The blues were born in the Delta, but they grew up in Clarksdale. The census rolls for this small town read like a musical hall of fame: Ma Rainey, W. C. Handy, Bessie Smith, Sam Cooke, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, Wade Walton, John Lee Hooker, Big Jack Johnson, and many others whose achievements are described—and may be heard—in the Delta Blues Museum (closed Sun.; $7; 662/627-6820) in the circa-1918 railroad depot at the heart of Clarksdale’s “Blues Alley” district downtown. The museum offers maps of blues landmarks around town and around the state, a calendar of blues events, and all sorts of helpful information. In short, this is the best place to start your journey through the Delta blues world.
Ever since W. C. Handy traded his steady gigs in Clarksdale for a career on Beale Street in Memphis, the Mississippi Delta has exported its blues musicians to places where they receive wider recognition and a living wage, but come on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll see Clarksdale still cooks up some good hot blues. Many of the most “authentic” juke joints are in a very dilapidated part of town around Sunflower Avenue and Tallahatchie Street, but for a first stop try the Ground Zero Blues Club (662/621-9009), across from the Delta Blues Museum. If you’re in town during August, it would be a shame to miss the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, organized by the Delta Blues Museum and staged at venues around town.
The rest of downtown Clarksdale is well worth exploring for its lazy ambience and wealth of history. The old Delta Cinema, downtown at 11 3rd Street, still shows current releases in a 1920s theater; there’s a steamboat-shaped store around the corner, across the street from the Sunflower River; and funky art galleries like Cat Head Blues and Folk Art (662/624-5992), at 252 Delta Avenue, showcase local culture and events.
Clarksdale has plenty of fast food, but the barbecue is better: Try the Ranchero (662/624-9768), on US-61 at 1907 N. State Street, or Abe’s Bar-B-Q (662/624-9947), at 616 State Street in the center of town, cooking up tangy ’cue since 1924. For a surprising dose of Lebanese-Italian food amid the pork palaces, check out Chamoun’s Rest Haven (closed Sun.; 662/624-8601) at 419 S. State Street, on US-61 just south of the Big Sunflower River.
US-61, aka State Street, is also where you’ll find Clarksdale’s motels, from a Days Inn across from the Ranchero to a Comfort Inn at the southern end of town.
For more information on visiting the Clarksdale area, contact the visitors bureau (662/627-7337), on US-49 at 1540 De Soto Street.
