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Legends is an 'Arts & Entertainment' magazine distributed throughout the state of Mississippi. I am graphic designer / creative director for this publication. If you share this please credit by linking back here or to my website stkkreations.weebly.com. Comments (or messages) are always welcome, and please use the thumbs up button if you like (have to measure this somehow). Thanks, and enjoy!
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mississippilegends.com 1
The South’s leader in Estate Jewelry and Diamond Solitaires
1.866.VANATKINSvanatkins.com
Located in Historic Downtown New Albany, MS
You Know She’s Worth It
The South’s leader in Estate Jewelry and Diamond Solitaires
1.866.VANATKINSvanatkins.com
Located in Historic Downtown New Albany, MS
You Know She’s Worth It
4 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 5
6 november. december 2012
Publisher ��������������������Marianne Todd ediTor ���������������� buffy Gabrielson CreaTive direCTor ���������������������� shawn T� King desiGner ���������������������� shawn T� King
adverTisinG sales
lynn Johnson - 662-523-0201 lynn@Mississippilegends�com
Janet bixler - 808-256-3177Janet@Mississippilegends�com
david battaglia - 601-421-8654 david@Mississippilegends�com
Ken Flynt, director of Marketing - 601-479-3351Ken@Mississippilegends�com
editorial - 601-604-2963 editor@Mississippilegends�com
Contributing writers: stephen Corbett, Jason armstong, Kara Martinez bachman, annie b� McKee, James denton, Joe lee
Contributing photographers: Ken Flynt, James edward bates, Michael barrett
Web calendar tech: James sharp (www�Mississippilegends�com) email calendar submissions to James@Mississippilegends�com
Copyright 2012� all rights reserved� no portion of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without express permission of the publisher� The
opinions and views expressed by our contributors, writers and editors are their own� various views from other professionals may also be expressed� neither
leGends nor blue south Publishing Corporation is endorsing or guaranteeing the products or quality of services expressed in advertisements� all advertisers
assume liability for all content (including text representation and illustration) of advertisements printed and assume responsibility for any resulting claims
against leGends or its affiliates� Materials, photographs and written pieces to be considered for inclusion in leGends may be sent to P�o� box 3663, Meridian, Ms
39303� unsolicited materials will not be returned� leGends is free and distributed through tourism offices, welcome centers, restaurants, theaters, casinos, and
institutions of higher education� if your business, agency or industry would like to offer leGends, please contact us at editor@Mississippilegends�com�
For more information, write to editor@Mississippilegends�com� More information, including a comprehensive, up-to-date calendar, may be found at
www�Mississippilegends�com
About our cover bobby rush has been entertaining fans for decades� Comfortable in a high-energy electric setting or with an acoustic guitar and harp, this Mississippi artist is one-of-a-kind�
Contents november / deCember 2012
Music
6 Peppermint PopsMeridian Symphony Orchestra Rings in the Season
12 The Voice's Brian FuenteA New CD Follows his Television Debut
20 Bobby RushThe Electric, Folk-Funk, Raw Blues Artist of Mississippi
28 The Amazing Jimmi MayesSideman to the Stars
60 The Mississippi JamboreeThe Temple Theater Kicks Up its Heels with a Brand New Country Gig
Features
16 From the Mind of Hewitt ClarkeThe Mississippi Writer Who Digs up the State’s Past
32 A Lovely VisionClarksdale’s Rosalind Wilcox at Sun House Studios
44 Walthall County SweetnessWhere the Art of Syrup Making Still Thrives
51 Saving Mississippi's TheatersThis Building NOT Condemned
56 Changes on TapCraft Beer Fans Tip Their Steins to Progress
culinary
39 A Step Back in TimeJoin us at Jackson’s Mayflower
mississippilegends.com 7
Dear Readers,
In October, after a lengthy illness, Legends lost longtime friend, contributing
writer and distributor Duff Dorrough. Duff was an amazing friend, musician and
artist who gave of himself with great generosity and who never left us without a
smile. He will be very much missed. See you on the other side, brother. Play on.
The Staff at Legends
letter from the staff
8 november. december 2012
Peppermint PopsPhotograPhs by Marianne todd
mississippilegends.com 9
music feature
Meridian Symphony Orchestra’s
Christmas classic and family favorite
Peppermint Popsan unforgettable evening of festive
music ensues Dec. 8 as Meridian Symphony Orchestra guest
Conductor Maestro Peter Rubardt leads the MSO and Chorus in
favorites ranging from Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” to selections
from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.”
Maestro Peter rubardt
Maestro Peter Rubardt, in his 15th season as music director of the
Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, has raised the orchestra’s artistic level
by serving the Pensacola community pops, chamber orchestra and
family concerts. He played a central role in leading the successful
renovation of the historic Pensacola Saenger Theatre. Rubardt’s
current season includes debuts with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra
and Japan’s Yamagata Orchestra as well as a return to Japan’s Hyogo
Performing Arts Center Orchestra, where he previously performed
for the Imperial Highness, Princess Hitachi of Japan.
dr. bob HerMetz
Director of the Meridian Symphony Chorus and Cambiata Singers,
Dr. Bob Hermetz is conductor of the Meridian Symphony Chorus
10 november. december 2012
and the Meridian Cambiata Singers Youth Chorus. He has directed the Symphony
Chorus, formerly known as the Meridian Community Chorus, since 1971. He has twice
appeared as tenor soloist with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony in Penderecki’s St.
Luke Passion and Haydn’s Creation Mass.
tHe Meridian syMPHony CHorus
The Meridian Symphony Chorus is an auditioned ensemble comprised of singers from
throughout East Mississippi and West Alabama. The chorus averages three concerts a year
with music ranging from contemporary styles, theatre, oratorio, opera choruses and other
classical forms. In 2009, a group of MSO choristers performed at Carnegie Hall in New
York City, returning for the third time under Hermetz’s 39-year tenure. In 2010-2011,
the chorus presented a fall program of sacred selections, sang with the MSO Peppermint
Pops, premiered Len Bobo’s “Requiem” in May and concluded with Beethoven’ s “Choral
Fantasy” with the MSO.
tHe Meridian CaMbiata singers
Meridian’s Cambiata Singers consists of voices ranging from ages nine to 18. This
auditioned chorus was formed in 2007 as a non-profit arts group for youth with emphasis
on education and performance. Repertoire includes music from sacred and secular forms
and spanning all periods, including traditional American songs, popular and Broadway
styles.
Peppermint Pops for 2012 holiday favorites:
The Twelve Days of Christmas Medley (arr. by Custer) “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a 1780 traditional classic based on the twelve days
between the feasts of Christmas and Epiphany. It is a cumulative song, as days are added
to every verse, starting with the first day of Christmas, until all twelve days have elapsed.
A particular treat is offered on each day, and the final verse encompasses each of the twelve
days and the twelve treats. The guest soloists will share the days of the selection, and the
chorus will interject starting on the fifth day (five gold rings).
Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah (M. W. Smith)Michael W. Smith is a Christian musician and three-time Grammy recipient. In 2007, he
released the critically acclaimed album “It’s a Wonderful Christmas.” This album includes
“Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah,” a choral and orchestral piece evoking the spirit of the season.
Five Christmas Carols (arr. Sir David Willcocks)Sir David Willcocks is a British choral conductor with more than 50 honorary degrees
and is known for his tenure as Director of Music at King’s College in Cambridge,
United Kingdom. His arrangement “Five Christmas Carols” includes comprehensive
harmonization and enhancements of traditional songs of the holiday.
Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah (George Frederic Handel)George Frederic Handel was a German-born British Baroque composer whose “Messiah”
and orchestral “Water Music” remain enormously popular. His three-act oratorio
“Messiah” ends its second act with the acclaimed “Hallelujah Chorus.”
Selections from The Nutcracker (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is one of the most beloved ballets in the
world and is a perennial favorite during the holidays. Its memorable music includes the
likes of the swift “Trepak,” the “Mirlitons,” the gentler “Arabian Dance,” and the delicate
“Waltz of the Flowers.”
Go Tell It On The Mountain (arr. by John Rutter)“Go Tell it on the Mountain” is a familiar spiritual dating to 1865. Many famous artists
have recorded their own variations. John Rutter’s chorale arrangement veers from the
simplicity of the gospel version by integrating classical harmonies with the revered melody
and lyrics.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane)This seasonal favorite was first sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 musical “Meet Me In St.
Louis.” In 1957, Frank Sinatra, recorded a version with lyrics modified by Hugh Martin,
and since that recording, the song has gone on to become one of the most requested
Christmas songs of all time.
What Child is This? (William Chatteron Dix)This carol by William Chatterton Dix was originally written in 1865 after his bout with a
near-fatal illness. Built around the English ballad “Greensleeves,” the hymn’s lyrics allude
to the circumstances of the birth of Christ.
Farandole (Georges Bizet)Georges Bizet (1838 –1875) was a French composer and winner of many prestigious
awards whose unique style could have revolutionized French opera had he not passed away
at the age of 36. His “Farandole,” the fourth movement of the second suite of his music
for Alphonse Daudet’s play “L’Arlésienne,” is an upbeat and energetic piece based on the
community dances of the same name from Nice, France.
Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson)Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” is a light orchestral winter favorite. Its lively and spirited
tone brings to mind images of a ride through a bright and snowy winter’s day, enhanced
by the way the instrumentation creates sound effects mimicking sleigh bells and the clip-
clop of horse hooves.
Want to go?Tickets for this annual sell-out concert are available at the MSU Riley Center Box Office (601) 696-2200, or online at www.meridianso.org.
For more information call the MSO offices at (601) 693-2224.
mississippilegends.com 11
12 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 13
www.msurileycenter.com
www.facebook.com/rileycenter
2200 5th Street | Meridian, Mississippi | 601-696-2200
The Four TopsFriday, November 16, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.
By the time they signed with the Motown label in 1964, these four Detroit harmonizers—Levi Stubbs, “Obie” Benson, Lawrence Payton, and “Duke” Fakir—had been singing together for 10 years. They kept recording well into the 1990s, with hits such as, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Today they tour with the original member,” Duke” Fakir, and three additional singers who help keep the Motown sound alive.
For Fans of: The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes
John Tesh Big Band ChristmasSaturday, December 15, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.
Multi-talented entertainer John Tesh is backed by his band for this family-friendly holiday show. Christmas classics get the big-band treatment while Tesh’s considerable singing and keyboard skills bring extra charm to the production. Known for his welcoming personality and audience interaction, Tesh and his band will make your holiday swing.
For Fans of: big band music, swing-style music, holiday musicals
14 november. december 2012
by stephen CorbettPhotographs by Michael barrett
The Voice of
Brian FuenteA new CD follows his nAtionAl television Debut
artist profile
Brian Fuente may not have been the season two winner of NBC’s hit
show The Voice, but he certainly isn’t letting it slow him down. On
Oct. 16, he released his latest EP, “1983” at Nashville’s famed venue,
3rd and Lindsley.
“The Voice has changed my life forever,” said the Ridgeland native. “Thirty
seconds after they aired my performance, my followers on Twitter went from 150
to about 3 or 4,000. The results were that immediate. Now my goal is to convert
the TV fans into true Brian Fuente fans.”
It’s been a long road for Fuente, who began performing music at an early age.
He started playing guitar when he was 9 years old and began writing songs shortly
thereafter.
“My dad was a guitar player and my mom was a jazz singer,” he said. “My
mom used to play at clubs in Jackson, and she’d let me sit-in and play in between
her sets. My family members are mostly all musicians. There must be something
in the water in Mississippi. It’s like a breeding ground for musicians.”
