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When blues musician Robert Johnson wrote "Hellhound on My Trail" he conjured the archetypal image of a bluesman, outcast from proper society and stalked by personal demons. On our trip through the Lower Mississippi Valley we will learn about the blues and the local musicians who catapulted this art form to international prominence. Journey along highways celebrated in song and explore small towns and large cities where blues history was made. Visit sites where blues greats lived, played, died, and are buried. Experience the food, atmosphere, landscape, religion, and lifestyle of the Valley to appreciate the place of the blues in southern culture. Enjoy museums and educational centers scattered across the Delta that will teach you more about the musicians and their music. On Trail of the Hellhound you can learn about more than thirty bluesmen and blueswomen who created a rich legacy of American music that forms the foundation of today's popular music.
Trail of the Hellhound provides an overview of two distinct styles of blues practiced in the Lower Mississippi Valley, extensive biographies of the region's greatest blues musicians, and pictures and descriptions of sites to visit. Begin with the site map of the Lower Mississippi Valley and decide which areas to explore.
Sites: grouped by location and color-coded
as historic, commemorative, or interpretive
Schools: the style of blues popular
in a particular area
People: thumbnail biographies of
the artists
Additional Information: available through
the Office of Tourism in each state
