Bluesman Kenny Brown performs at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic at Waterford, MS, 6/30/12
Waterford MS
Garry Burnside performing at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic at Waterford, MS, 6/30/12
Garry Burnside continues the legacy of his legendary father R. L. Burnside at the Hill Country Picnic at Waterford, MS, 6/30/12
The heat didn’t reduce the crowds or dampen the enthusiasm at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic in Marshall County Saturday. This year the event was held along Highway 7 just below the town of Waterford. 6/30/12
North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic 2012 at Betty Davis Bar-B-Que, Waterford, MS 6/29-30/12
Garry Burnside Live at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic 2011
The Garry Burnside Band on stage at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, June 25, 2011
Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic 2011
Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band. Sharde also plays the piano, and incorporates other styles of music into the band’s repertoire. North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, June 25, 2011
Preserving the Endangered Fife and Drum Music Tradition in Mississippi
Few musical experiences can compare to the raw power of African-American fife and drum music. Unfortunately, this musical style once found throughout the south is now found only amongst the members of one extended family in Panola County, Mississippi. Sharde Thomas upholds the legacy of her grandfather Otha Turner and his Rising Star Fife and Drum Band. They will be holding their annual picnic on the last weekend of August at Gravel Springs outside of Como, Mississippi.