Fuente moved to Nashville in 2007 to pursue a career as a full-time musician.
He’d been there less than a year when he formed his first Nashville-based band,
Newmatic. After four years of knocking on doors trying to get noticed, he was
beginning to grow weary of Music City.
“Nashville’s a different town than it used to be. There’s a good mix of musicians
from all genres, but it is still primarily country and Christian music. I’d go from
door to door and get a lot of ‘You’re good, but I don’t know what I can do with
you.’ Last year, I just got burnt out and stopped writing. Then in July or so, I got
a call from my publishing company asking me if I wanted to audition for The
Voice. I told them to let me sleep on it, because I didn’t want to leave the band.
Our bass player had been in another band where he lost a lead singer to American
Idol. So, when I finally made the decision to do it, he was the last person I told,”
he said with a laugh.
The decision turned out to be a good one for Fuente as he was able to gain
exposure in a way he couldn’t have imagined. While The Voice falls behind
American Idol in ratings, it still has a large draw with an average of 11 million
viewers each week.
“The Voice took me to a new level, and I’ve never been happier, but it doesn’t
do as much for you as an artist as Idol does. The show is in some ways more
mississippilegends.com 15
16 november. december 2012
focused on the coaches than the contestants. There’s so much banter between the coaches,
and they get so much more airtime compared to the judges on Idol. So, you don’t get as
much recognition, but it helps them tremendously.”
Fuente gained a spot on the show by auditioning with the Grace Potter & the
Nocturnals 2010 song “Paris (Ooh La La).” He was chosen to be on country star Blake
Shelton’s team.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was chosen by Blake Shelton. He’s one of the biggest stars
in country music. He said that he wanted a rock singer, and I was glad that he chose me.”
The next step for Fuente was participating in the “battle round,” in which coaches pair
their contestants with each other in a duet. In episode 6, Fuente was paired with Jordis
Unga to perform Alanis Morissette’s hit “Ironic.” Unfortunately, he was eliminated.
“It wasn’t a good song choice for either of us. It isn’t really a rock song, and Jordis and
I are both rock singers. I didn’t really feel comfortable with it.”
After his elimination, Fuente formed his first solo outfit: Brian Fuente and the
Shadows. He also began working on his self-released EP “1983” and signed on to a Los
Angeles based PR firm in hopes of capitalizing on his new found exposure.
“I had about 25 or 30 songs to choose from, and I went with the top five. I invested
in some recording equipment and was able to record most of it in my house. I decided to
call it ‘1983’ because of the vibe I went for. It gets me back to when I first got interested in
music,” he said. “We recorded with real drums but replaced the snare with a digital snare
to give it that ‘80s feel but with a modern twist. We did want every song to be different on
this, though. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed.”
From the saxophone solo in “Sidelined” to the guitar tones and Prince-like guitar solo
in “Josie,” “1983” definitely captures the feeling of the early ‘80s without ever sounding
like a retro-act. He also accomplishes the amazing feat of putting together a collection
of songs that are entirely different from each other, yet still sound as though they belong
together, which is something that is becoming increasing rare in an era where a lot of new
albums sound like mixtapes.
He is also using the knowledge he gained on The Voice to his advantage.
“I learned a lot about the industry in eight months,” he said. “It’s not just about what
an artist sings or writes, it’s about a business. You have to deal with numbers every day. You
have to get a buzz so that you can get guarantees from clubs. Being on The Voice doesn’t
mean an instant record deal either. The record industry has gotten used to reality TV. It
isn’t novel like it used to be.”
Despite his new found fame, Fuente hasn’t forgotten his Mississippi roots.
“I’ve made a lot of friends in Nashville who are also from Mississippi. My friend Jeremy
Lister sings background vocals on ‘Why’d You Have to Be So Beautiful’ and ‘Sidelined.’
It really brought that home vibe in from Jackson. I actually played in Mississippi a few
weeks ago and saw so many old friends and family. The biggest influence that Mississippi
has had on me is Southern hospitality. Everyone wants to help one another. There’s no
concern with the business aspect of it. When you co-write with people, there’s no talk
about splitting the writing credits. It made it very easy for me to develop as an artist.” l
Want to hear hiM?
More information on Brian Fuente’s upcoming performances can be found at
www.brianfuente.com. “1983” is available from his website, as well as Amazon
and iTunes.
brian Fuente with his mother, lisa Palmer, who accompanied him for his appearance on The voice�
mississippilegends.com 17
18 november. december 2012
froM the Mind of a true MississiPPi Writer
hewitt Clarke digs up the state’s pasti
By Annie B. McKeePhotographs by Marianne Todd
because he’s lived in Texas for 35 years, some might be inclined to call him a Texas
author. But Hewitt Clarke is quick to make the correction.
“I’m a Mississippi writer,” he says. “My wife and I will be buried in the St. Patrick’s
Catholic Cemetery, Meridian, alongside my great grandfather and grandfather.”
Clarke, who was in Meridian during this writing to promote his newest book, “Blood
and Money,” has written seven books, each one focused on East Central Mississippi.
“I put myself in my books. Writing is so intense – running around in my head. I
research and talk to anyone who will talk with me,” he says. “Some of the stories -- and all
of them are true – are so disturbing that a lot of people will not talk about those times, and
the people who will, only speak in whispers. Some people are mad at me for digging into
those long ago secrets, and most of today’s young people do not know any of the history
that I have written.”
Clarke, a former intelligence officer for the U. S. Army, did not consider writing until
20 years ago. “It was during the 1970s that I became interested in family history,” Clarke
says. “I came to the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library to research my family. I
decided that I needed to write a book, but I was still many years away from publishing.”
Until that point, Clarke’s sole writing experience had been for The Wildcat newspaper
at Meridian High School. “That planted a seed in my head and I got a kick out of it.”
In 1995, he published his first book, “Thunder at Meridian.” The story begins with the
Choctaw settlements prior to Mississippi statehood and continues with the development
of East Central Mississippi until the second half of the 20th Century. The book explores
the area’s leaders and people as they deal with European invasion, waring with other tribes
and how they lived and died.
“Bloody Kemper” reveals the heady history of Kemper County -- nicknamed Bloody
Kemper because of Hatfield & McCoy nature of families there – and details the struggles
to regain a lawful community.
feature
mississippilegends.com 19
although some might disagree, hewitt Clarke says his writings about Mississippi's sordid past are fact-based through interviews and documentation� To date, Clarke has authored seven books about the colorful past of east Mississippi people and events� his newest book, "blood and Money," is currently on newsstands and in bookstores�
“He Saw the Elephant,” chronicles the story of Confederate Naval Officer Lt. Charles
Read. His courage and emboldened spirit captured the attention of both North and
South.
“My favorite book -- the one I enjoyed writing the best, is ‘The East End Tea Room.”
The tea room was a gathering place for “good old boys,” where trouble brewed and
notorious plots ensued. “At the time, if you lived north of 20th Street (in Meridian), you
were called a Hootchie. A Hootchie was not allowed in the tea room, and if one tried
entrance, at the very least, he suffered a black eye.”
“War Stories from Mississippi” follows the stories of East Central Mississippi soldiers
who fought and died during World War II and beyond. Clarke interviewed veterans so
that he might write the real Mississippi stories of the soldiers and their fight for liberty.
“When a soldier is shot, he bleeds. People want to know the stories of the real people,
not just the Generals.” All of Clarke’s books are based on war, either on the battlefields or
in communities. His characters are real and his research is intense. Although some might
disagree, he claims his writings are fact-based through interviews and documentation.
“I want all of my books to be historically correct with the politics of the day, to defend
the great State of Mississippi against the liberal writer that has attacked so viciously. My
great grandfather, David Hewitt Clarke, worked for The Meridian Mercury Newspaper.
He and others, that included Col. Horn, telegraphed Livingston, Ala. in 1871 for help
during the Meridian riot – reinforcements were sent by train.” According to Clarke, it was
a time of great political unrest, injustice and murder.
“The public’s favorite book is ‘Bloody Kemper.’” Clarke ordered a reprint of the book,
and recently sold 900 books in four days at three different book signings. East Mississippi,
in particular, has continued to support Clarke’s written work – although the books are sold
nationwide.
In his two upcoming books, “Behold a Pale Rider” and “The Death and Trial of Dr.
Lipscomb – A Poisoning in Kemper County,” Clarke focuses on U. S. Highway 45 history,
the street fights and outlaws of both Lauderdale and Kemper counties. The story lines of
both books include FBI searches, outlaws living for years under assumed names “under
the noses of law enforcement. A woman sheriff made the arrest. There were some songs
written about this outlaw. His name was Kenny Wagner.”
According to legend, Wagner was convicted in Meridian for murder, and at Parchman
Penitentiary, he was given the job of training dogs. He escaped with a dog to help him hide
out. “He wound up living in a hunting camp near Wahalak,” Clarke says. “He lived on
and off with a family who lived nearby. He had an assumed name, but everyone knew who
he was. People were afraid to turn him in. He lived for seven years with this family – until
the woman sheriff arrested him.” l
20 november. december 2012
Thomas Jackson’s BridgeBurner
Recorded at Bogalusa’s legendary Studio in the Country, Bridgeburner is honest Americana with an amazingly clean mix. Thomas Jackson, who hails from northeast Mississippi and who currently lives in Hattiesburg, has assembled a number of high-end, next-level musicians for this CD. Great musical surprises punctuate this well-written music -- piano, horns, banjo, a Hammond B-3 all wind their way through the songs of Jackson’s growing up. While Jackson claims influences of country music and clamorous British rock, it's the likes of artists like Dylan and the band Wilco who are present. The featured songs are eclectic with the CD ending on the inspiring acoustic/harp/vocal Sara Beth Blues.
Where to find: Available online, at T-Bones Records in Hattiesburg and the Main Attraction in Tupelo.
scoTT chism & BeTTer half’s long haul sTeady
The talented duo Scott Chism and Lynsey Terry cooked up an epic listening adventure with this country/bluegrass/Americana/folk release. For everything Chism is as a guitarist, Terry matches or (sorry, Scott) exceeds in amazingly beautiful raw vocal talent. The quality and energy of this CD rolls off the first track with the bluegrass tune We’ll Turn Into Ghosts and is surprisingly kicked up a notch with Terry’s vocals in Hobo Blues, which she performs with an incredibly honest quality. Great harmonies in Good King Josiah are also a special treat as is Chism’s penchant for great story telling through his lyrics. Trained in north Mississippi, the duo now hails from Hattiesburg.
Where to find: T-Bone's Records and online on iTunes, Amazon and more.
Tony Pasko’s Band of elves
Just in time to get into the spirit of the season is Band of Elves, a 12-song instrumental holiday CD from Meridian session guitarist Tony Pasko. Don’t let the ukelele opening fool you, though. The CD visits just about every musical genre sans rap – from the electric Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas) to the classic Silent Night. Pasko said the project was the result of a dare from his wife to play 12 traditional Christmas songs in 12 differing styles. We think he won that bet.
Where to find: www.downboysrecords.com
Photograph by Chad Edwards
mississippilegends.com 21
22 november. december 2012
By Stephen Corbett
From Folk-Funk to raw blues, the artist that
refuses to be defined
cover story
Bobby Rush is in many ways the consummate blues musician.
He is a complex man who combines the bravado of Muddy
Waters with the humility of B.B. King, but possesses a talent entirely
his own. Over the course of his career, he has created a singular take
on the blues he refers to as “folk-funk,” but Rush’s musical output is
far more complex than that. He has performed various forms of the
blues – from acoustic Delta blues to electric Chicago blues -- funk and
soul. He also has played some of the more urbane and slick sounds of
rhythm and blues. Artists with his diversity are few.
