So, up early for breakfast as we wanted to visit Elvis's birthplace before we left Tupelo. Very easy to find, quite unassuming. It is set back from the road, in some lovely gardens. It is what is known as a "shotgun shack". The front and back doors are in line with each other, so if someone shot through the front door, the bullets would go straight out the back door missing everyone inside.
It consisted of 2 rooms and Elvis and his parents would have shared the same bed in the front room. The back room had the stove and table and chairs. There was no toilet inside and it wouldn't have had electricity. His dad borrowed $180 dollars to buy the materials to build it and he had to sell it a few years later as he couldn't keep up the payments.
They then moved to Memphis and were living in the "project", social housing to you and me.
They were a really poor family, might explain why he helped so many people and liked to remember his roots.
There is also the chapel where he first went to church.
The whole place covers 15 acres and he bought the land and gave it to the city so that there would be some parkland in an area that didn't previously have any when he was growing up.
It was a really hot day, high 80's, so it was a relief to get in the car and put on the air conditioning.
The drive to Clarksdale was very pleasant, as always a fairly straight road, we'll sign posted and not very busy.
We passed through a town called Oxford and another one called Liverpool!
Eventually got to Clarksdale, looked for the hotel. Passed the Cossroads, where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil and that's how blues music started according to the legend.
Got downtown to the visitors centre but is was closed. However, we heard real loud music just across the street, some kind of concert going on.
We checked the map, found the hotel and got checked in. The staff were really friendly, asking us where we were from, what we were doing in Clarksdale, anything to keep us talking, as they just "lurve your accent, y'all"
Room was a good size, at the back, so nice and quiet.
We showered and looked at where Ground Zero blues club was. We also noticed that Red's, a famous juke joint was also nearby. We were going to eat at Ground Zero ,listen to some music and maybe try Red's later.
We got the receptionist to book us a cab, he turned up, had his wife in the front seat and charged us $8.50 each for a ride that should really only be $10. Think he must have been related to the receptionist,
Ground Zero is Downtown which is very neglected and is slowly being improved. Much of it is due to Ground Zero, part owned by Morgan Freeman and a guy called Bill Luckett.
It looks like an old warehouse from outside, there are couches and comfy chairs on the verandah out side, guys sitting on them, all very friendly.
We went in and was amazed at the place. The whole place, walls, bar, chairs, tablecloths, pool tables and stage area was covered in people writing their names, slogans and dates they had visited. There were also some pieces of memorabilia hanging on the walls, donated by various artists.
We were told to sit anywhere, and sat on a table for about 6 people with a good view of the stage.
The band were getting ready to start, roadies and sound men doing checks, band members tuning guitars.
We ordered some food, salads for both of us, we were still feeling full from our lunch. The portions are always so big over here!
A family sat at our table, their grown son was in a wheelchair. They lived in Memphis and had come up for the weekend. They had visited England some years back and really liked the place.
The food came and as usual, it was huge!!!!! Very tasty though.
The band started and they were really great. There had been a music festival on during the day and all the artists were playing at Ground Zero that night.
The festival was the 1st Mississippi Saxaphone Festival. The Mississippi Saxaphone is a local description for a harmonica, a key instrument in blues songs.
After about 4 tunes from the group, they brought on an artist to jam with them and this was the format for the whole evening.
During the evening, Bill the co owner came in, he was saying hi to everyone, giving out his card and having a really good time.
We got talking to an old guy who had sung a couple of songs and found out that he had come straight from the hospital to the club. He told us that he had gone in as he needed oxygen!!!! Great character.
It was a fantastic night, great music, great food, plenty of beers and some real characters in the
audience. Everyone was really friendly.
When we decided to leave the club provide you with a limo to take you back to your hotel. It is free, you just tip the driver. He was telling us that he had been with Bill for some years, ever since he was a schoolboy. Bill, who we found out was the Mayor of Clarksdale, helped him get an education and had given him a job. He had also worked at Ground Zero from day one, some 15 years and credited both Bill and Morgan with saving the town.
Blues musicians come from everywhere to play here and it has brought much needed income and jobs to a small town. Safe to say without it, Clarksdale would be in a really poor state.
We got back to our hotel about 1 am having thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Sandra was amazed at the quality of music and musicians, how they all just managed to get up and play together not having
rehearsed.
We also found out that as all the festival acts were playing at Ground Zero that night, Red's was shut for the night!
A great night.
No comments:
Post a Comment