New Year's Eve CNN Live Brodcast from Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Did you catch CNNโs New Yearโs Eve coverage? ๐ Ground Zero Blues Club stole the spotlight with a live broadcast featuring none other than Omar Jimenez CNN and Morgan Freeman! ๐ถ
If you missed it, no worries โ weโve got a sneak peek for you! Check out this short clip originally shared by Omar Jimenez CNN on his Instagram (instagram.com/omarcnn).
From the heart of the Delta to living rooms around the world, Clarksdale brought the Blues to the New Year in style. ๐ธ๐ฅณ๐
Cooler weather, hotter vibes. In Clarksdale, the Blues never stops, and neither do the stories. This fall, experience celebrations that are as raw and authentic as the Delta itself.
Plan your journey at visitclarksdale.com
There's still time to snag Mighty Roots Music Festival tickets! Peep the full lineup and get tickets at mightyrootsmusicfestival.com
๐ฆ Mighty Roots Music Festival
In Clarksdale, the Blues never stops, and neither do the stories. This fall, the townโs soul comes alive, echoing the heartbeats of legends past. Come for the music, stay for the soul. Plan your journey at VisitClarksdale.com
Charlie Musselwhite loves Red's Juke Joint!
What is Charlie Musselwhite Fan Page's favorite place in the whole wide word? Red's Clarksdale!
Todayโs the day! Donโt miss out on the FREE Delta Blues Museum - Clarksdale, Mississippiโs panel discussion from 3 pm to 5 pm featuring Blues legends Charlie Musselwhite Fan Page, Dione Thomas, and Little Willie Farmer. Theyโll be sharing stories thatโll transport you back to the days of Redโs Clarksdale Juke Joint Lounge โ where the Blues was (and still is) as raw as it gets.
โค๏ธ Red Paden wasnโt just part of the scene, he was the heartbeat of Clarksdaleโs Blues. This is your chance to hear from those who knew him best.
๐ถ And donโt forget, tomorrow is Red's Old Timers Blues Festival Starting at 10 am, MLK Park will be buzzing with the true spirit of Clarksdale. Admission is FREE, so come on down and be part of the magic!
๐ฆ Clip from Delta Bohemian Tours' 2015 Documentary about Clarkdale with Charlie Musselwhite. Watch the full video on YouTube ๐ youtu.be/eNKrLBzKiNc?si=B-N1tD01TvUTazOw
Today, we raise a glass to the legendary John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 โ June 21, 2001) on the anniversary of his birthday. ๐ป๐ฅณ
๐ธ Born just outside Clarksdale, Hookerโs music is the kind that gets under your skin, in the best way possible. His Delta roots, combined with a rhythm that defied conventions, gave birth to a sound that still echoes through time. โBoom Boom,โ โBoogie Chillen,โ โBurning Hellโ โ these arenโt just songs, theyโre anthems of a man who lived the Blues.
๐ถ August is ๐
๐ค๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ at the Delta Blues Museum - Clarksdale, Mississippi. Discover his world, explore his story, and let the music take hold of you. Whether youโre spinning his records or grabbing a JLH tee from the gift shop, remember: Hooker didnโt just play the Blues. He WAS the Blues. And on this day, we celebrate the man, the myth, the Boogie Man himself.
๐ฆ John Lee Hooker playing "Boom Boom" in cult film The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
Red's Old Timers Blues Festival 2024 | Clarksdale, Mississippi
This Labor Day Weekend, skip the ordinary and dive into the real deal at Red's Old Timers Blues Festival. ๐ถ๐ธ
ADMISSION IS FREE!!! Beginning at 10 am on Saturday, August 31, the spirit of Clarksdale comes alive at MLK Park, right next to Red's Clarksdale. This isnโt just another festival โ itโs a tribute to Red Padenโs legacy, a man who kept the gritty, unfiltered Blues breathing in this town.
And who better to headline than Grammy winner and Blues legend, Charlie Musselwhite Fan Page? Expect an afternoon drenched in Blues, BBQ, and the kind of authenticity you wonโt find anywhere else.
Plan your trip, find lodging, and get ready to soak in the birthplace of the Blues at visitclarksdale.com.