“All I’ve done is modify my sound over the years,” Rush says. “I
guess some people could say I’ve got two halves, but I don’t really see
any difference in what I do. I’m still singing the same stories I always
have. It’s like back in the ‘40’s when we still had outdoor toilets, and
now we go inside. What’s really changed? You do the same thing with
an indoor toilet that you did in the old outhouses. It never changes.
The only thing that changes is the look. So, I modify but it’s the same
old blues. It’s still songs about making love, being in love, my woman
left me, my woman loves me. Maybe I hate her because she left me.
Maybe I hate her because she hasn’t left me yet, and she stayed too
long. That’s realness.”
Over a career stretching from the 1950s, Rush, who doesn’t admit
his age or birthday, knows a lot about changing times.
“I’ll tell you where I was born, but not when,” he says. “I was born
in Homer-Hanes, La. A lot of places say I was born in Homer, but I
wasn’t. I was born between Homer and Hanesville in an area that isn’t
even on the map. They are 11 miles apart from each other, so I claim
them both, you follow me? I’ll tell you this about my age, I’m over 75
but not I’m not 80. And I’ve recorded 249 records, which means I
started when I was 6 months old.”
Most sources put the year of his birth as either 1935 or 1940,
which would put his age somewhere squarely between the two ages he
cites. He was born Emmit Ellis Jr. and lived in Louisiana until 1947
when he moved to Pine Bluff, Ark.
“My daddy was a pastor at two churches – one in Louisiana and
one in Arkansas. He would travel back and forth between the two
churches. We stayed in Arkansas until the early ‘50s, when we moved
mississippilegends.com 23
Photograph by marianne todd
Photograph by marianne todd
Photograph by ken Flynt
Photograph by ken Flynt
mississippilegends.com 25
to Chicago.”
While in Chicago, Rush played with blues legends Luther
Allison and Freddie King.
“I changed my name once I started playing out in clubs, because
my daddy was a pastor and he was the senior. When I was a kid, I
just knew I was going to have a hit record one day, and I didn’t want
it to affect my daddy’s preaching. He didn’t ask me to, I just did it
out of respect. A lot of people back in those days that was into the
church thought that the blues was the devil’s music. My daddy didn’t
feel that way. He was the one who taught me how to play the blues
on guitar, because he didn’t think it was the devil’s music. He never
encouraged me to go out and play the blues, but he never told me
not to either.
“It took me a while to come to the name Bobby Rush,” he
explains. “I just knew that I wanted a name that sounded powerful.
Being from the deep South, all I could think of was something
presidential. So I messed around with the idea of using Eisenhower
as my last name on stage. And I tried a bunch of different first names
with it and nothing worked. Then I came up with Bobby Rush, and
I knew that was it. Nobody calls me Bobby, and nobody calls me
Mr. Rush. It’s always Bobby Rush. You got to say like it’s all one
word. Once you hear it, you remember it forever.”
Bobby Rush began developing his unique stage presence early
on. Some bluesmen move around on stage, but none like Bobby
Rush.
“People see me now with my girls dancing and they don’t think
much about it, but to see a 20-year-old me moving around on stage
with girls shaking their whatever everywhere – that was different.
But I’m not a threat now. In the early days, though, Elvis helped me
a lot. I used to look at it like this – if Elvis and Tom Jones can move
their hips around, then so can I. That wasn’t acceptable for black
artists. We could do splits and dance around like James Brown, but
we weren’t supposed to be moving our hips like that. I played in
Missouri once, and they had a string hanging down on either side of
me with a spring attached to it, so that the promoters would know if
I was moving my hips around. I just had to stand there in between.
The fact that I didn’t move like the traditional bluesman and was a
black bluesman made it harder for me to break through.”
Bobby Rush’s big break came when he met former artist and
repertoire man for Vee-Jay records, Calvin Carter. At this point,
Bobby Rush had begun to develop a sound that was distinctive
and far removed from the sound of Chess Records, which then
dominated Chicago’s blues scene.
“It was back in 1968. Calvin Carter comes to me and says,
‘Bobby Rush, do you have anything?’ So, I tell him I got this song
called “Chick Heads.” He says, ‘Man, I can’t put out no song called
“Chick Heads.”’ So, I say to him, “Nah, it’s called “Chicken Heads,”
and I sing him the first verse:
Daddy told me on his dying bed
Give up your heart, but don’t you lose your head
You come along, girl, what did I do
I lost my heart, and my head went, too
“Once he heard me singing it, he had to have it. I’ll tell you
this, it don’t have nothing to do with a chicken, you follow me? The
B-side to it was another song I wrote called “Mary Jane.” If you’re
from the South, you know that song ain’t about a woman at all. All
of this went over their heads. When he asked me to sign a contract,
I told him, ‘I’ll pay for the recording, and you press me.’ This way I
had control over my recordings.”
“Chicken Heads” was released on the Galaxy label and became
an R & B smash in 1971. It was more recently featured on the
soundtrack to the 2006 Samuel L. Jackson movie “Black Snake
Moan.” A YouTube video features rappers Q-Tip and Kayne West
obsessing over an original copy of the 45 single.
“That song was an even bigger hit than people knew about. I
sold 900,000 copies out of the trunk of my car, not counting what
was being sold in stores. If you count the records that I sold on my
own, in the U.S., I had the No. 1 selling single of that year and
James Brown was No. 2. In England, I had the No. 3 biggest selling
single and Tom Jones had the No. 1 and No. 2. But I was doing
almost all of it myself.”
His next big single came a few years later on the Jewel label
with a song called “Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man.” Bobby
Rush’s insistence on owning his own recordings and having complete
creative control gave him artistic satisfaction, but is probably what
prevented him from becoming a household name of the caliber of
some of his contemporaries, despite the fact that he was selling as
many records and concert tickets. He blazed his trail by producing
music closer to the burgeoning funk scene when many other blues
artists were busy attempting to cross over to the pop and rock
markets.
“James Brown was a bluesman. He was funk, because he had
the groove, but the stories were blues stories. All that stuff he was
singing about. “It’s a Man’s World,” and “I’m Black and I’m Proud.”
That’s just blues with a groove. A lot of the other blues people at the
time were saying things like, ‘Well, I gotta sound like this so I can
have a hit with the white kids.’ I never cared about black or white;
I just wanted to sound like Bobby Rush. That’s why I never had a
manager, and didn’t sign exclusive deals with anyone.”
After recording numerous singles on various labels throughout
the 1970s, Bobby Rush released “Rush Hour,” produced by
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and released on their Philadelphia
International record label in 1979. The album produced another
big single for him with the double entendre single “I Wanna Do
26 november. december 2012
rush will release "down in louisiana," recorded for his
roots� "it's got some Cajun things on it� it's already finished,
and i can't wait to release it� it's going to be different from
anything i've done�"
Phot
ogra
ph by
ken
Flyn
t
mississippilegends.com 27
“i played in Missouri once, and they had a string hanging down on either side of me with a spring attached to it, so that the promoters would know if i was moving my hips around.”
the Do.” Despite that Gamble and Huff had become known for a very specific
production style from their work with acts like the O’Jays and Harold Melvin
& the Blue Notes, they did nothing to stand in the way of Bobby Rush’s
signature style. What they did do was give him a bigger budget than he had
worked with previously and show him the finer points of producing.
“So many people have taught me so much over the years, and I respect
them all: B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bobby Bland. But Gamble and Huff, man,
they were the ones who really taught me about producing records. I had made
a ton of records before then – I probably made 100 records before people even
knew who I was –but I had never made one on this level. I really paid attention
to what they were doing. They didn’t change my sound, but they taught me the
fine details of production.”
The lone release preceded his decision to return to the South,where he
began releasing records for the Mississippi-based LaJam Records and Malaco
Records.
“I was living in Chicago, but most of my gigs were in the South,” he says.
I spent 80 percent of my time in the South. I was working what they call the
Chitlin’ Circuit. I am really the King of the Chitlin’ Circuit. I would only see
my family maybe two days a week. So I looked at where I was playing, and
Jackson, Miss., is right in the middle of where I work. I didn’t have any relatives
or anything in Jackson. I went there to be able to have more time at home.”
Not only did the move back to Mississippi bring increased time at home,
it also brought an increased musical freedom by placing the artist further from
the sometimes overpowering Chicago blues scene.
“So many bluesmen went up there and stayed there. So many cross over
and they cross their old fans out. I didn’t do that. The downside is that more
freedom means less money. But I wanted to stand up there on my two feet and
be a man. I want people to come out and see what I do and leave saying that
Bobby Rush is the best thing since bubblegum.”
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Bobby Rush released a string of
critically acclaimed blues albums like “What’s Good for the Goose is Good
for the Gander,” “Wearing It Out,” “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” and
“Hoochie Man.” His time was spent on the Chitlin’ Circuit.
“I used to work 80 to 90 one-nighters,” he explains. “That’s 80 or 90 days
on the road without a day off. Sometimes, we’d do three shows a night in a
different town every night. You’d work until two in the morning and then drive
to the next town. You might sleep a few hours, and then you have to do it again.
You know, you’d be tired, man. And there were times that I wanted to give up.
But when you get out there and hit that first note and hear the crowd and see
their faces – you’re alive again. It makes it worth it. I always strive to be good at
what I do, and I am good at what I do. If you aren’t good to your fans, they’ll
find somebody else to go see.”
But time on the road was met with tragedy. In 2001 on the way to a
Pensacola, Fla., gig, Bobby Rush’s band was in bus accident. Dancer Latisha
Brown was killed, and Bobby Rush and the rest of his band were hospitalized
with serious injuries and broken bones. Many were hospitalized for months and
had to undergo numerous surgeries and physical therapy.
“We had just finished a show in Tallahassee,” Bobby Rush says. “We were
probably less than 30 minutes down the road. The bus driver was sleeping while
we had been playing, so I don’t know if he fell back asleep behind the wheel or if
he had a heart attack, but all of a sudden we ran off the road and the bus turned
over about three or four times.”
Within weeks, he was back on the road.
“I could only do about two or three shows a month, and I was out there in
a wheelchair. Sometimes I’d have another musician with me, and sometimes I’d
be alone. But a lot of my band didn’t have insurance, and they couldn’t work.
So I wanted to help the people who couldn’t help themselves. None of the
people that came to the shows were disappointed, because we made sure they
knew that they weren’t going to see Bobby Rush jumping and running around.
The fans were very supportive. At first, I couldn’t even stand more than a few
minutes a night, and then eventually I was able to do more and more. It was
a sad time, but I’m glad because of what it could have been. God has really
blessed me, and now everyone is back working on the road with me again.”
In 2003, Bobby Rush started his own label, Deep Rush Records.
“Folkfunk,”released in 2004, featured Bobby Rush in a stripped-down electric
setting that included Alvin Youngblood Hart on guitar. Three years later “Raw”
further stripped him to the bare blues essentials – his guitar, his harmonica
and the stomping of his feet. Both records, which topped many critics’ lists for
best blues album of the year, were unlike anything he had done, and yet still
distinctly Bobby Rush.
“I like playing with the small bands and the large production shows,” he
says. “But if you really want to see me at my best, come see Bobby Rush play
oPPosiTe: The "King of the Chitlin' Circuit" says he worked as much as 90 days on the road without a single day off, doing up to three shows a night� The artist recently turned over promotions to a management company so that he can spend more time at home with family�
28 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 29
solo. Just me and my guitar or me and my harp. I never play them at the same time,
because I’m not trying to be like everybody else with the neck strap. And I can stand
there with nothing but a harp or nothing but a guitar, and you won’t even miss the
band. I can play for two hours just like that. That’s how all these songs were written
and the stories are the same either way. It’s just the way you dress them up that makes
them different, you follow me? I was in Chapel Hill, N.C., last week playing that
kind of show, and the place was packed.”
