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Tunica Mississippi
Tunica Mississippi

Ricky “Soul Man” Burton at Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale

After the earlier majorette jamboree in Memphis, I drove down to Tunica for the Rosa Fort Jamboree, but that one proved to be quite a disappointment. If drumlines are becoming rarer at Memphis jamborees, they are non-existent at Mississippi ones. After an hour and a half or so, I decided to leave and drive down to Clarksdale to the legendary Ground Zero Blues Club. They were having a Pre-Valentine’s Day Bash with Ricky “Soul Man” Burton and the Basic Soul Band, so there was a fairly substantial cover charge, and, once inside, I found the place packed to the rafters. The TV’s were flashing the breaking news about Whitney Houston’s death as I looked in vain for a table. Finally, I was directed to a table where a French family was sitting, and I was able to sit down and order food. The band and vocalists were quite good, and the audience included a lot of radio personalities from Helena’s Delta Force III and Clarksdale’s WROX.

There is a town of Tunica, Mississippi that I suppose most casino visitors never even see. It is a more typical small town that has been only marginally affected by the nearby gaming industry. There is a restored old hotel, a juke joint or two, a grocery store, a farmers’ market and an ice cream parlor.

There is a town of Tunica, Mississippi that I suppose most casino visitors never even see. It is a more typical small town that has been only marginally affected by the nearby gaming industry. There is a restored old hotel, a juke joint or two, a grocery store, a farmers’ market and an ice cream parlor.