The Delta Blues
The Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum & Gallery highlights the bluesmen from the area
now traversed by Highway 82 between Carroll County and the Mississippi River. That area
includes displays on Mississippi John Hurt, Furry Lewis, Honeyboy Edwards, B.B. King,
Charlie Patton, Jimmy Reed, Charlie Booker, Eugene “Sonny Boy Nelson” Powell and
many others.
Beale Street & Memphis
The first great urban home for the blues in its journey from its rural Mississippi birthplace
was that sleepy little river town of Memphis, Tennessee and the main thoroughfare of its
black section, Beale Street. It was in Memphis that horn and bass sounds were added to
the guitars and pianos of the country giving rise to the jug bands that were the forerunners
of the modern blues ensemble.
The Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum & Gallery offers a great deal of information,
documentation and photographs concerning Memphis and the Beale Street blues of
W.C. Handy and the jug bands of Gus Cannon, Will Shade and Jack Kelly. Memphis was
also instrumental in the blues revival of the 1960’s and The Greenwood Blues Heritage
Museum & Gallery also offers unique photographs, recollections and posters detailing
and documenting the role Memphis played in that era as well.
King Of The Delta Blues Singers
This holy grail of the blues was displayed to Stephen LaVere during his initial meeting and
personal interview with Robert Johnson's half-sister Carrie Thompson. The photograph was
taken by Hooks Bros. of Memphis and was printed on heavy card stock as was customary for
fine portraits in those days.
The imprint of the photography business' embossing stamp is clearly visible on the original.
Mrs. Thompson allowed the photograph to be borrowed, copied and returned to her while she
held a security deposit. She later assigned all rights in the photograph to LaVere as part of an
all-inclusive business deal in late 1974, but she retained the original print. Mrs. Thompson
passed away in 1983 and the present whereabouts and condition of the only known original
print of this beautiful portrait are uncertain.