In addition to the erratic nature of his own recordings and shows, he has been
known to accompany a wide array of other artists as well, playing with people as
diverse as Joe Poonanny (1996’s “Ponyrider”) and the Rev. Al Green (2005’s
“Everything’s OK”).
“You can’t get much farther apart than Poonanny and Al Green,” he laughs. “I
guess some of it shows the range I have, but it also shows that I don’t really look at
music like that. I don’t separate it. It’s all still blues to me. I even recorded harp on a
couple of gospel records for other artists last year.”
Bobby Rush has spent the past year playing clubs around the country. In August,
he played the 25th Annual Sunflower River and Blues Festival in Clarksdale, which
also featured Charlie Musselwhite and Robert Plant. In October, he played the 27th
King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark., which featured Taj Mahal and Bonnie
Raitt. He’s also been hard at work on a new album that he plans to release in early
2013, titled “Down in Louisiana.”
“The new record has me going back to my roots,” he says. “Back to my real roots.
Louisiana. It’s got some Cajun things on it. It’s already finished, and I can’t wait to
release it. It’s going to be different from anything I’ve done.”
After years of managing himself, Bobby Rush has also recently signed a deal with
Blue Mountain Artists. Even though he has no plans to retire, he says that he would
like to slow down the touring schedule a bit so that he can enjoy his children and
grandchildren.
“You can only run this thing like a mom and pop business for so long. And I
don’t have the money of someone like B.B. King to put a huge corporation behind
me,” he says. “I’m too big for one and not big enough for the other. But I’m hoping
that Blue Mountain Artists will help free up some time for me. When you work this
long at trying to handle everything yourself – booking, promoting, the whole deal –
sometimes it starts to wear you down.
“I’m blessed to be able to do what I love to do, so I’m not complaining. I have
a job that I love and fans that I love and love me. I am very thankful. But I’d
also like some time at home with my family. When I’m home, I’m not
Bobby Rush. I’m not a superstar. I’m Daddy and Granddaddy. I’m
out cleaning up the yard and oiling up the car.
“It’s like the guy that fights the bear. You can watch and say that
guy put up one hell of a fight until the bear kills him. It ain’t
gonna kill me.” l
“i sold 900,000 copies out of the trunk of my
car, not counting what was being sold in stores. if you count the records
that i sold on my own, in the u.s., i had the no. 1 selling single of that year
and James brown was no. 2. in england, i had the no. 3 biggest selling
single and tom Jones had the no. 1 and no. 2. but i was doing almost
all of it myself.”
30 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 31
Words by Jason arMstrongPhotograPhs by Ken flynt
music feature
“The Amazing” JiMMi Mayes
—————————sideman to the stars —————————
“Ooh, baby don’t you want to go … to my sweet home Chicago”
These lyrics begin the chorus of the most popular blues anthem for the
City of Chicago. But further down the Mississippi River, the lyrics have a
special meaning for Jackson native Jimmi Mayes, who blazed a successful
musical career in “Sweet Home Chicago” as well influenced the career of one
of the most celebrated guitar players in Rock ‘N’ Roll history, Jimi Hendrix.
JaCKson, baCK in the day • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Until late 1969, the majority of Mississippi high schools remained
segregated by race. Although the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965
Elementary and Secondary Education Act officially desegregated schools in
the South, high schools in Mississippi remained behind the national curve,
and Jim Hill High School in west Jackson was no exception. Budgets were
small and administrators, teachers and students fought for amenities often
taken for granted at other schools within the district. However, if not for
the budget issues that plagued the band programs at these two schools,
Mayes may never have picked up a pair of drumsticks and eventually played
alongside legendary Chicago blues musicians, and he probably would never
have enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the 1960’s Chicago music scene.
Kermit Holly was the longtime music director at both Jim Hill and Lanier,
the only other black high school in the area. Mayes remembers beginning
his band lessons during the summer when he went to Holly’s initial summer
rehearsal with intentions of playing the trumpet. He was promptly told there
were no trumpets for loaning, nor his second choice of saxophone. Holly
pointed Mayes to a bass drum, and, and on that marching bass drum, Jimmi
Mayes perfected the skill that would make him a sideman to the stars.
Mayes’ natural talent on the drums spread like wildfire in the fledgling
Jackson music scene, and he quickly gained favor with Jackson bandleader
Duke Hudson and Lanier student musicians Freddy Waits and Jacob Moore.
Mayes said he well remembers the long nights in roadhouses and juke joints
along the Chitlin’ Circuit, followed by long, tired days in the classroom.
“We would go in and set up and play until daylight. In the 11th grade, I was
playing all over the South, sometimes two nights a week. And these were
rough places where everybody had a half pint sitting on the table.”
The late-night gigs also allowed Mayes to hone his shuffling style of
drumming. “I take pride in my shuffle. A lot of drummers can play, but they
can’t shuffle,” he said. Mayes had little idea that the shuffle would be the
backbone of his playing style. It wasn’t long before Mayes decided to take his
talent north to Chicago, where the migration of bluesmen from Mississippi
had begun just a few years earlier.
sWeet hoMe in ChiCago • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Mayes’ arrival on the south side of Chicago in 1960 could not have been
better timed. The 16-year-old, already an accomplished drummer in and
The Amazing Jimmi Mayes played his way to fame after a high school band director told him he’d have to play drums instead of horns.
32 november. december 2012
around his native Mississippi, was thrust among other Mississippi
blues musicians who had already taken their talents to what
would become the epicenter for the Chicago Blues movement.
Through his mother, Mayes was introduced to famous bandleader
Red Saunders, who had already established himself as a major
powerhouse through his professional relationships with Duke
Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Through the connection with
Saunders, Mayes was introduced to artists like Howlin’ Wolf and
Muddy Waters, and he soon found himself playing a regular gig
at Big Duke’s Blue Flame Lounge, now recognized as one of the
most prominent blues clubs in Chicago blues history - all before
his 18th birthday. “In order for me to play at The Flame, I would
have to sit in the office during breaks because I was underage.”
As was common among the musicians on Chicago’s south
side, musicians traded gigs and touring musicians, and soon after
establishing himself as a regular player at the Blue Flame, Mayes
was asked to audition for blues harmonica player and band leader
Little Walter, whose drummer had recently joined Howlin’ Wolf.
Through mutual friends, Little Walter learned of Mayes’ talent
and his uncanny penchant for playing the style of blues other
Mississippians were making famous in and around Chicago.
“I drove over to Walter’s house … and he strolled out smoking
a cigarette and said, ‘Do something on this coffee table.’ So I
played a quick shuffle, and that got me the job,” Mayes said. “ He
gave me a new LP and said, ‘Go home and learn all these songs,’
and that’s what I did.”
Although Mayes could already hold his own around more
seasoned professionals, his association with Little Walter provided
him credibility among the top musicians on the scene, and he
quickly found himself playing gigs on both the south and north
sides of town with the likes of Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Fred
Below, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Tall Paul and Chess Records
recording artist and session guitar player, Gerald Sims. “Muddy
Waters loved Little Walter, and whenever Muddy was in town, he
came to see Little Walter play,” he said. At the age of 19, Mayes
found himself living in the upscale Wedgewood Hotel, playing in
the hottest clubs to the largest crowds in Chicago.
in the big aPPle • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
In Mayes’ words, “If you’ve been to the Apollo, you’ve been
to the top of the music world.” During a show at Chicago’s
Wrigley Theater, Mayes met Tommy Hunt, the front man for
The Flamingos. Hunt had recently topped the charts with “I
leFT, top: Jimmi Mayes' musical career found him touring with the likes of Muddy Waters, otis rush, Willie "big eyes" smith, Pinetop Perkins, hubert sumlin and more� in new York, Mayes influenced Maurice James, who went on to record a remake of "hey Joe" under the name Jimi hendrix�
leFT: Mayes' drumstick bag has undoutedly traveled to countless gigs�
mississippilegends.com 33
Only Have Eyes for You,” and Mayes was hired to replace the band’s drummer. In
the middle of the night, Hunt, the band’s manager, and Mayes (with his parent’s
reluctant blessing) left Chicago for New York.
Not long after Mayes and Hunt parted ways, Mayes was picked up by Joey Dee
and the Starliters, which soon became the house band at the famous Peppermint
Lounge, and which was beginning to make waves in New York, Boston and other
major cities in the northeast. Joey Dee and the Starliters, with Mayes on drums,
had several hits, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with
“Peppermint Twist” in 1962. Joey Dee recognized Mayes’ eye for talent, and when
the band’s regular guitar player became ill in 1965, Mayes was trusted with finding
a quick and capable replacement.
Through mutual friends in the New York club scene, Mayes found guitar
player Maurice James searching for new gigs after a brief stint with Little Richard
and a short stint with the Isley Brothers, who had enjoyed chart success with
“Shout” (1959) and “Twist and Shout” (1962). The guitarist had developed stage
antics that rivaled Little Richard’s, and James began to take issue with Richard’s
constant boasting of being “The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll.”
After an audition, James was hired. Mayes and James formed a fast and furious
friendship, hanging out together between gigs and sharing a room on long road
trips across the country. However, James’ tenure with Joey Dee and the Starliters
would not last more than a couple months. Recognized by Rolling Stones guitar
player Keith Richards, James traveled to England, he changed his name and image.
In less than a year, Maurice James remade the song “Hey Joe” under the name Jimi
Hendrix.
Mayes career continued a successful track as he performed with blues and soul
icons such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Jimmy Reed, as well as with his own
band, Mill Street Depot, named after the famous depot station in his hometown
of Jackson. Mayes maintained a close relationship with Hendrix until his death
in 1970, playing drums on “My Friend” (1968) from the Electric Ladyland album
and “Georgia Blues,” a blues-inspired track previously unreleased until Martin
Scorsese produced the tribute album, “Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi
Hendrix in 2003.”
Most recently, Mayes played with friends from his days in Chicago, Willie “Big
Eyes” Smith, Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin, all former members of Muddy
Waters’ band in the 1960’s and 1970’s who have since died. Mayes toured with
Perkins, also a Mississippi Native, and Smith as part of the “Legends of the Blues”
tour beginning in 2002, and whose album garnered a Grammy Award in 2011.
“The Amazing” Jimmi Mayes is still actively touring the nation, playing clubs
and festivals throughout the country, and his most recent release, “All My Best”
(Wolf Records) received rave reviews in the August 2012 issue of Living Blues. And
he still teaches drumming, stressing what his high school band teacher taught him:
Learn to read. Learn the fundamentals.
A biography of Mayes’ music career will soon be published by University
Press of Mississippi. “Sideman to the Stars” will undoubtedly tell the story of
this Mississippi music legend, who can trace his success to the influence of a
dedicated music teacher who, almost by pure accident, created one of the most
iconic Chicago Blues drummers of all time. l
34 november. december 2012
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mississippilegends.com 35
Clarksdale artist opens sun house studios, a ‘happy, peaceful place’
A lovely vision
by JaMes dentonPhotograPhs by Marianne todd
feature
rosalind Wilcox situates herself behind the drums. She pics up
the drumsticks and begins the heartbeat of the next song.
In front of her on guitar sits the legendary, L.C. Ulmer. Together
they begin a blues song, and are soon joined by another guitarist and
harmonica player. When the song is finished, it’s her turn to play guitar.