๐ฆ video by Red's Old Timers Blues Festival
Catch LIVE BLUES in Clarksdale every night of the year!
Catch LIVE BLUES in Clarksdale every night of the year!
Upcoming Festivals: visitclarksdale.com/new-events
๐ฝ๏ธ Lightnin Malcolm Official - see him at Red's Clarksdale on July 27th!
Dick Waterman's Principle of the Blues
Today, on what would have been his 89th birthday, we tip our hats to Dick Waterman. This man was more than a legendary blues photographer and promoter; he was a guardian of the Deltaโs soul. ๐ถ๐ธ๐ท
Dick Watermanโs journey wasnโt just about capturing the blues; it was about preserving a raw, gritty slice of American history. He walked the dusty roads of Clarksdale, Mississippi, and brought its music to the world. Thanks to Dick, the voices of Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, and so many others echoed far beyond the Delta.
Clarksdale isnโt just a place on the map โ itโs a heartbeat. Dick knew this better than anyone. He co-founded the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival, breathing life back into the music that defines this land. His passion made sure that the blues stayed alive, vibrant, and unapologetically real.
Dickโs legacy is etched in every note played in Clarksdale, every story told on its streets. His spirit lingers, reminding us of the deep roots and rough edges that make the blues what it is. Hereโs to Dick Waterman, a true steward of Southern heritage and hospitality.
Thank you, Dick, for showing us that the blues is more than musicโitโs a way of life. Youโre missed, but your influence is as strong as ever.
๐ฆby The Blues Trail Revisited
May music recap from Clarksdale, MS!
May in Clarksdale is starting to rival April and Octoberโs incredible music seasons! ๐ถ ๐ธ For those of yโall that missed our May events, todayโs video shows some of the highlights.
Book your stay for next May at visitclarksdale.com/stay-all!
๐ฝ๏ธ Source video of Bad Apple Blues Fest by Delta Download. Performers include LUCIOUS SPILLER, Big Tโs Auntie Gladys, Little Willie Farmer, James โSuper Chikanโ Johnson and Terry Big โTโ Williams. Photos include Bones Fest XXVIII, the Women in Blues Festival, Tee Dee Young at Ground Zero Blues Clubโs 23rd Anniversary Party and Deak Harp and band at Deakโs Harmonica Block Party.
Check out this year's ๐ฅ lineup for B.A.M. FEST (Birthplace of American Music Festival)! This 3-day music festival in Clarksdale pays homage to the roots of American music, the Blues, and all the genres that grew from it.
๐
Friday, June 14th through Sunday, June 16th
๐ถ See the full lineup and purchase tickets at bamfestms.com
๐บ๏ธ Plan your trip at visitclarksdale.com
Watermelon Slim | Frank Guitarman Rimmer Sr. | Delta Blues Alley Cafe | Terry "Harmonica" Bean | LUCIOUS SPILLER | Red's Clarksdale | The Southern Soul Band | Levon's | Stone Gas Band | Hambone Art Gallery | Terry Bigt Williams and the Family Band | Griot Arts Inc. | Robert Kimbrough Sr. | Otis Taylor | Hooker Grocer & Eatery Clarksdale | Lady Trucker | Crossroads Cultural Arts Center | Jake And The Pearl Street Jumper Fan Page | Bluesberry CAFE | Randy "19th Street Red" Cohen | Visit Mississippi
Alphonso โDocโ Sanders tore it up at the Hambone Gallery!
Alphonso โDocโ Sanders tore it up at the Hambone Art Gallery during the Juke Joint Festival last month! ๐ท ๐ฅ
Dr. Sanders has been involved in music education for over 25 years. He is presently the Chair of Fine Arts and the Director of the BB King Recording Studio at the Mississippi Valley State University. He is an educator, clinician, recording pro, and performer in Jazz, Blues, and Popular Music. He plays the saxophone, trumpet, flute, and harmonica.
Clarksdale is proud to feature LIVE BLUES performers like Doc not just at the JJF, but every night of the year!
Which festival are yโall most looking forward to later this year?
Festival Lineup: https://www.visitclarksdale.com/new-events
