10, 2013)
Big John Short will be at the Museum April 12, 2013 for a discussion in the Arts & Education classroom.
There is Plenty Going on at the Museum in April
(April 10, 2013)
Be sure to check out DBM's Events pages for events, dates, times and places as we celebrate 100 years of Muddy Waters.
Delta Literary Tour Visits Clarksdale
(April 7, 2013)
The annual Delta Literary Tour visited Clarksdale on March 20, 2013 to experience Clarksdale's blues culture and the related world of playwright Tennessee Williams. Visitors took a "Clarksdale Stroll" including a visit to the Museum; toured St. George's Episcopal Church former rectory where Tom Williams lived with his grandparents; and viewed scenes from A Streetcar Named Desire performed on the porch of the Clark House, home of the playwright's childhood friend. The annual event was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.
Melville Tillis - RIP ‐ 1928 - 2013
(April 7, 2013)
Melville Tillis, a longtime co-chairman of the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, avid supporter of the Delta Blues Museum, and friend. Tillis co-founded the Sunflower River Gospel Association with the late Julius Guy, and was... Read More
Johnnie Billington - RIP ‐ 1935 - 2013
(April 7, 2013)
Billington started the Arts and Education program at the Museum, and went on to found the Delta Blues Education Program. He received several honors for his work in educating Delta youth, including... Read More
Frank "Rat" Ratliff - RIP ‐ 1943 - 2013
(April 7, 2013)
Frank "Rat" Ratliff, owner-proprietor of the historic Riverside Hotel where Bessie Smith died (when the building was a hospital), and where a "Who's Who of blues musicians have stayed and played, including... Read More
DBM Artist Spotlight - Muddy Waters
(April 4, 2013)
On what would have been his 100th birthday, the Delta Blues Museum proudly pays tribute to McKinley Morganfield-better known as the legendary Muddy Waters. One of the most powerful forces behind American music, Muddy was... Read More
DBM Celebrates Muddy Waters Birthday
(April 4, 2013)
On April 4, 2013 we celebrated Muddy Waters 100th birthday at the Museum. Visitors enjoyed cupcakes and toured our newly constructed Muddy Waters Addition, including the cabin in which he grew up; a replica of the car that folklorist Alan Lomax drove to make the first recordings of his music; the "Muddywood" guitar made from wood from the cabin and donated by ZZ Top; and numerous photos, guitars, and other exhibits related to Muddy Waters' life and music. In the evening, the DBM Band played at the Pinnacle as part of Coahoma Community College's Cultural Awareness Concert in conjunction with their Cultural Awareness Week."
Can the Blues Rescue the Mississippi Delta? Part 2
(March 19, 2013)
Debra Devi - Huffington Post
The latest media to notice our efforts is the Huffington Post. In a comprehensive and insightful series of articles, Debra Devi describes the history and current state of the blues throughout the Delta and especially in Clarksdale. Devi is the author of The Language of the Blues, "one of the wittiest, bawdiest, most fascinating dictionaries ever."
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Susan Puckett, Author Visits DBM and Performs Book Signing
(March 15, 2013)
Susan Puckett, author of "Eat Drink Delta: A Hungry Traveler's Journey Through the Soul of the South" stopped by to visit and Museum on March 15, 2013 and signed copies of her book. Part travel guide, part cookbook, and part photographic essay (photos by Langdon Clay), Eat Drink Delta offers dozens of tested recipes, including the Memphis barbecue pizza beloved by Elvis and a lemon icebox pie inspired by Tennessee Williams. It also "reveals a region shaped by slavery, civil rights, amazing wealth, abject deprivation, the Civil War, a flood of biblical proportions, and-above all-an overarching urge to get down and party with a full table and an open bar."
DBM Stage Renamed in Honor of Melville C. Tillis, Sr.
(March 13, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
On March 11, 2013, in honor of Melville Tillis, Sr., Clarksdale's Delta Blues Museum Stage has been renamed to the Melville Charles Tillis Sr Delta Blues Stage. Melville passed away...
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Magic Slim - RIP ‐ 1937 - 2013
(February 21, 2013)
Blind Pig Records
Magic Slim, a revered and towering figure in the field of traditional Chicago blues, died today in a Philadelphia hospital at the age of 75. Born Morris Holt in Torrance, Mississippi in 1937, the guitarist performer, bandleader, and recording artist went on to enjoy a career that...
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Delta Blues Museum Selected as 2013 National Medal Finalist
(February 14, 2013)
Press Release - Delta Blues Museum
The Institute of Museum and Library Services today announced the Delta Blues Museum as a National Medal for Museum and Library Service finalist. The National Medal is the nation's highest honor conferred on museums and...
Press Release
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite "Get Up" News & Reviews
(January & February, 2013)
Delta Blues Museum
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite have been garnering a lot of press lately with their recently released CD "Get Up". In January, 2013 they performed on...
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DBM Band Performed a Live Radio Show
(January 31, 2013)
The DBM Band performed on January 31, 2013 for Thacker Mountain Radio, a live radio show featuring music and author's readings broadcast from Oxford, then distributed on Mississippi Public Radio.
3rd Annual Clarksdale Film Festival
(January 23, 2013)
Visit Clarksdale and the Delta Blues Museum this weekend during the 3rd Annual Clarksdale Film Festival running January 24 through 27, 2013. Read More
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite on The Tonight Show
(January 22, 2013)
nbc.com
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite performed "I Don't Believe a Word You Say", a track from their new CD...
Watch Video
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite to Play The Tonight Show
(January 14, 2013)
JamBands.com
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite will perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 22. The paired performers will preview a
Watch Video
DBM Band Performs in Parade
(January 5, 2013)
The Delta Blues Museum Band performed in a parade on January 5, 2013 in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Our float was made possible by assistance from Lenora Commer, David and Leah Carr, and Commissioner Buster Moton. The event was co-sponsored by the Isle of Capri Hotel/Casino in Lula.
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This site made possible through the support of Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rock River Foundation.
This site made possible through the support of Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rock River Foundation.
Support for the Delta Blues Foudation, Inc has been provided by explore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation.
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Museum Contact information
#1 Blues Alley Lane
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Phone: 662-627-6820
Email: info@deltabluesmuseum.org