CLARKSDALE, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Mississippi is known for being the birthplace of the Blues. If you had to zero in on it, Clarksdale is known as the place in Mississippi where the Blues are most pronounced.

The intersection of Highway 49 and Old Highway 61 in Clarksdale isn’t just any ole crossroads. It’s the crossroads where Bluesman Robert Johnson is supposed to have sold his soul to the devil in order to get his astounding guitar licks. You can’t get any more central to the roots of the Blues than that, and people all over the world come to Clarksdale to see it and to be here.

Also in Clarksdale is the Ground Zero Blues Club.

“It’s named Ground Zero because Clarksdale is known for the Blues. Ground Zero, if you look it up in the dictionary, it means the place where something began. And since the Blues began here in Clarksdale, Mississippi, they named the club Ground Zero Blues Club,” said Casey Ladd, one of the managers at Ground Zero.

You ride around town, and you run across places like the Riverside Hotel. It was for African Americans in the Jim Crow era. Not only did Bluesmen stay here when in town, Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston wrote “Rocket 88” here.

Clarksdale is a laid back town most days, but come on a festival day and it’s the crossroads of the world.

“Most everyone who created and shaped it has either come through the Delta or been to the Delta or was influenced by the Delta,” said Shelly Ritter, executive director of the museum.

Some places in Clarksdale that people tend to gravitate to include Cat Head Delta Folk and Art. You can get your souvenirs and your knowledge all at one stop.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.