The Mississippi Blues Trail Series: Harlem Inn
The Southland Music Line continues our Mississippi Blues Trail Series at the site of the former Harlem Inn once located on Highway 61 in Winstonville, Mississippi. Harlem Inn was once a highly sought-after venue where national touring blues musicians performed. The name Harlem Inn was frequently used at various clubs and venues across Mississippi, but there was no apparent association between those clubs and the venue in Winstonville. This Harlem Inn, known as “The Showplace of the South,” was named after the well-known black district in New York City.
In 1939, Hezekiah Patton, Sr. started the Harlem Inn with $25.00 cash from his uncle, James Patton, a nightclub owner in nearby Shelby, Mississippi. Legendary performers, such as Howlin’ Wolf, B. B. King, and Muddy Waters, played at the venue, as well as up-and-coming artists like Ike and Tina Turner. The well-known performers enjoyed introducing new music, while the lesser-known performers saw their music introduced to a crowd of eager listeners. Performing at the Harlem Inn allowed newer performers to expose their music to live audiences. Artists might otherwise miss opportunities to be heard.
Hezekiah Patton, Jr. recalled fond childhood memories of Little Milton walking into the cotton fields to talk to his father, Ike Turner, trying out his cordless guitar for the first time, and how Tina Turner put on a show that could rival any Hollywood production. These famous artists came to the Harlem Inn because they wanted to present their new material to patrons who knew the blues like no record producer ever could. With an air of excitement, patrons traveled by train to attend Harlem Inn shows. They often stayed over the weekend before returning home to work on Mondays.
Following the death of Hezekiah Patton Sr., the family, including sons Robert and Charles and wife Ruby, continued operating the Harlem Inn. As time passed and it became harder to attract live acts, the Inn invested in a sound system and continued having music on Saturday nights. Hezekiah said that in the mid-70s, the Harlem Inn was responsible for introducing disco to the town of Winstonville.
As the Harlem Inn was about to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1989, a fire cut short the life of this beloved blues venue. The exact cause of the fire was unclear, though either arson or a lightning strike was considered the most probable reason. As recently as 2024, two old red fire engines rest in a field, rusted and dilapidated, across from the now-gone Harlem Inn site. “It was like the death of a family member. Those were the best years of my life,” was how Patton, Jr. described his reaction to the loss of the Harlem Inn.
The Mississippi Blues Trail committee was established in 2006, even though “blues tourism” had already begun. The Blues Trail committee began placing markers to honor famous performers. The committee also wanted to acknowledge the key places and venues where these blues artists performed. In 2009, ten years after the loss of this iconic venue, a Mississippi Blues Trail marker was placed at the empty site to honor the role the Harlem Inn played in blues history. As Little Milton told Robert Patton, “Your daddy put a blues monument here in Winstonville, and Winstonville will never be the same.”
Tenry Johns (shown here in the red suit and onstage playing bass with his cousin, vocalist Thessex “Johnny Drummer” Johns, in 2009) performed regularly at the Harlem Inn as a teenager in 1960s, leading his brothers Clarence and Samual John in a band called T.J. & the Hurricanes.
An article by Deborah Chatham with marker photos by Stephen “Andy” Anderson (page designed and edited by Johnny Cole).
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References:
Robinette, Aimee. (2020). The Harlem Inn. Bolivar Bullet.
Suzassippi. (2024). Chambers: Black towns in Mississippi after emancipation.
www.MsBluesTrail.org
Wikipedia. The Harlem Inn. Winstonville, Mississippi.
