Sunflower River Blues Festival Look Back

Becky Williams, Magical Madge and Shelley Ritter at Sunflower River Blues Festival 2008

By MAGICAL MADGE

Clarksdale, Mississippi (VIDEO)

Remember when the main stage was only about 12-feet-wide and was on a mobile trailer? I do. That was likely the mid ’90’s.

The Sunflower River Blues Festival used to be all we had here in Clarksdale, Mississippi, when it came to blues festivals. It was a big deal way back then because, growing up in the Mississippi Delta, we just never had many places to ever go hear live music.

Oh, in the 70’s, we were known to gather in a rural mechanics tin shed at night, push back the equipment and what not, then drag the soiled and found couches and chairs into the middle of the floor, and our musician friends would plug in and crank it up. That was our modified version of a juke joint, I guess.

Today, Clarksdale boasts live music seven nights a week. We couldn’t say that three years ago! We’ve come a long way, and more festivals are being birthed and they are growing year by year.

The Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival officially begins Thursday, August 7, 2014, for the Very Important People and begins for the rest of us on Friday, August 8, 9 and 10. CLICK HERE to check out the festival lineup.

Even though this festival is concentrated in one spot, the Delta Blues Museum stage, plus an acoustic stage, music abounds all over town in a multitude of places.

We have never limited our experience to just the main stage. We wander around. A lot. The various other venues include, but are not limited to: Red’s Lounge, Ground Zero Blues Club, Club 2000, Cat Head, Bluesberry Cafe, Delta Blues Room, Hambone Gallery, Rock & Blues Museum, Delta Amusement Cafe, Stone Pony, Yazoo Pass, Pink Bar, Delta Blues Alley Cafe, Hopson Commissary, Juke Joint Chapel and buskers on the corners.