James Cotton
James Cotton, one of the world’s most popular and dynamic blues harmonica players, was born just east of this site on the Bonnie Blue plantation on July 1, 1935. Cotton apprenticed with harmonica master Sonny Boy Williamson No. 2 (Rice Miller) in Helena, Arkansas, and spent twelve years in Muddy Waters’s band in Chicago. In 1966 Cotton left Muddy to start his own band, and later earned the nickname “Mr. Superharp” for his high-energy performances.
James Cotton took to the blues life at an early age. He used his first harmonica, a gift from his mother, to imitate the sounds of trains and cackling hens, when he was five or six years old. But blues music was unwelcome in his parents’ religious household, and Cotton preferred to stay with his bachelor uncle, Wiley Green, who made bootleg whiskey, gambled, and played blues piano. In about 1944 Green introduced Cotton to Sonny Boy Williamson, who was broadcasting the blues over KFFA radio in Helena, Arkansas. Williamson took the youngster in, and Cotton lived with Williamson and his wife Mattie for several years, first in Helena and then in West Memphis.
When Williamson moved from West Memphis, he left his band and his radio show on KWEM with his protege. Cotton found himself unprepared to be a bandleader, however, and ended up working as an ice hauler, short order cook, shoe shine boy, and dump truck driver, although he continued to perform with Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Nix, and others. In 1952 he made his first studio appearance at Sam Phillips’s Memphis Recording Service, playing harmonica on Wolf’s Chess recording “Saddle My Pony.” Phillips called Cotton back into the studio in 1953-54 to cut his first tracks as a singer for Sun Records, including “Straighten Up Baby” and “Cotton Crop Blues.” In 1954 Muddy Waters needed a harmonica player to replace Junior Wells, who had left the band during a Southern tour, and when he got to Memphis, Waters hired Cotton. Cotton moved to Chicago and put in more years with the band than any of Muddy’s other harmonica players, while continuing to record singles and assorted album tracks on his own, including two records made in Englandin 1961.
Cotton formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1966. Through friendships with Chicagoans Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield, who were instrumental in bringing the blues to rock audiences of the 1960s, Cotton signed with Butterfield’s manager, Albert Grossman, who also represented Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. Cotton was subsequently able to work consistently at both rock venues and blues clubs and festivals while recording albums for Verve, Vanguard, and many other labels.
Though throat surgery forced him to curtail his singing in the 1990s, he continued to perform as one of the world’s premier blues harmonicists, heralded for his explosive style and for his mission to carry on the legacy of the blues masters who groomed him. A recipient of several Blues Music Awards, Cotton also won the 1996 Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album with his CD Deep in the Blues. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006.
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.
Mississippi has a long history of political and social conservatism, and the state has consistently voted for Republican candidates in presidential elections since the 1980s. However, the state also has a strong Democratic Party tradition, particularly among African American voters.
In the 18th century, the French established a presence in the region, establishing fortified settlements along the Mississippi River, including Fort Prudhomme. However, in 1763, as a result of the Treaty of Paris, France ceded control of the region to Britain. In 1779, during the American Revolutionary War, Spanish forces captured the area from the British.
Throughout the 19th century, Tunica County experienced significant economic growth due to its fertile soil and location along the Mississippi River, which allowed for easy transportation of goods. The county thrived agriculturally, with the cultivation of cotton becoming a dominant force, leading to the rise of large plantations and an increase in slave labor.
During the Civil War, Tunica County, like much of the South, suffered greatly. It was the site of several skirmishes and Union Army raids, leading to the destruction of property and the decline of the cotton economy. In the years following the war, the county slowly rebuilt, and by the early 20th century, the introduction of mechanized farming equipment resulted in increased productivity and economic recovery.
Today, Tunica County is known for its casinos and tourism industry. The county has undergone significant development and has become a major destination for gaming and entertainment. It continues to preserve its historical roots, with several historic sites and museums that showcase the area's rich cultural heritage.
Tunica County Timeline
This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Tunica County, Mississippi.
- Tunica County was established in 1836.
- The county was named after the Tunican Native American tribe who once lived in the area.
- During the Civil War, Tunica County was mostly occupied by Union troops.
- In the late 19th century, the county experienced rapid growth with the introduction of railroads.
- Tunica became a major center for cotton production, with numerous cotton plantations dotting the landscape.
- In the early 20th century, the boll weevil infestation and the Great Flood of 1927 devastated the agricultural economy of Tunica County.
- In the mid-20th century, Tunica County struggled with poverty and lack of adequate infrastructure.
- Tunica County became known for its casino industry in the 1990s, which helped boost the local economy.
- Today, Tunica County continues to be a popular tourist destination and is home to several casinos and entertainment venues.