Page 84 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2019

AmericAn

Blues

museum

Tour

depostiphotos.com

From state-of-the-art interactive exhibits to a three-room shack GEORGIA
with a tin roof, blues museums across the country celebrate the Ma Rainey House & Blues Museum
music, history and artists of the blues. Take this directory of must- Columbus, GA
see U.S. blues destinations to help guide your tour – whether Phone: 706/653-4960
you’re a blues novice or aficionado, there’s something for
everyone! Note: Be sure to check with the facilities in advance parks.columbusga.gov/Parks/MA-Rainey-Home
to confirm offerings, admission times and rates. Happy travels! Visit the Ma Rainey House & Blues Museum to learn about
legendary “Mother of Blues,” Gertrude “Ma” Rainey. As one
ALABAMA of the earliest professional blues singers who made over 100
W.C. Handy Home, Museum & Library recordings with Paramount Records, Ma Rainey unquestionably
Florence, AL played a key role in the development of the blues.
Phone: 256/760-6434
visitflorenceal.com/things_to_do/w-c-handy-birthplace-museum-library
W.C. Handy, the “Father of the Blues,” composed such well-
known blues jewels as “St. Louis Blues,” “Beale Street Blues” and
“Memphis Blues.” Visit the simple cabin in Florence, AL, where
was he born in 1873, which now houses a large collection of
his personal papers, memorabilia and artifacts, including his
trumpet, piano and handwritten music sheets.

ARKANSAS
Delta Cultural Center
Helena, AR
Phone: 870/338-4350 - www.deltaculturalcenter.com
The Delta Cultural Center is dedicated to interpreting and
presenting the cultural heritage of the Arkansas Delta region
through exhibits, educational programs, annual events and
guided tours. Blues fans will particularly want to explore the
Delta Sounds Exhibit featuring the gospel, rockabilly and blues W.C. Handy Home, Museum and Library in Florence, AL.
legends of the Arkansas Delta, and the King Biscuit Time Exhibit Photo courtesy of The George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs in Carol
about the longest running blues radio show in the nation. M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

82 Blues Festival Guide 2019