Trails-Blues

Relive a musical revolution powered by raw emotion.

Like the music it celebrates, the Mississippi Blues Trail follows no rigid path. To reach the trail’s nearly 200 poetic points of interest, visitors are called to meander, to take it slow, to feel their way—just as the melodies themselves do. The masterminds who molded this music from rich Delta soil didn’t blaze this trail by stepping softly. They forged ahead with a confidence, belying their impoverished circumstances, winning over audiences with surprising guitar strokes and poignant lyrics. Today, the sounds which launched a worldwide movement can still be heard loud and clear right where they were born. Trail markers reveal this revolution in real time, from the birthplace of “Father of the Blues” Charley Patton to the historic Bentonia juke joint serving up outstanding live performances. The roots of modern music are planted deep here. They’re ready to be explored.

trail markers

DELTA REGION

alligator
Alligator Blues
avalon
Mississippi John Hurt
belzoni
Denise Lasalle
Pinetop Perkins
Turner’s Drug Store
Benoit
Eddie Shaw
Eddie Taylor
Bentonia
Blue Front Cafe
Jack Owens
Skip James
Berclair
B.B. King Birthplace
bobo
Little Junior Parker
boyle
Peavine
clarksdale
Big Jack Johnson
Chrisman Street
Delta Blues Museum
The Enlightenment of W.C. Handy
Hopson Plantation
Ike Turner
The New World
Riverside Hotel
Sam Cooke
Sunflower River Blues
Wade Walton Barber Shop
WROX
Cleveland

Grammy Museum Mississippi
dockery
Birthplace of the Blues?
drew
Staples Singers
duncan
BLUES LEGENDS OF DUNCAN
dunleith
Jimmy Reed
ebenezer
Elmore James
friars point
Robert Nighthawk
glendora
Sonny Boy Williamson II
greenville
Freedom Village
greenwood
Baptist Town
Blues Deejays
Elks Lodge
Furry Lewis
Guitar Slim
Hubert Sumlin
Robert Johnson Gravesite
WGRM
hollandale
Sam Chatmon & Hollandale Strip
holly ridge
Charley Patton's Grave
indianola
Albert King
Church Street
Club Ebony
inverness
Little Milton
lambert
Sunnyland Slim
leland
hwy. 10 & 61
Johnny Winter
Ruby’s Nite Spot
Son Thomas
Tyrone Davis
lexington
Holmes County Blues: Lexington
lula
Livin’ at Lula
merigold
Po‘ Monkey’s
MOORHEAD
WHERE THE SOUTHERN CROSSES THE DOG
parchman
Parchman Farm
robinsonville
Abbay & Leatherman m
rolling fork
Muddy Waters Birthplace
rosedale
Rosedale
ruleville
Jimmy Rogers
Greasy Street/Front Street
scott
Mississippi River Blues
shaw
Honeyboy Edwards
shelby
Henry Townsend
stovall
Muddy Waters
tchula
Holmes County Blues: Tchula
Tippo
Mose Allison
tunica
Harold “Hardface” Clanton
Highway 61 North
Hollywood Café
James Cotton
Son House
tutwiler
W.C. Handy
vance
John Lee Hooker
waxhaw
Otis Clay
winstonville
Harlem Inn
yazoo city
Tommy McClennan
Gatemouth Moore

CAPITAL/RIVER REGION

Bolton
Charley Patton Birthplace
The Chatmon Family
brandon
Gold Coast/’Cross the River
Brookhaven
Little Brother Montgomery
canton
Club Desire
Hickory Street
crystal springs
Tommy Johnson
fayette
Charles Evers & the Blues
hazlEhurst
Robert Johnson Birthplace
jackson
Alamo/Dorothy Moore
Cassandra Wilson
Ace Records
Bobby Rush
Edwards Hotel
Ishmon Bracey
Malaco Records
Otis Spann & Little Johnny Jones
Queen of Hearts
Scott Records Company
Subway Lounge/Summers Hotel
Trumpet Records
mccomb
Bo Diddley
Summit Street
monticello
J.B. Lenoir, Byther Smith
natchez
Bud Scott
Ealey Brothers
Papa Lightfoot
The Natchez Burning
pelahatchie
Rubin Lacy
piney woods
Piney Woods School
port gibson
Rabbit Foot Minstrels
raymond
McCoy Brothers
vicksburg
Blue Room
Hwy. 61 south
Marcus Bottom
The Red Tops
Willie Dixon
wesson
Houston Stackhouse
woodville
Woodville Blues
woodville2