Her playing is accompanied by her sultry and seasoned voice. Anyone
listening, knows the music has reached a new level.
But this is just one of Wilcox’s faces. She is also an artist, a teacher
and a therapist.
Judging by the paintings, sculptures and mixed-media art surrounding
her, it’s hard to believe the vibrant work was produced solely by her
hands. Wilcox is also blind.
During the day, Wilcox immerses herself in the education of college
arts students at Coahoma Community College. When her day gig ends,
she puts on another hat and follows one of her other various pursuits.
“I want to help people,” she says, settling onto a couch in the
Wilc
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36 november. december 2012
This PaGe: Wilcox's artwork graces the walls of sun house studios in Clarksdale�
There, artists and musicians learn and practice or simply sit and enjoy a show�
oPPosiTe PaGe: Wilcox performs with steve Gardner (guitar), bill steber
(harmonica) and dudley Tardo (drums)�
mississippilegends.com 37
apartment above her studio, which is just beginning to show its potential in the
heart of downtown Clarksdale. “The goal, and this is something I have wanted
to do all my life since I became in adult, is not just to display artwork. That is
what galleries do. We are a gallery, but we are also a community center and an
education center. We have a 20-foot stage, but we don’t just do blues. We also do
other kinds of music because people are eclectic . That is the spirit of our gallery,
to embrace who you are. We are all helping each other.”
The studio and attached living space is a culmination of years of searching
for just the right place – from Chicago to the Mississippi Delta - to hang her
many hats. It is as complex as its owner. “Sun House is the name of the studio,”
Wilcox says. “It is a play on words; a metaphor. It goes back to the musician who
is from here. The man is Son House. Sun House means a happy, peaceful place.
It is kind of like a house of peace.”
She figures she has found just the right building in just the right town. “The
first time I came to Clarksdale, it was magical for me. I thought, ‘here is a little
town that doesn’t have much going on, but the little they do have they are trying
really hard to make it work.’ That impressed me. I came back for King Biscuit
(festival) and I thought the town was really cool. I could see the potential was
here and I moved in here in July. Downstairs is a community space. It has a
stage, the gallery where l can also show the kids’ work. I love it.”
The renovations, she says, were more than $200,000. The floors downstairs
are hand-painted by Wilcox, and the walls are hand-plastered – also by Wilcox.
Art is found in every nook and cranny, from jewelry to quilting, furniture,
paintings, sculptures and even in the building’s design. The stage is created
from rustic wood planking and beams flanked by a tin roof. Tables and chairs
welcome guests to sit and enjoy the music or create their own work of art.
Her works of art often draw inspiration from sayings she heard over the years
during her culturally diverse childhood. One work depicts musicians literally
raising the dead with their boisterous music. Another painting shows a woman
whistling and a chicken in a tree, an effort to debunk the saying that a “whistling
girl and a crowing hen come to no good end.” Her work often includes colorful
stained glass windows and woven quilts that embody a variety of cultures and
people working together. And she is a blend of cultures, herself. Her self-
described work is “amalgamation instead of assimilation.” She can describe in
intricate detail what she was thinking when she created her work and what she
wants the viewer to see.
“Every piece shows where you are at that time in your head. I have a lot of
African mythology in my work. I came up in a Baptist and Pentecostal church.
I like to research and paint what I see. My work is from the heart. I started
painting the stories in my own way. A lot of my pieces deal with mythology and
storytelling. I am playing with it and I am putting new light on them.”
Her impaired vision does present a challenge, especially in a field so dependent
38 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 39
of visual images and light patterns. “My world is different. I have a retinal
eye disease. The retina has atrophy. Everything in the middle died. This
happened when I was 21 years old. This is an eye disease that is genetic. I
didn’t know it was coming.”
And now, with her vision at 20/230 and 20/240, she manages to create
art and manage her daily duties at the college. “I have one (magnifier) in my
classroom and one by my desk. One is portable. I take it everywhere I go at
work. Zoom text is a program on the computer that I use. I cannot read text
on a computer without it. Mac has a built-in magnification program, and
it is pretty good. It is nice to have a good built-in program. Without that I
cannot read a computer because the text is just not big enough. “
Ultimately, she envisions making art a part of life for some who might
never get a chance to experience the joys of creating it. “On top of all that,
my long-term goal and what I want to do is to set up workshops in the
summer during my down time at school,” she says. “I actually have a master’s
degree in art therapy. I was a therapist for ten years before I ever started
teaching.
“My two special populations are autistic kids and blind kids. I have had
people call me from all over the country, who work with blind kids, who ask
what can I do art-wise with this child. How can I help this visually impaired
child with art? I tell them I have a whole big, fat list. We can actually do
Braille art, and then take the Braille art concept and write the words. Then,
we can take it to another level where we write sun and then create a sun. We
also use raised materials. I teach people over the phone how they can take
clay and pottery and sculpture and soft sculpture and crocheting where you
count and feel the knots. “
Her art, she says, is the vehicle that will leave her legacy. The future of
the world, she says, is in the hands of its children and grandchildren. “Kids
are being faced with more now than ever,” she says. “We need prayer. This
(spirituality) is who I am. This is a big part of me. We are passing information
on to our next generation. My mom and dad are from Mississippi and most
of my relatives are heavy on humor. They are always cracking jokes. I grew
up in storytelling and I use a lot of that in my art.” l
Our menu of art and artists is as varied and satisfying
as the food that makes Mississippi famous. Using
local ingredients, our artists create one-of-a-kind
pieces that reflect our rich culture. Whatever your
taste, we can satisfy it with prices to fit any budget.
So come in today and savor the flavor of the best of
Mississippi art.
Our menu of art and artists is as varied and satisfying as the food that makes Mississippi famous. Using local ingredients, our artists create one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect our rich culture. Whatever your taste, we
can satisfy it with prices to fit any budget.
We also offer art classes, individual exhibitions, special events and custom framing to satisfy all your artistic cravings.So come in today and savor the flavor of
the best of Mississippi art.
Caron -Prince Gallery ad 3.875x9.875.indd 1 10/11/12 9:13:43 AM
40 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 41
by Joe leePhotograPhs by MiChael barrett
a steP baCK
in tiMesuperior service and impeccable food are the hallmarks of The Mayflower
Tucked away on the corner of West Capitol and Roach streets in Jackson is The Mayflower Café, a timeless restaurant known far and wide for mouth-watering fresh seafood and its equally tantalizing family recipe, comeback sauce. There’s so much charm and character in the décor that scenes from the smash films “The Help” and “Ghosts of Mississippi,” were shot there. “The key to our success is consistency,” said owner Jerry Kountouris, who has been at the helm since 2005. “People get what they expect when they come here. We’re still in business because of the tradition of older Jackson families bringing their children, who grow up and bring their own children. On a Friday night, I can call 40-50 percent of our customers by name.” Friday night regulars include Rees and Claire Barksdale and Ralph and Linda Farr of Jackson. Luminaries such as Eudora Welty, Willie Morris, Hal Holbrook, Governor William Winter and U.S. Senator Trent Lott have all enjoyed meals at The Mayflower through the years. They’re open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner Monday through Saturday. “My family started taking me in the mid 1980s when I was a teenager,” said Sam Williford
of Madison. “It’s definitely a unique atmosphere, as it has not changed much over the years. You really step back in time when you walk in the door.” Far removed from the cookie-cutter style national seafood chain restaurants, The Mayflower features two aisles of comfortable red booths flanking a row of tables topped with white tablecloths. The black and white linoleum floor completes the look. The walls are lined with black and white pictures of Mississippi celebrities ranging from Archie Manning to Mary Ann Mobley. Soft drinks are retrieved from an old Coca-Cola cooler. The comeback sauce is in unmarked bottles and brought to each table with white cloth napkins and silverware. “My favorite menu item is the Large Mayflower Greek Salad,” Williford said. “However, my favorite non-menu item is to simply pour the salad dressing on crackers. Sometimes I will take a bottle home to enjoy. The last time I did that, I ate an entire tube of crackers with their salad dressing for supper. It’s the best comeback dressing in town.” Kountouris grew up in the Westland Plaza area of Jackson and graduated from Provine High
cuisine
leFT To riGhT: one of the wildly popular Mayflower plate lunches, the hamburger steak Plate, includes turnip greens, field peas, a small Greek salad, cornbread and peach cobbler. • The entrance to the Mayflower still sports tile work set in place in the late 1950s. • Eggplant Josephine is served with jumbo lump crab meat and Hollandaise sauce. • The daily lunch menu is always written on a chalkboard for passersby�
42 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 43
“School in 1969. A Pharmacy major at Ole Miss, he didn’t join the restaurant until 1990. But he had a front-row seat, as his father, Mike, spent nearly 70 years with The Mayflower until his death in 2005. That stretch was interrupted during World War II, when Mike Kountouris served as a paratrooper and was awarded the Purple Heart. It was pinned to him by “Wild” Bill Donovan, who at the time headed up the O.S.S. (the predecessor of the C.I.A). “My dad had many sayings,” Kountouris said. “One of them was, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ We’re not fine dining, but we’re not fast food, either. We’re a mix of great plate lunches and fresh seafood. I take my dad’s approach to preparing seafood, and the menu is almost exactly the same as what he served, other than a couple of items I added—Crab Bisque and Eggplant Josephine. “Customers tell us we have one of the best wait staffs in the city. My cook, Candace Hatten, has been here 23 years. Crystal Watson on the wait staff has been here 15 years. Charlotte Cannon has been here 12 years, and her mom, Polly Perry, was here under my dad for 20 years. When I bring in someone new, they’re shown the ropes by employees who’ve been here for years.” Craig and Mary Leslie Plumhoff of Houston, Texas, were tipped off about the Jackson landmark by fellow Houstonian John Adkins on a recent plane trip to the
if my husband and i aren’t at The Mayflower each Friday night, we’re in i.C.u.”
leFT, top to bottom: Personal greetings from Jerry Kountrouris are the norm at the Mayflower restaurant� • Out-of-town technicians and engineers get a hearty lunch. From L-R they are; Donnie Hamblin of Tupelo, rodney lyle, douglassville, Ga�, Chris Cain, durant, derick bunch, Madison and Josh Kraft, Yazoo City. • Server Jennifer Yagow takes an order at lunch time. • Proudly serving their evening customers at the Mayflower are left, Crystal Watson, who has been serving there for more than 14 years and Charlotte Cannon, right, who has been serving for more than 15 years�
capital city. “We were headed to Oxford for the football game (Ole Miss vs. Texas on September 15), and John told us, ‘You gotta have lunch at this place,’” Craig Plumhoff said. “My wife and I had hamburger steak, turnip greens, field peas, chicken and dumplings, fried okra and peach cobbler. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Maypearl, Texas, and it was the best lunch I’ve had since eating with them.” Like many business owners, Kountouris felt the effects of the economic downturn in late 2008 and early 2009, and again in the aftermath of the BP oil spill two summers ago. There were delays in getting fresh seafood for a time, and at one point he suspended serving oysters and soft shell crabs. But his first years with the restaurant presented an even bigger challenge. “I remember the Reagan years being very good,” Kountouris said. “But the downtown area regressed, and things really dropped off after that. We were barely in business around 1993 and 1994, and I told my dad I wasn’t sure the restaurant would make it. “A big part of our turnaround was Jack Kyle (then the executive director of the Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange, Inc.), who brought The Palaces of St. Petersburg and other tourism exhibits to Jackson in the later part of the decade. That brought a lot of people downtown for lunch, and we got a lot
44 november. december 2012
busier and thankfully stayed that way.” The Farrs are close friends of Kountouris and stayed loyal to him in those bleak days, urging him to give The Mayflower several more years and assuring him that if he stuck to the overall recipe for success—the best seafood in town, excellent service and a fun place to enjoy a great meal—everything would be fine. “It’s the only restaurant in Jackson I know of where you get fresh, quality seafood from the Gulf Coast,” Linda Farr said. “Jerry personally selects his fish and hand-cuts it himself. He employs only first-rate waitresses, and the ambience is so local—to refurbish it would ruin the atmosphere. You sit there and know everybody and have fun.” The Farrs even have a booth with their own plaque near the front doors. “Our friends Betty and Dick Mason and Charlene and Bill Foushee asked Jerry if they could put it up,” Farr said. “Jerry gave them permission, and we were tickled. It’s the booth we sit in. If my husband and I aren’t at The Mayflower each Friday night, we’re in I.C.U.” l
Want to go?
