A large crowd turned out at RJ’s Sports Grill & Bar earlier this month to support a new blues project honoring legendary musicians from Jefferson County and the Arkansas Delta.
The fundraiser supported the Arkansas River Delta Blues Trail, the brainchild of Little Rock-based singer/songwriter Billy Jeter. Originally from Wabbaseka, Jeter grew up immersed in rural Delta culture and blues tradition. Those lifelong influences deeply color his music and have inspired him to recognize several founders of the American roots genre.
ARDBT is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Their initial project is called “Arkansas Originals” and intends to honor four blues artists who left their mark on the culture.
The first honorees include Bobby Rush, who grew up in Sherrill, Big Bill Broonzy from north Jefferson County, James Yancey “Tail Dragger” Jones of Altheimer and Sylvia Lee Burton aka “Queen Sylvia Embry” from Wabbaseka.
Other iconic Arkansans slated for future recognition include Cedell Davis from Pine Bluff, Larry “Totsy” Davis from England and Elmon “Driftin’ Slim” Mickle from Keo.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
With three Grammy Awards already on his shelf, Rush received his fourth Grammy nomination Nov. 7, three days before his 92nd birthday.
Embry was born June 14, 1941. She went on to worldwide fame as a blues bassist and vocalist in Chicago during the 1970s and ’80s. She broke through the glass ceiling as one of the first female blues band leaders.
Known primarily for his authentically raw vocal style, Jones played guitar in Howlin’ Wolf’s Chicago-based band. He earned the nickname “Tail Dragger” from Howlin’ Wolf because Jones was perpetually late to recording sessions and rehearsals and always came in “dragging tail all the time.” He released four long play studio recordings on Leric Records.
Broonzy was born in the Langford community near Langford Plantation on Highway 88, a few miles from Reydell on June 26, 1893. He was known as one of the most important blues musicians in Chicago before World War II.
Jason Lee Hale acted as emcee for the evening at the RJ’s event. He regaled the crowd with tales of growing up in England as a young musician, explaining what a difference it would have made in his teen years to know he was from the same hometown as the remarkable Larry “Totsy” Davis.
Performances for the evening started with Hale playing lead guitar and providing vocals backed by the Chad Marshall Band. Next, Detroit Johnny Johnson sat in with Marshall and his band, sharing blues guitar and raw vocals. The Port City Blues Players followed, accompanied by Tail Dragger Jones’ daughter, Mary Bohlar, on vocals.
Fundraising offerings included a silent auction for two Bobby Rush autographed electric guitars along with a 50/50 auction where participants split the total pot of ticket purchases with the nonprofit.
Custom ARDBT T-shirt sales and a house party concert giveaway by Jeter and his Shine Eye Band rounded out the fundraiser. MK Distributors contributed the seed money for the project and a large share toward financing the first plaque honoring Rush that will go up in Sherrill. After the night’s receipts Nov. 15, the initial marker is now two-thirds funded.
“The blues music genre originated on plantations up and down rivers across the South, including the Arkansas River from Little Rock to Sweet Home, Altheimer, Pine Bluff and as far downstream as Arkansas City,” Jeter told the audience. “Those plantations raised the originators of American blues music. Many of our Arkansas originals have been largely forgotten by all but friends and family for more than half a century. We want to correct that long oversight. This is a grassroots movement to recognize blues greats to the wider world.”
He explained how they are doing this for the sake of the small towns where those artists came from rather than larger metropolitan areas that normally receive tourist attention. Each plaque will have a QR code that visitors can scan to see a video and detailed history of the honoree.
The evening proved a success with an overflow crowd containing musicians and blues enthusiasts from across the state in attendance to support the project. In addition, numerous people volunteered to assist with future fundraising projects.
Besides Pine Bluff’s Port City Blues Society, other blues organizations involved with the memorials come from Little Rock, Fort Smith and Bentonville.
“We are involving people from across the state to make them part of our efforts,” Jeter said.
An inaugural fundraising show occurred Aug. 28 in Scott at Scott Station. Upcoming events include Jeter meeting with the England City Council on Dec. 9 regarding approval of a Larry “Totsy” Davis marker there. Jan. 18 will see another fundraiser at Little Rock’s Whitewater Tavern. ARDBT is arranging for a spring date in coordination with Rush’s busy schedule to place his marker in Sherrill and hoping to place Tail Dragger’s plaque in Altheimer for “Tail Dragger Appreciation Day” around his birthday Sept. 30. Tail Dragger’s band from Chicago is already committed to perform for the occasion.
Jeter has built a playlist of the spotlighted artists that anyone can access on Apple and Spotify. The project will eventually include educational courses and help return live music to the region with blues shows each weekend along the trail.
