Trumpet Records
Trumpet Records was the first record company in Mississippi to achieve national stature through its distribution, sales, radio airplay and promotion. Willard and Lillian McMurry launched the label from their retail store, the Record Mart, here at 309 North Farish Street, in 1950, and later converted the back room into a recording studio. The first releases by Mississippi blues legends Sonny Boy Williamson No. 2, Elmore James, and Willie Love appeared on Trumpet in 1951.
Willard and Lillian McMurry, who were furniture dealers by trade, entered the record business by chance, when they acquired a stock of blues and rhythm & blues 78 rpm discs with the inventory of a hardware store they purchased at this site in 1949. They turned the building into the Record Mart when they discovered they had a ready-made market for blues and gospel records on Farish Street, which was already home to much of Jackson’s African American music and commerce. The Record Mart also came to serve as the headquarters for Diamond Record Company, Trumpet Records, Globe Music, and Globe Records.
On April 3, 1950, the McMurrys brought the St. Andrews Gospelaires into a local radio station (WRBC) for Trumpet’s first recording session. During the next three years, Trumpet utilized sixteen different studios, in Jackson and other cities, before Lillian McMurry began in-house recording, first at the McMurrys’ State Furniture Company at 211 South State Street, and then at Diamond Studio in this building. The primary artist on the Trumpet label was Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), who had eleven records released between 1951 and 1955, the label’s final year of operation. The McMurrys continued to record country artists for their Globe label until 1956.
“Dust My Broom” by Elmo (Elmore) James was the only Trumpet record to reach the national rhythm & blues charts of Billboard magazine (in April 1952), but other records by Williamson and Willie Love appeared on regional charts as far away as California and Colorado. Among other artists who recorded for Trumpet were bluesmen Jerry McCain, Big Joe Williams, Tiny Kennedy, Luther Huff, Arthur Crudup, Clayton Love, Wally Mercer, and Sherman Johnson; gospel groups such as the Southern Sons Quartette and the Blue Jay Gospel Singers; and country singers, including Lucky Joe Almond and Jimmy Swan.
Lillian McMurry, the creative force behind the label, was known for her sense of fairness andher meticulous accounting. For decades after the last Trumpet record was released, she continuedto administer the company’s musical rights, taking legal action when necessary to hold othercompanies accountable for reissues and recordings of Trumpet material, and paying royalties to the original artists, songwriters, and their heirs. Lillian McMurry was elected to the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame in 1998. She died on March 18, 1999. Her husband Willard, who provided the backbone of support for their business ventures, died on June 7, 1996
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 state bird of Mississippi is the Northern Mockingbird, and the state flower is the Magnolia.
In 1821, Hinds County was created as one of the original counties in the newly formed state of Mississippi. The county was named after Thomas Hinds, a prominent Mississippi pioneer and early political figure. The county seat, Jackson, was established shortly thereafter and quickly became a center of government, commerce, and industry. The presence of the Pearl River provided opportunities for transportation, further contributing to the growth and development of Hinds County.
During the antebellum period, Hinds County played a significant role in the cotton industry of the Deep South. The county's vast plantations relied heavily on enslaved labor, with African Americans making up a substantial portion of the population. This history of slavery and the agricultural economy would leave a lasting impact on the culture and demographics of the county for generations to come.
Following the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, Hinds County experienced periods of social and political turbulence. The county became a center of Civil Rights activism during the 20th century, with notable figures like Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader, making significant contributions to the movement. Today, Hinds County continues to be a vibrant and diverse community, with a blend of historical landmarks and modern developments that reflect its varied past.
Hinds County Timeline
This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Hinds County, Mississippi.
- 1821 - Hinds County is established as one of the original counties in Mississippi.
- 1832 - The city of Jackson becomes the county seat of Hinds County.
- 1863 - During the American Civil War, Hinds County is occupied by Union forces.
- 1875 - The Mississippi State Penitentiary, also known as Parchman Farm, is established in Hinds County.
- 1960s - Hinds County becomes a major center for the civil rights movement in Mississippi.
- 2010 - Hinds County celebrates its bicentennial anniversary.