The Mayflower is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. And for dinner Monday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
123 West Capitol Street Jackson (601) 355-4122
mississippilegends.com 45
46 november. december 2012
feature story
mississippilegends.com 47
48 november. december 2012
omething is boiling in Enon, Mississippi. Literally.
Milton Dunaway and his family are among the few families
left in the state who cook down their own sugar cane for syrup
making. They have for generations. In this age of convenience and
modernization, when it may be easier to drive to the local box store and
buy pre-packaged, mass-produced sweeteners and syrups, people like
Dunaway are a bit of a dying breed.
Dunaway and his clan process cane from an old weathered pine
building that has withstood perhaps hundreds of fall and wintertime
cane cooking sessions. This part of Mississippi is good for sugar cane
production, and, even today, small family farms that grow an acre or two
are sparsely spread apart throughout the county, reminders of the pre-
industrialized farming lifestyle of the past.
“My great grandfather started making sugar cane syrup … I just
follow the tradition,” he says. “This is probably the fourth generation.
And I have a son and a nephew that’s following after me; we just handed
it down.”
The cooking of cane for syrup has a long history in the state. At one
time, it provided the only source of sweetener for rural Mississippians,
and it was a normal part of life on the small farm. According to Dunaway,
“Back in my grandfather’s day, everybody used sugar cane syrup just
about every day. They used it instead of sugar in coffee. They’d put it on
pancakes. They’d use it the same way they now use sugar from the store.”
Stories of those involved with cane syrup processing report that
during World War II when sugar was rationed, the crystallizations that
often form in processed cane syrup were used in place of hard-to-find
granulated sugar. Nowadays, crystallizations in syrup are not desirable,
and additives such as vinegar prevent it. But back then, such crystallization
seemed like a godsend in times of rationing.
The season begins in early fall with the processing of Sorghum for
molasses. And for those who prefer cane-based molasses, the season begins
a bit later. Although Sorghum is easier to grow, cane is greatly preferred as
a sweetener because it offers a higher sugar content. In addition, the cooler
temperatures found during the cane season make the cooking process a
more attractive option.
Dunaway says his 40 gallons of syrup usually take up to three weeks to
process. The process involves stripping the stalks from a freshly harvested
four acres, topping them off, and hauling it all to the mill, or “squeezer,”
as some refer. In Dunaway’s case, the mill is located in the old building on
his property. “It takes five or six hours to do one cooking,” he says. “I got
a vat that holds 230 gallons of juice. We put it in the vat, cook it, skim it
off, cook the water out of it. You got to know when it needs to come off,
or you’ll burn it. You’ve got to know what you’re doing.”
And it appears that Dunaway does. Neighbors and family clamor for
a taste of his syrup, and he claims that some will down it straight. “I
distribute it around to my kinfolk, as far away as Baton Rouge or Texas.”
So far, he has no interest in any large commercial prospects: “You’re not
gonna get rich on it,” he notes.
mississippilegends.com 49
Although by all indications Dunaway’s technique may be antiquated
and steeped in tradition, he says there are mills that still do it the old
way: “In the old days, they had a horse-driven mill, where the horse
went around and around in circles. And a lot of people actually still do.
But we don’t—I have a power mill. We use gas now. But back in the old
days, they used lighters. Pine lighters.”
To Dunaway, the yearly event is about two things: taste and
tradition. “I just like to fool with it. I like the taste of my syrup, and
nobody else’s,” he says. “’Cause I know how my daddy taught me, and
how my grandpa taught him. It’s just like people butchering their own
hogs and making their own sausage. We do that, too, but it’s all a dying
art.”
Like most who cling to the Deep South’s folkways of the past, the
Dunaway family does it because they believe in the values inherent in
the tradition. “The family farm is really going away,” he says. “That’s a
lot of the reason for kids turning out the way they are, as a bunch of
hoodlums.
“I was raised, and my kids were raised, that every morning at four
o’clock we were down there in that dairy barn milkin’ cows. And then
when nighttime comes, you ate your supper and you got your bath
and got to bed. You wasn’t going down in town somewhere, getting in
trouble.”
He estimates eight to ten other Walthall County families cook their
own syrup.
“And there’s a couple of people over near Liberty that cook syrup.
The closer you get into Louisiana, near Franklinton, there’s more people
still foolin’ with it.” l
• did you know? • Apparently, all sugar cane is not the same. As with most crops,
different varieties can provide for great taste variations in the end
product. Every year, cane growers looking to try out different types will
get their seed cane from Mississippi State’s South Mississippi Branch
Experiment Station (SMBES), located in Poplarville, in Pearl River
County. According to Scott Langlois, Research Associate at the Station,
“The SMBES is proud to play a small part in preserving a Southern
tradition by providing a source for farmers and hobbyists to purchase
seed sugarcane.”
It is the work of researchers such as Langlois who help keep the
“dying art” of syrup processing alive. By helping growers to more
accurately select cane that meets a particular taste profile, such research
combines old-world tradition with modern research. And apparently,
researchers like Langlois understand the role that sugar cane plays in
Mississippi folkways. “Most of the buyers of seed sugarcane are small
hobbyists who share a similar story,” he says. “They all desire to preserve
the tradition of making sugarcane syrup, recognizing it as a ritual that
helps to bind communities and families. They work very hard to ensure
that the knowledge and tradition are not lost between generations.”
oPPosiTe: Milton dunaway walks to the weathered pine building where he and his family have cooked cane syrup for generations�
above ToP: earl Washington helps pull sugar cane from the mill as he makes cane syrup with Milton dunaway in enon�
CenTer, boTToM: e� J� holmes feeds sugar cane into the mill�
50 november. december 2012
above: steam rises from Milton dunaway's shed during the cane syrup cooking process. • The syrup making process is a delicate one. In Milton Dunaway's case,
the process has been handed down from generations, and he's passing the knowledge on to his own son�
riGhT: Preston Fairborn cooks down cane syrup in enon�
mississippilegends.com 51
I got a vat that holds 230 gallons of juIce.We put It In the vat, cook It, skIm It off, cook the Water out of It. You got to knoW When It needs to come off, or You’ll burn It. You’ve got to knoW What You’re doIng.”
❝
52 november. december 2012
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mississippilegends.com 53
historic revitalization Keeps the arts alive across Mississippi
sAving mississippi’s theAters
by Kara Martinez baChManPhotograPhs by JaMes edWard bates
feature
The
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f the
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e veryone was surprised by the turnout on the day the movie stars returned
to Bay St. Louis.
The historic building on Blaize Avenue in downtown was packed with people
eager to catch a glimpse of celebrity. It was hot inside, where the floorboards
creaked and every spare inch was filled with audience; outside, the overflow
covered the walkways. The audience was there to celebrate two things: the grand
opening of the new location of the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre and the return
of two actors whose mark had been made on the entertainment industry as well
as on this artsy beachside town. This day, and every day since, has illustrated the
important role that historic architectural revitalization plays in the cultural life of
towns and cities across Mississippi.
On that day one year ago, Academy Award-nominated actress Mary Badham
sat on the newly renovated theatre stage with actor John Provost, and both
recounted their days of shooting the 1966 film “This Property Is Condemned,”
based on the one-act play of native Mississippian Tennessee Williams. Starring
Natalie Wood and Robert Redford, this drama was partially filmed on-site in and
around the neighborhood of the three-story building on Blaize Avenue, not far
from the historic Bay St. Louis L&N Train Depot.
Badham, who was given a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role
as Scout in the classic film “To Kill a Mockingbirg,” recounted memories of
54 november. december 2012
her opening scene, shot across the street from the
theatre, alongside the CSX railroad tracks of old town
Bay St. Louis. John Provost, who had starred as the
beloved character Timmy in the “Lassie” television
series, sat alongside her and waxed nostalgic about
times spent filming on the tracks in the stifling heat of
south Mississippi. The audience ate it up; some present
remembered those days of decades ago, when Hollywood
came to town and The Bay was turned upside down.
The theatre so enamored location scouts, they chose
its exterior to represent the Starr Boarding House of
the film, which boasted a screenplay written by Francis
Ford Coppola. The story of this property is not about
Hollywood, but rather its importance that revitalization
of historic architecture plays in a culture.
The three-story building was believed to have been
erected sometime between 1916 and 1929 (sources
disagree on the exact year). Details provided by the Bay
St. Louis Little Theatre (BSLLT), Hancock County
Historical Society and other sources paint a partial picture
of the origins of the building. The cinder-block style bricks
used in the building’s construction were hand-shaped by
Bay St. Louis merchant and original owner of the home
Andreas Scafidi. The historical record shows that the first
floor was used as a general store, and the upper floors
were used to house Scafidi’s family during earlier days in
The Bay. Over the years, the building traded hands and
has been used even as a bottling location for Dr. Nut,
an amaretto-flavored soft drink headquartered in New
Orleans.
The building that houses the BSLLT was not unlike
the Starr Boarding House of the film; in later years, it fell
into neglect and disrepair. What appeared to be the final
chapter for the Scafidi house came with the bracing winds
and tidal rush of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the structure
appeared to be a goner. That is, until the theatre, which
had just lost its playhouse due to the storm, came in
and rescued the dilapidated home. According to BSLLT
Board President Cheryl Grace, the decision to rejuvenate
a historic property was a no-brainer: “We could have had
a steel building up within a year and started productions.
But we, as a board, made the decision to find a still-
standing building in the community and restore it. This
was definitely the harder path to go, but our community
leFT: built in the earlier part of the 20th Century, the theater once served as a home, a general store and a bottling location�
it was renovated into a theater when after the bay st� louis little Theatre lost its playhouse in Katrina�
mississippilegends.com 55
lost so much that we thought if we could save just one
building from being razed because of Katrina damage, we
would be doing our part for the struggling community.”
A grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, combined
with private donations and memberships, helped to
restore the building to its former glory and solidify a new
home for theater in Hancock County.
According to Grace, this restoration was a critical
part of renewing downtown. She says, “We took a ma
and pa grocery store from the 1920’s and breathed new,
creative life into it. I bet Mr. Scafidi could never have
imagined what his original sweat and effort was going to
be adapted to do. We felt if the community could see this
project emerge, see an abandoned building get new life
after Katrina, see the human effort go into it, it would
certainly provide inspiration for the renewal of each of
their lives. Theatre inspires, connects, energizes. Theatre
matters.”
It is stories such as these that tend to come up time
and again when we look deeply at historic architectural
revitalization. There always seem to be last minute
rescues and local heroes. And often the retrofitting of old
buildings for new purposes tends to breathe extra life into
downtowns that may tend towards lethargy. In the case of
the Little Theatre, the renovation was part of something
that went well beyond revitalization; in the post-Katrina
landscape, every project of this type seems a little like
rebirth.
