Calhoun County Blues
The musical heritage of Calhoun County was illuminated in 2014 via international acclaim for longtime Bruce resident and Sabougla native Leo “Bud” Welch, The guitarist and vocalist began playing blues in his teens and returned to the music in his 80s after a long career as a gospel musician. Saxophonist John “Ace” Cannon, whose many instrumental singles and albums featured blues and soul songs, settled in 1988 in Calhoun City, the hometown of his parents.
Leo “Bud” Welch is the most prominent blues musician to come out of Calhoun County, a relatively isolated area known for its logging and lumber industries, both of which Welch worked in for decades. Welch was born in the Sabougla community on March 22, 1932, and grew up on the family farm. A fan of the Grand Ole Opry, Welch began performing on guitar in his early teens with his younger brother Arlanda and their cousin L.C. Welch. At 18 Welch played over Grenada’s WNAG together with vocalist/guitarist Alford Harris, who later made recordings in Chicago, and guitarist Walter Farmer. After settling in Bruce, he returned to playing with his brother and cousin, often opening for touring acts at George Chandler’s Blue Angel Ballroom (also known locally as the Blue Room and “the juke”), located in the African American area of town called “the quarters.” Welch recalls appearances there by Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Grenada’s Magic Sam. It remained a popular club for decades, later under new owners including James Parker, featuring artists including Little Milton, Bobby Rush and Delta artists such as Little Bill Wallace. Other local venues for blues included Robert Bean’s Arcade and Leroy Daniel’s Violin, located behind the E.L. Bruce Company sawmill, the basis for the founding of Bruce in 1928.
For much of the 1960s Welch played solo at houseparties, and in the ’70s formed the group Leo Welch and the Rising Souls, which performed at clubs including the Daniel Inn in Bruce, the Green Gable in Mantee and the Horse Pen in western Calhoun County. In 1975 Welch began playing regularly with gospel groups including his own Sabougla Voices, the Skuna Valley Male Chorus and the Spiritualaires. In the early ’80s he began hosting the video-based TV program Black Gospel on Bruce’s local W07BN. Welch’s return to blues followed his performance in 2013 at the 50th birthday party of Calhoun City native Vencie Varnado, who became his manager and began booking Welch locally and eventually overseas, and arranged a recording contract with Oxford’s Big Legal Mess label.
John “Ace” Cannon was born in Grenada on May 5, 1934 to parents with Calhoun County roots, and as a child moved to Memphis. He began playing saxophone with country groups at 12, worked as a session musician behind Sun rockabilly artists including Billy Lee Riley and Jerry Lee Lewis, and later joined Bill Black’s Combo, led by Elvis’ former bassist. Strongly influenced by R&B saxophonist Earl Bostic, Cannon was influenced by—and sometimes sat in with—the blues and R&B bands that played at clubs in West Memphis, including one led by Willie Mitchell, his future producer at Hi Records. There Cannon had multiple hit singles and recorded over twenty albums. His 1976 single “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” was nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Country Instrumental Performance, and in 1985 he appeared on the Sun Records reunion album “The Class of ’55” with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. Following his move to Calhoun City in 1988 the city staged multiple Ace Cannon Festival events, and Cannon was continuing to perform actively at the time of this dedication
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 name "Mississippi" comes from the Ojibwe word "misi-ziibi," which means "Great River."
In the early 1830s, the county was established and named after John C. Calhoun, a prominent South Carolina politician. The county quickly developed as a center for agriculture, with cotton becoming the primary cash crop. Slavery played a significant role in the county's economy through the antebellum period, with many large plantations relying on enslaved labor. The Civil War had a remarkable impact on Calhoun County, as it experienced major battles and Confederate occupation throughout the conflict.
After the war, the county faced significant challenges during the Reconstruction era. The agricultural landscape shifted, with many former plantations being divided into smaller farms worked by sharecroppers. This new system of labor brought significant economic and social changes to Calhoun County, as many families struggled to rebuild their lives.
The 20th century saw Calhoun County adapt to new industries and technologies. The introduction of railroads and improved transportation infrastructure allowed for increased access to markets, promoting economic growth. The timber industry flourished, and sawmills became a significant employer in the region. However, like many rural areas, the county also faced challenges, including emigration and a declining population.
Overall, Calhoun County has a diverse and complex history that reflects the broader patterns of the American South. From Native American tribes to European settlers, plantations to sharecropping, and the rise of new industries, the county's history has been shaped by a mix of cultural, economic, and social forces.
Calhoun County Timeline
This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Calhoun County, Mississippi.
- 1833: Calhoun County, Mississippi, is established and named after John C. Calhoun, a prominent American statesman.
- 1836: The town of Pittsboro is founded as the county seat.
- 1861-1865: Calhoun County experiences the effects of the American Civil War.
- 1866: The first railroad, the Mississippi Central Railroad, is completed in the county.
- Late 19th century: Agriculture, particularly cotton farming, becomes a dominant industry in Calhoun County.
- 1930s: The Great Depression impacts the county's economy, leading to a decline in agricultural production.
- 1944: Calhoun City is incorporated as a town.
- 1950s-1970s: The mechanization of agriculture brings changes to Calhoun County, leading to a decline in the number of farms and an increase in rural-to-urban migration.
- 1988: Calhoun County celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary.
- 1990s-2000s: Calhoun County experiences economic diversification, with the growth of manufacturing and service industries.
- 2010s: The county continues to evolve and develop, focusing on education, infrastructure, and community improvement projects.