The Blues Trail: Mississippi to Helena
Helena has played a vital role in blues history for artists from both sides of the Mississippi River. Once known as a“wide open” hot spot for music, gambling, and nightlife, Helena was also the birthplace of “King Biscuit Time,” the groundbreaking KFFA radio show that began broadcasting blues to the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta in 1941. The program had logged over 15,000 broadcasts by 2009 and inspired Helena to launch its renowned King Biscuit Blues Festivalin 1986.
The town emerged as a major center of culture and commerce in the Delta during the steamboat era and maintained its freewheeling river port atmosphere well into the mid-20th century. Cafes, night spots, and good-time houses flourished, and musicians flocked here to entertain local fieldhands, sawmill workers, and roustabouts who came off the boats ready for action. Many bluesmen ferried across the river from Mississippi or later motored across the Helena Bridge. Others came from elsewhere in Arkansas, up from Louisiana, or down from Memphis.
Helena was at one time home to Mississippi-born blues legends Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson No. 2 (Rice Miller), James Cotton, Honeyboy Edwards, and Pinetop Perkins, as well as to Arkansas natives Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Nighthawk, Robert Lockwood Jr., Frank Frost, Jimmy McCracklin, and George “Harmonica” Smith, all of whom became influential figures in the blues. Williamson, Nighthawk, and Lockwood were among the first bluesmen to play their instruments through amplifiers, paving the transitional path of blues from acoustic to electric music–a development often attributed to Muddy Waters in Chicago in the late 1940s.
Soon after KFFA went on the air on November 19, 1941, Williamson’s broadcasts on “King Biscuit Time” brought blues to an audience that had seldom if ever heard such music on the radio. Up-and-coming bluesmen B.B. King, Albert King, Jimmy Reed, and Muddy Waters all tuned in to the lunchtime broadcasts from the KFFA studios, or on occasion from WROX in Clarksdale, advertising King Biscuit Flour and promoting their upcoming shows at local juke joints and house parties. The sponsor, Interstate Grocer Company, even introduced a Sonny Boy brand of corn meal. During Williamson’s extended stays away from Helena, drummer James “Peck” Curtis kept the program going with an assortment of band members. The show eventually switched to records instead of live music and continued with deejay Sonny Payne at the helm. Off the air only from 1980 until 1986, it still ranks as one of the longest-running programs in radio history. The Delta Cultural Center began hosting the broadcast in the 1990s.
The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, a favorite event among blues enthusiasts around the country, began as the King Biscuit Blues Festival in 1986, welcoming back former King Biscuit Entertainers Robert Lockwood and Pinetop Perkins for the first of many annual appearances, along with a variety of other acts including perennial local favoritesFrank Frost, Lonnie Shields, Sam Carr, and CeDell Davis
The Mississippi Blues Trail markers tell stories through words and images of bluesmen and women and how the places where they lived and the times in which they existed–and continue to exist–influenced their music. The sites run the gamut from city streets to cotton fields, train depots to cemeteries, and clubs to churches. We have a lot to share, and it’s just down the Mississippi Blues Trail.
The Mississippi Blues Trail is an ongoing project of the Mississippi Blues Commission. Funding for this project has been made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, AT&T, and the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University plus additional support from the Mississippi Development Authority Tourism Division.
For more information visit msbluestrail.org.
The Crater of Diamonds State Park, located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the only diamond-producing site in the world that is open to the public. Visitors to the park can search for diamonds and other gems in the park's 37.5-acre diamond field.
During the 19th century, Phillips County played a significant role in the expansion of the United States. It became a major center for cotton cultivation and trade, with large plantations dominating the landscape. The growth of the cotton industry went hand in hand with the institution of slavery, as African Americans were forcibly brought to the area to work on these plantations.
The county witnessed several key events during the Civil War. In 1862, the Battle of Helena took place just across the river, where Union forces successfully defended the city against Confederate attacks. Following the war, the Reconstruction era brought significant changes to Phillips County, as African Americans gained political power and economic opportunities. However, racial tensions persisted, leading to violent incidents like the 1919 Elaine Massacre, during which numerous black residents were killed.
In the 20th century, the county faced economic challenges due to factors such as the decline of the cotton industry and the Great Depression. However, efforts were made to diversify the local economy, leading to growth in industries such as manufacturing and tourism. Today, Phillips County is a vibrant community, proud of its history while embracing a promising future.
Phillips County Timeline
This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Phillips County, Arkansas.
- 1815: Phillips County is established in the Arkansas Territory.
- 1820: Helena becomes the county seat of Phillips County.
- 1861-1865: Phillips County is heavily involved in the Civil War, with battles and skirmishes occurring throughout the area.
- Late 1800s: Helena experiences a period of prosperity due to the timber and cotton industries.
- 1919: Phillips County Race Riot takes place, resulting in the deaths of numerous African Americans.
- 1930-1940s: The Great Depression and decline in agriculture negatively impact Phillips County.
- 1968: The Phillips County Training School in Elaine becomes the center of racial tensions and violence during the Elaine Massacre.