The same element of rebirth is happening more than
200 miles north in Cleveland. In this Delta town, the
Ellis Theater, built in 1927, is the focus of an effort to
revitalize an aged theater that was once and important
focal point in the lives of locals. In its heyday, the theater
aired the great old westerns, musicals and blockbuster
films of the golden age of Hollywood. Now, The Delta
Arts Alliance is bringing the old theater back into
relevance. The Alliance has recently received funding
to continue its ongoing restoration of this old place of
entertainment and community. This time, the focus
is on continuing to renovate the theater and use it in
riGhT, top to bottom: The ellis Theater, built in 1927, is the focus of an effort to revitalize an aged theater that was once an important focal point in the lives of locals� in its heyday, the theater aired the great old westerns, musicals and blockbuster films of the golden age of Hollywood. • Constructed sometime around 1950, the new roxy served the african-american community of Clarksdale and was a main hub for the social life of the neighborhood. • Although a full restoration of the building has not yet completed, owner robin Colonas has begun using it for social and community functions�
56 november. december 2012
conjunction with an already operating Arts Annex to provide an array of cultural and art
opportunities to locals.
Funded partially by private donations and partially by a grant through the Mississippi
Arts Commission, the theater renovation will hopefully bring an arts and entertainment
“address” to downtown Cleveland. According to Larry Morrisey, who works with the
Building Fund for the Arts Projects of the Mississippi Arts Commission, “Historic
downtown theaters were important gathering points in small-town Mississippi for much
of the 20th Century. While it’s not feasible for most of them to still show movies, we’ve
seen in numerous towns how old
theaters have been transformed
into arts centers that serve multiple
uses for the community.”
Sometimes, local heroes take the
re-purposing of old buildings into
their own hands. Such is the case
with Robin Colonas, owner of the
New Roxy Theater, located in the
New World District of Clarksdale.
Constructed sometime around
1950, the New Roxy served the
African-American community of
Clarksdale and was a main hub for
the social life of the neighborhood.
Although a full restoration of the
building has not yet completed,
owner Colonas bought the
building in 2008 but did not want
to wait for a complete renovation
to begin utilizing the space for
social and entertainment-related
events. It is being used for musical
performances, private events, and
even theater productions, such
as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, staged
by a traveling troupe from Iowa.
Despite lacking a roof and being
mostly open to the elements, to
Colonas, getting the New Roxy
functional in any capacity was
an important goal: “Instead of it
being just an empty building people walk by, I wanted it to be an important part of the
community. A lot of customers are tourists, and it has drawn a lot of people to this part of
town, which was important to music back in the day.”
To Colonas, however, saving the old building means something more than the simply
tangible means preserving memories for the people of Clarksdale: “Every day that I am
there, people will tell me stories of coming there as a kid. They talk about their first
date in the theater, and about the woman who ran the theater, who went on to become
Clarksdale’s first female police officer.”
The renovation of the Saenger Theater in Biloxi has served to enhance the creative vibe
of downtown Biloxi; now, there is an ever growing selection of art galleries and museums
(some of which are housed in historic structures themselves), which serve to bring a
youthful, upscale vibe to the old sections of the city. Built in 1929, the theater hosted
some of the earliest talkie films of cinema and provided a stage for vaudeville acts and
traveling shows. The beautiful sign on the theater exterior is an iconic image for people
of the Gulf Coast, which attests to the importance of keeping such architectural treasures
alive. For people of the coast, who
lost so much during Hurricane
Katrina, these buildings tell the
story of Mississippi.
Many towns and cities
in Mississippi seem to have
their examples of this type of
revitalization. In Meridian, the
beautiful Victorian-era MSU-Riley
Center sat unused for decades
until it was restored to its former
glory in the early 2000’s under
the management of Mississippi
State University. It now serves
as a prime entertainment venue
for the people of Meridian, and
brings international performers
of all types. More importantly,
it has brought a new energy to
downtown Meridian.
A few blocks away is the
renewal story of The Temple
Theater for the Performing Arts.
The theater was built in the early
1920’s, by the Hamasa Shriners. In
2009, retired Texan businessman
Roger Smith (another hero of
the historic renovation story of
the state) purchased the building,
which had seen continuous but
sparse use since the 1970s. The
Moorish Revival style building
now features musical performances and film screenings, including a recent showing of
Buster Keaton’s “The General” from the silent movie days in which it was built.
The buildings themselves are said to offer meaningful histories; they are relics from
times when things were not about efficiency or about mass-production, but were about
carefully handcrafted structures that were meant to last. Whether accurately restored or
retrofitted for modern use, they reflect and foster the creative soul of the town for which
they were built. l
The Meridian Opera House sat vacant from 1927 to 2006 when Mississippi State opened its doors as the MSU Riley Center. The theater now adds to the cultural vibrance of Meridian's downtown.
mississippilegends.com 57 texas businessman roger Smith bought Meridian's temple theater in 2009.
Since then he has worked to restore the theater to its original splendor.
1001 E County Line Rd ● Jackson, MS 39211 601.957.2800
www.jacksonhilton.com
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ate
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For more information or reservations contact [email protected]
72 hour cancellation required
Entertainment provided by “The Consoulers” from Nashville, TN
NEW YEAR’S EVE
58 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 59
feature
by Kara Martinez baChManPhotograPhy by JaMes edWard bates
Craft beer fans tip their steins to progress
new laws allowing higher alcohol content in beer have
finally come to the cities and towns of Mississippi. One of these
towns is Kiln, located a few minutes from the waters of the Gulf
Coast.
When driving through Kiln, not much seems out of the ordinary.
There is a large plywood sign announcing it as the home of retired
NFL quarterback Brett Favre. There is also a colorful mural of
football helmets gracing the side wall of Dolly’s Quick Stop Gas
Station, which serves as meeting point central for this tightly-knit
community. But aside from these peculiarities, this rural community
appears to be typical of the rest of south Mississippi.
Until, that is, you take a close look at its history. Kiln (called
“The Kill” by locals) was, and is, a hotspot for the crafting of adult
beverages. From Prohibition era bootlegging to today’s craft beer
operation of Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company, Kiln has a heritage
of alcohol production that may not be immediately evident. If a
traveler were driving down Highway 603 for a weekend trip to the
sandy beaches of the Sound, the town may appear to be nothing
more than a stoplight intersection, a pit stop really, on a country
road headed to where the action is down south. But this perception
does not tell the truth of this area, or of its deep history as a distilling
– and now brewing – hotspot.
In his book, “Kiln Kountry,” local author Dan Ellis outlines
the vital role the small town played in illegal whiskey production,
beginning with the 1908 Mississippi Prohibition Act. From the
Piney Woods of South Mississippi to the nearby urban center of
New Orleans, Kiln was known as a prime supplier of knock ‘em
dead moonshine. According to Ellis, “Kiln liquor had a reputation
for high alcoholic proof and went under such names as Jourdan
River Dew, White Lightening and Shinny, etc. Many and amusing
were the tall tales circulated about the effect of drinking Kiln liquor,
and customers from areas of Chicago, Galveston and sections of
Tennessee were buyers of wholesale quantities.”
Nowadays, a legal producer is following in the local tradition of
handcrafting adult beverages. Located in Kiln, the Lazy Magnolia
Brewing Company is producing not whiskey, but some of the finest
regional beers around. This craft brewery has been in operation since
2005 and was the first viable commercial brewery to operate in the
state of Mississippi.
Lazy Magnolia offers unique brews reflecting a Southern vibe.
A prime example is their popular Southern Pecan, touted by the
company as being the first beer in the world made with whole
roasted pecans. Such offerings have increased rapidly in popularity
and availability - they can now be found in most quality bars and
restaurants in the state, as well as in several other Southern states.
Although the products of Lazy Magnolia are quite different in
purpose, taste, legality and safety than those offered by their under-
the-radar backwoods predecessors, the brewery, and others through
the years who have attempted commercial beer production in
the state, have had to deal with laws designed to restrict alcohol
production to choke hold levels. Although the national Prohibition
laws were repealed in 1933, the state of Mississippi clung to the
restrictions for some decades after, which aided the continuation of
the trade that was often unsafe and shady, but that made life bearable
for local people when times were tough. “Kiln Kountry” among
other sources, documents that a trade in moonshine of one type or
another flourished in Kiln until as late as 1966, when Mississippi
went “wet” but put in place a state-run wholesale distribution
system. The system involved heavy-handed control of allowable
products as well as taxes and restrictive regulations, many of which
remain in effect today. Through the years, modest deregulation has
allowed the distilling of spirits — but the steps toward reversing
decades of restrictions on adult beverage consumption and sale have
been more reminiscent of baby-steps than of huge leaps.
In this comparison to the old stills of “The Kill,” present laws do
not resemble those of the hardcore years between 1908 and 1966.
oPPosiTe: lazy Magnolia, located in Kiln, has been producing fine regional beers since 2005 as the first viable commercial brewery to operate in the state� These days high alcohol content laws allow for the production of a wider range of brews for beer aficionados�
60 november. december 2012
Brewers, however, have still had to deal with a state government that prefers to hold
tight to the reins.
Prior to July 1, the highest alcohol content allowed in Mississippi beer was five
percent by weight; new legislative changes now allow for up to eight percent. As
the only state in the nation to limit beer Alcohol by Weight (ABW) to five percent,
Mississippi had seemed, at least to beer fans, to be a bit antiquated. In addition to
allowing the higher alcohol content, breweries will now be allowed to offer tastings
during tours, which is a critical component of the brewery tour experience.
According to Mark Henderson, Owner of Lazy Magnolia, in the past his brewery
tours were less-than-ideal. He confesses to occasionally deterring visitors in order to
avoid the inevitable outcome of disappointment; most visitors expected a tasting at
the end of the tour. According to Henderson, “Now we’re going to have the ability
to really promote our brand, to give people exposure to all of the wonderful flavors.”
The new loosening of restrictions means Lazy Magnolia can now move into a
taste territory that had been previously prohibited. The newest addition, Timber
Beast, is a nod to the heritage of the industry historically found in their community:
logging. The team describes the new recipe: “Resting at an 8.5% ABV, this spicy,
full-bodied rye pale ale balanced with a generous dose of Zythos hops will be the
first brew in Lazy Magnolia’s Back Porch Series.” The first pour of Timber Beast took
place during a celebratory midnight ceremony, held at the very moment the new
laws went into effect. The brewery also plans for an expansion that will involve an
increase in their capacity from 15,000 barrels per year to 45,000 barrels per year, the
addition of an attractive tasting room and a doubling in the number of employees.
The recent change means there will be more beers available in Mississippi bars,
restaurants and nightclubs. It also serves the economic purpose of keeping dollars in
the state, since imbibers no longer need to cross state lines to enjoy a diverse range of
flavors.
Lazy Magnolia’s Will Mestayer sees the value in local options: “As a brand
manager for Lazy Magnolia, I have been able to talk to consumers out in the market
and ask them why they drink our beer. Most of the answers I got have simply been
‘Well, I saw it was the only thing from Mississippi on tap, and once I tried it, I fell in
love.’ From the catfish farm to the tomato stand on the side of a road, Mississippians
love local products.”
According to Mestayer, the state stands to benefit greatly from the ‘keep it
local’ aspect of the craft beer business. “It is not simply a matter of providing more
choices,” says Mestmayer. “The new laws have allowed Mississippi to catch up with
the rest of the country on the education in good beer. The new laws are going to
help the state out economically by making it easier for more breweries to open in
the state. New breweries in the state mean more jobs for Mississippians, as well as a
better knowledge of beer and all the complex flavors we have grown to love.”
