Historical Marker

The Hollywood Café

Marker provided by: Mississippi Blues Commission.

The Hollywood Café, both at this site and its original location in Hollywood, Mississippi, earned fame as a Delta dining institution but has also shared in the area’s musical history. Pianist Muriel Wilkins performed here for years, and she and the Hollywood were immortalized in the Marc Cohn hit song “Walking in Memphis.” Legendary bluesman Son House also performed at this site when the building housed the commissary of the Frank Harbert plantation, where House once resided.

The Hollywood Café had neither live music nor a kitchen when Bard Selden opened the business as a bar in the summer of 1969. But over the years the café began to offer dinnertime music as the menu expanded to steak, catfish, and the Hollywood’s signature dish, fried dill pickles (a specialty of Bard’s brother Tait Selden). Muriel Wilkins (1923-1990), an African American schoolteacher from Helena, Arkansas, entertained customers with a wide repertoire ranging from standards to spirituals both at the original Hollywood, seven miles south of Robinsonville just off Highway 61, and at its new location here. After singer-songwriter Marc Cohn joined her in singing “Amazing Grace” and other spirituals here one night in 1985, he wrote about the inspirational experience in “Walking in Memphis,” which became the hit track from his 1991 debut album.

In June of 1973 BBC television used the Hollywood as the setting for blues performances on its program “The Friendly Invasion.” The BBC filmed a trio from the Clarksdale area, with Robert “Bilbo” Walker (billed at the time as “Chuck Berry Jr.”), Big Jack Johnson, and Sam Carr, and a Memphis group led by Joe Willie Wilkins with Houston Stackhouse, Sonny “Harmonica” Blakes, Melvin Lee, and Homer Jackson. Bob Hall, who purchased the Hollywood from Selden, brought in Muriel Wilkins and also offered music by the Turnrow Cowboys. After the Hollywood was destroyed in a fire on August 27, 1983, the Owen family bought the business from Hall and reopened the Hollywood in Robinsonville. John Almond and Michael Young acquired the Hollywood in 2006.

Both Hollywood buildings had originally been plantation commissaries. The first Hollywood was on the Tate Place and had also once been used as an antique store. Delta blues icon Son House was living on the Tate Place at the time of the 1940 census, and also once resided on the Harbert Place. Robinsonville resident Phoebie Taylor recalled that House performed at the B. F. Harbert commissary, as well as at various houses, stores and filling stations in town. The commissary became the new home of the Hollywood Café in 1984. House often played together with guitarist Willie Brown, his closest musical associate, and the local blues circle also included Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Fiddlin’ Joe Martin, Leroy Williams, Woodrow Adams, Willie Coffee, and Sol Henderson. Wolf sometimes played at his aunt Lula Prince’s house on the Harbert plantation, according to Taylor. Nolan Struck, a Louisiana-born blues and soul singer, moved to Robinsonville in more recent years.

Another blues event of note at the Hollywood was attended by B.B. King and Governor Haley Barbour on November 9, 2007, when AT&T presented a $500,000 donation to the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. Jackson guitarist Jesse Robinson and the young Tupelo blues band Homemade Jamz performed at the ceremony.

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.

Blues Trail
The Mississippi State Capitol, which is located in Jackson, was completed in 1903 and features a distinctive copper dome that is visible from miles away.
Mississippi random facts
Tunica County, located in the state of Mississippi, has a rich and diverse history that stretches back thousands of years. The earliest known inhabitants of the area were Native American tribes, including the Tunica, who lived along the Mississippi River. European exploration of the area began in the 16th century, with Spanish and French explorers establishing contact and trade with the Native Americans.

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.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey 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.