Clarksdale, Mississippi, a small town in the heart of the Delta region, occupies a big space in American cultural history.
It has produced an extraordinary number of pioneering blues and soul musicians.
According to legend, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for mastery of the blues at a crossroads just outside Clarksdale. But the city’s musical connections run deeper thanks to greats such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Big Jack Johnson and Pinetop Perkins.
Each April, the musical traditions and culture born here are celebrated at the Juke Joint festival. This month, the four-day gathering marked its 20th anniversary.
Over the years, many of the region’s most acclaimed players, including Honeyboy Edwards, Big Jack Johnson, James “T-Model” Ford, Willie King, Big George Brock, Robert “Bilbo” Walker, Super Chikan, and the 24-year-old Clarksdale resident superstar Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, have converged on the town to play the festival.
This year, the crowd enjoyed sets by Jimmy Duck Holmes, RL Boyce, Robert Kimbrough, Little Joe Ayers, 80-year-old Australia “Honeybee” Jones, Little Willie Farmer and Lady Trucker.
The event draws more than 10,000 visitors to see the headliners and impromptu street performances.
Roger Stolle, the festival’s co-founder and artistic director, said: “Celebrating 20 years of the Juke Joint Festival is a big deal for our small town.
“From the beginning, we’ve viewed it as a way to both promote Mississippi blues music and jumpstart downtown revitalization. In a given year, it is not unusual to have 20-some countries and almost all 50 US states in attendance.”
Above: A mural dedicated to the blues history of the Mississippi Delta in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on 15 April. An organization called Paint Clarksdale was formed to promote street art. Artists featured on murals include Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, Ike Turner and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
Below: Diandra Cohill, who goes by the stage name Drummergirl Dee, performed a set alongside a historic marker dedicated to Sam Cooke, who was born in Clarksdale.
Above: Artemas LeSuer performs. LeSuer drums with a number of musicians, including Cedric Burnside and Lady Trucker. Alongside established names, unexpected performances emerge on street corners and inside unusual venues, including shops and a shuttered bank.
Above: Visitors observe animals at a petting zoo on site. Along with a large musical lineup, the festival features carnival rides, pig races and more. Below: Festivalgoers relax on 3rd Street. The festival attracts an estimated 10,000 visitors.
Above: Outside the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. Founded in 1979, the museum pays a long-overdue tribute to the history of the blues. Below: Blues art in a building downtown. ‘It’s incredible how many folks mention the festival when talking about why they chose to move to Clarksdale,’ said Stolle. ‘We have people who’ve moved here from as far away as Australia in large part because of their first experience attending a Juke Joint festival.’
Above: A collapsed Paramount Theater remains downtown. The theater has a historic staircase that remains on the back of the structure. During segregation, Black attendees were required to use the staircase to enter the theater. Below: Young people play basketball in the street.
Above: A performer at the Ground Zero Blues Club. The club, which opened in 2001, is co-owned by the Mississippi native Morgan Freeman, who wanted to recognize the deep blues history of Clarksdale and the Mississippi Delta.
Above: Red lights set the tone at Red’s Lounge. One of Clarksdale’s oldest venues, Red’s provides an intimate setting to hear blues throughout the year. Below: Willie Cris Farmer, who goes by the blues name of Little Willie Farmer, performs at Red’s Lounge. Farmer, from Duck Hill, Mississippi, earned his living as an auto mechanic before being recognized for his singing, songwriting and guitar skills.