Lazy Magnolia may see increased competition as new changes will encourage
fledgling operations to begin tapping kegs. One such brew competitor is the
Crooked Letter Brewing Company, which plans to have their taps flowing before
the end of 2012. Crooked Letter, planned to be situated in the artsy coastal town
of Ocean Springs, is a company that will be glad to serve a higher alcohol product.
According to Wanda Blacksmith, owner and CEO, “There are certain beer profiles,
such as aroma and flavor, that can only be achieved at those levels. Our beers are
truly handcrafted artisan ales, and the recent laws give us more freedom to achieve
unique, very flavorful beers.”
The new steps forward please end-consumers of craft and import suds, such as
above: The first pour of lazy Magnolia's Timber beast took place during a celebratory midnight ceremony,
held at the very moment the new beer alcohol law went into affect� The beer is a nod to the heritage of
the region's timber industry�
mississippilegends.com 61
Richard Anderson, of Diamondhead. “Being able to purchase craft beers just around
the corner from my house is a delicious convenience,” he says. Like Anderson, many
beer aficionados are celebrating the recent changes not because of the “buzz” the alcohol
affords, but because of the added choices of craft beers in the local marketplace. “The
high alcohol content to me is a kind of non-issue,” he says. “We’ve always had access to
wines and 80 proof liquors.”
Just as the fight to repeal Prohibition was spearheaded by influential business leaders
and citizen groups that had coalesced into political forces, so, too, have beer fans from
across the state taken up the agenda to bring liberty to brewery operations. A non-
profit organized group, Raise Your Pints, formed to fight for the relaxing of laws on
alcohol content. The group was designed to encourage the establishment of a craft beer
industry in Mississippi. Part of achieving this goal required changing the antiquated,
post-Prohibition laws that had been on the books since the 1960s, and many see the
efforts of Raise Your Pints as having had a strong influence on recent progress.
According to Butch Bailey, Raise Your Pints president and founder, “It’s tough to
overstate how important this was for craft beer culture here. If you look across the U.S.,
you see craft beer playing a much larger role in the beer scene and locally produced
beer being much more important. Mississippi has missed out on a lot of that due to the
terribly low alcohol restriction.”
A rapidly growing and devoted following is helping give rise to changes long in
coming. Despite recent successes, Bailey says Raise Your Pints has accomplished only
a small part of its goal: “Our next priority is making home-brewing beer legal in
Mississippi, as it already is in 48 other states. In addition to home-brewing legislation,
we are still working every day to educate Mississippians about craft beer and why it’s
such a special type of product. I mean, you’re talking about something that literally
dates to the dawn of human civilization.” l
• Facts For Beer newBies •Here’s the scoop, according to BeerAdvocate.com:
– Not only did the ancient Sumerians brew beer, they also
worshiped a goddess named Ninkasi, Goddess of Brewing and
Beer.
– The first Oktoberfest in Munich was held in 1810, more than
200 years ago.
– Beers have been made with every ingredient under the sun,
including unexpected items such as peanut butter, seaweed,
lavender, pickled ginger and oysters.
– Wheat beers, such as German Hefeweizens, are traditionally
cloudy beers served with yeast sediment in the bottom of the
glass.
– There are two different ways to calculate alcohol content:
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and Alcohol by Weight (ABW); do
not get them confused.
– The first known brewery in the New World was established
on the southern tip of what is now present-day Manhattan. The
year? 1612.
62 november. december 2012
mississippilegends.com 63
story and PhotograPhs by Marianne todd
64 november. december 2012
at Meridian’s temple theater for the Performing arts hank Williams,
Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline have all been resurrected – well, in a sense.
the new monthly tribute show also features Willie, Waylon and the boys.
the show, the Mississippi Jamboree, was developed by brothers larry
and Chuck bryant (big brothers to gov. Phil bryant) of Jackson, who emcee
and play with fellow Jackson musicians, some of whom have grammy awards
to their credit.
Hosted the first Saturday of each month, Temple director Roger Smith
says audience numbers are building as word spreads of the entertaining show.
With a red barn backdrop and hay bales to boot, the show is reminiscent of a
bygone era in country music, where Cash was king and hee haw ruled.
“the set is a close replica of the grand old opry,” smith says. “you’d
expect Minnie Pearl to come walking out on stage, price tag on her hat and
all. the quality of the entertainment is reminiscent of a texas-style band,
which has a swing to it, thanks to the steel guitar.”
smith said the show has a broad appeal to all country music lovers. it was
created after sucarnochee revue host Jackie Jack White took a full time job
as a hospice chaplain and could no longer do a regular show in Meridian.
“it’s a good cross-section of people from Mississippi and alabama,” he
says. “it’s a show that appeals to all levels and has a broad-based support.”
tickets are $10, and smith says he’s committed to keeping prices low.
“you cannot go anywhere and for a $10 investment get this much live
entertainment. Period. and that’s thanks to some very devoted local sponsors
we have,” he says. “it’s so appropriate that the show is housed at the temple
theater. it’s really a tribute to all the famous artists who have graced the stage
here, from elvis to hank Williams himself.”
the temple theater anchors the north end of the city’s entertainment
district and remains the “closest thing to the ryman auditorium (nashville’s
famed theater) there is in the state of Mississippi,” smith says. “but i think the
temple is much prettier and our seats are more comfortable.” l
the show begins at 7 p.m. and runs for two and a half hours. tickets are
available at the door. for more information, call the temple at (601) 693-5353.
LEFT, top to bottom: Susan Box wows the audience as Patsy Cline. • Bassist Steve Owen turns up the heat.• Jackson Attorney Trey Jones croons a Willie Nelson tune.
above: Gov� Phil bryant enjoys his brothers’ show from the side of backstage�
mississippilegends.com 65
What’s shakin’ around the state? bay st. louis Nov 17 ...................Crystal Gayle - Hollywood Casino - Bay St. Louis - www.hollywoodbsl.com – (866) 758-2591 Dec 31 ...................Little Freddie King - 100 Men Hall - www.100menhall.org - (228) 342-5770
biloxi Nov 19 ...................Chris Young - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 16 ...................Dierks Bentley - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 17 ...................Heart - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 17 ...................Bill Engvall - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000 Nov 23 ...................Ronnie Milsap - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 23 ...................Ray Stevens - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000 Nov 24 ...................Everclear - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 30 ...................Steel Magnolias - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 1 .....................The Irish Tenors - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 7 .....................Easton Corbin - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 8 .....................Michael Bolton - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 21 ...................Tony Orlando - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 28 ...................Leslie West & Friends - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 29 ...................REO Speedwagon - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000 Dec 30 ...................Little Big Town - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000
clarksdale Nov 17 ...................Victor WainWright and The WildRoots - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com (662) 621-9009 Nov 24 ...................Rowdy South - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009 Dec 15 ...................Jimbo Mathus - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009 Dec 22 ...................TCB Blues Band - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009 Dec 31 ...................New Year’s Eve Party with Super Chikan and The Fighting Cocks - Ground Zero ...............................www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009
cleveland Nov 15 ...................“The Boys Next Door” - Delta Center Stage - www.deltastage.com - (662) 378-9849 Nov 16 ...................“Shrek the Musical” - Bologna Performing Arts Center – www.bolognapac.com – (662) 846-4626
greenwood Nov 13 ...................Holiday Open House/YuleTide Trolley Ride - Downtown Greenwood - www.greenwoodms.com – (662) 453-4152 Nov 30 ...................Roy Martin Delta Band Festival - Downtown Greenwood - www.greenwoodms.com – (662) 453-4152
hattiesburg Nov 15-18 ..............“Legally Blonde” presented by the Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera - Saenger Theater ...............................www.hattiesburgsaenger.com - (601) 584-4888 Dec 1 .....................Ballet Magnificat!’s: “Most Incredible Christmas” - Saenger Theater - www.hattiesburgsaenger.com - (601) 584-4888 Dec 2 .....................The Forgotten Carols Symphony - Saenger Theater - www.hattiesburgsaenger.com - (601) 584-4888 Dec 4 .....................The USM Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Holiday Choral Spectacular” - Main Street Baptist Church ...............................www.usm.edu/music/symphony/events - (601) 296-8000
66 november. december 2012
jackson Every Mon ............Central MS Blues Society - Hal and Mal’s - www.halandmals.com - (601) 948-0888 Nov 13 ...................Blues Trail Marker for Otis Spann - www.msbluestrail.org Nov 14 ...................A.J. Croce - Duling Hall - www.ardenland.net - (601) 292-7121 Nov 14-18 ..............Disney on Ice Treasure Trove - Mississippi Coliseum - disney.go.com/disneyonice – (601) 353-0603 Nov 15 ...................Mary Gauthier with Scott Nolan - Duling Hall - www.ardenland.net - (601) 292-7121 Nov 16 ...................The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Chamber I” - Galloway United Methodist Church ...............................www.msorchestra.com - (601) 353-9691 Nov 20 & Dec 18...Unburied Treasures: Greatest Hits - Mississippi Museum of Art - www.msmuseumart.org - (601) 960-1515 Nov 23 ...................Molly Ringwald & Webb Wilder - Hal and Mal’s - www.halandmals.com - (601) 948-0888 Dec 1 .....................Toby Mac Hits Deep Tour- Mississippi Coliseum ...............................www.mdac.state.ms.us/departments/ms_fair_commission/upcoming-events.asp – (601) 353-0603 Dec 6 .....................Fondren After 5 - Historic Fondren District - www.fondren.org Dec 7-9 ..................Ballet Magnificat’s Carols by Candlelight - First Baptist Church Jackson - www.balletmagnificat.com - (601) 949-1900
madison Nov 29-Dec 2 ........“A Christmas Story” - Madison Square Center for the Arts - www.centerplayers.net
meridian Nov 1 & Dec 1.......The Mississippi Jamboree - Temple Theater - www.meridiantempletheater.com - (601) 693-5353 Nov 11 ...................Kenny Loggins - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com – (601) 696-2200 Nov 16 ...................The Four Tops - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com – (601) 696-2200 Dec 8 .....................The Meridian Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Peppermint Pops” - MSU Riley Center ...............................www.meridiansymphonyorchestra.com - (601) 696-2200 Dec. 9 ....................The Nutcracker, Temple Theater for the Performing Arts, 2 p.m., www.templetheater.com, (601) 693-5353. ...............................Tickets are $10, $20 and $30. Dec 15 ...................John Tesh Big Band Christmas - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com – (601) 696-2200
natchez Nov 23-Dec 23 ......Christmas in Natchez - Downtown Natchez – www.christmasinnatchez.com - (800) 647-6724
ocean springs Nov 3&4 ................34th Annual Peter Anderson Arts, Crafts & Food Festival - Downtown Ocean Springs - www.gulfcoast.org
oxford Nov 28 ...................Home Grown - The Ford Center - www.fordcenter.org - (662) 915-2787 Dec 16 ...................John Tesh: Big Band Christmas - The Ford Center - www.fordcenter.org - (662) 915-2787
tupelo Through Jan 31 .....Elvis Exhibit at the Welcome Center - Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau - www.tupelo.net (800) 533-0611 Dec 13-16 ..............Disney on Ice Worlds Of Fantasy - BancorpSouth Arena - www.bcsarena.com - (662) 841-6573
southaven Nov 17 ...................4th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Fest featuring Frankie Beverly and Maze - Landers Center ...............................www.landerscenter.com – (662) 470-2131 Nov 30-Dec 9 ........Annie - Landers Theatre - www.dftonline.org – (662) 470-2131
mississippilegends.com 67
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