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The Southland Music Line Visits The Black Prairie Blues Museum in West Point, MS

By Johnny Cole
Photos by Stephen Anderson
Additional editing by Brenda Germany

The Southland Music Line has recently attended several fascinating events across the state of Mississippi. On Saturday, February 26, Stephen Anderson (The Line’s chief photographer) traveled to the charming and historic city of West Point, which along with Starkville and Columbus, makes up the Golden Triangle region of Mississippi. This area with its deep and interesting musical background is the birthplace of legendary bluesman Howlin’ Wolf, who was born just to the north of West Point in the Clay County community of White Station. West Point celebrates its rich local history with several museums, landmarks and annual events.

During the first two months of 2022, The Southland Music Line has highlighted several events across the state with articles and photo collections, including “The Euphus Ruth’s “Photography: Language of the Dead” at Walter Anderson Museum’s Art Cottage in Ocean Springs, “Music and The Crossroads with Scott Barretta and Robert B. Mortimer” at Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, and the grand opening of the new Ground Zero Blues Club in Biloxi, which featured Grammy winning bluesman Bobby Rush, Lightnin’ Malcolm & R.L. Boyce and Sharde Thomas & the Rising Star Band.
Top photo: Black Prairie Blues Museum in West Point, MS; above photo: Howlin’ Wolf mural in West Point, MS

The Black Prairie Blues Museum: “Past, Present and Future”

The Black Prairie Blues Museum, located at 640 Commerce Street in West Point, is dedicated to preserving and honoring the blues music legacy of the Black Prairie, an area named for its dark fertile plain that stretches across this part of the state.

The museum’s mission: “To inspire generations of blues lovers, old and new, through preserving, educating, performing, and celebrating the history of the blues with an emphasis of the rich Black Prairie region.”

During the month of February, The Black Prairie Blues Museum hosted two events in its “Past, Present and Future” series. On February 12, the museum featured Scott Barretta, acclaimed music historian and host of the Highway 61 radio show, and the Grammy nominated Bentonia bluesman, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (both have appeared in articles at The Southland Music Line).

On February 26, The Southland Music Line’s Anderson was privileged to attend the museum’s spectacular evening featuring an MSU Graphic Design exhibit of Black History; a highly entertaining drum circle led by Robert J. Damm, (Professor of Music and Director of Music Education Partnerships at Mississippi State University) a multi-talented blues percussionist; a commemorative poster and book signing by Birney Imes III, acclaimed photographer and author of “Juke Joint”; and a live music performance by Pontotoc bluesman, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, whom we have photographed at numerous music events across the south.

Book and poster signing by Birney Imes III, acclaimed photographer and author of “Juke Joint”

Anderson, a longtime admirer of Imes’ outstanding photos, enjoyed the opportunity to meet him. Imes’ work, which concentrates on the American South, especially blacks in the Mississippi Delta, has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans. In 1991, University Press of Mississippi published “Juke Joint,” the first of three books by Imes. This wonderful event also included excellent southern cuisine.

Anderson spoke highly of everyone involved with the Black Prairie Blues Museum and looks forward to returning there and the West Point area in the near future.

The Black Prairie Museum is presently open by appointment only, but as it nears completion, more events will be announced in the coming months. Details about the Black Prairie Museum and future events are regularly posted on their official Facebook page. You can also inquire on how to become a donor to this worthy establishment.

The Southland Music Line will soon be adding new articles and photos in our Mississippi Blues Trail Series highlighting this region’s abundant music history including Howlin’ Wolf (West Point), Oktibbeha County Blues (Starkville), Aberdeen, Mississippi Blues (Aberdeen), Queen City Hotel & 7th Avenue (Columbus), Columbus, Mississippi Blues (Columbus), Big Joe Williams (Crawford) and Black Prairie Blues (Macon).

More Photos from the Museum and the February 26th Event:

Pontotoc bluesman, Terry “Harmonica” Bean performing live at the February 26th event in West Point, MS

Pontotoc bluesman, Terry “Harmonica” Bean performing live at the February 26th event in West Point, MS

Pontotoc bluesman, Terry “Harmonica” Bean performing live at the February 26th event in West Point, MS

Black Prairie Blues Museum in West Point, MS

The museum’s Jeremy Klutts showing The Southland Music Line’s Stephen Anderson around museum including this photo of the railroad tracks in nearby White Station, MS – the birthplace of Howlin’ Wolf.

The museum’s Jeremy Klutts showing The Southland Music Line’s Stephen Anderson around museum

Guitars belonging to Pete Townshend, Hubert Sumlin and Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Suits worn by Hubert Sumlin and piano purchased by Howlin Wolf for his sister.
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The museum’s Jeremy Klutts provided an interesting tour of museum to The Line’s Stephen Anderson

The Howlin’ Wolf Autograph Wall in West Point, MS

The Ritz Theatre “across the street from museum” in West Point, MS where events take place.

The Ritz Theatre “across the street from museum” in West Point, MS where events take place.

The drum circle leader Robert J. Damm and percussionist Bonnie Renfroe
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The highly entertaining drum circle led held at the theatre

The drum circle led by Robert J. Damm, (Professor of Music and Director of Music Education Partnerships at Mississippi State University) at the Ritz Theatre in West Point, MS

The drum circle held at the Ritz Theatre in West Point, MS

Photo of Howlin’ Wolf taken in Manchester, England (1964) by Brian Smith, an acclaimed American portrait photographer and photojournalist, which is featured at The Black Prairie Blues Museum. Stephen Anderson (Southland Music Line photographer) recently corresponded with Smith about this photo and his impressive body of work.

Click Here to Follow The Black Prairie Blues Museum’s Facebook Page.
Click Here for The Black Prairie Blues Museum’s Official Website.
Click Here for The Southland Music Line’s Mississippi Blues Trail Series.

Page Designed & Edited by Johnny Cole
© The Southland Music Line. 2022.
All rights reserved

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: We welcome requests for permission to use content from The Southland Music Line website and Facebook page. Any shared articles or photos may not be altered, edited nor cropped and must include the appropriate copyrights of The Southland Music Line.

 

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