Delta Magazine July/August 2024

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Andrew McCarthy Searching for meaning in the Mississippi Delta

Simple homemade ice cream treats Staying cool in 4 Delta pools Farmstead Florals

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Publisher: J. Scott Coopwood Editor in Chief: Cindy Coopwood Managing Editor: Taylor Armstrong Director of Production: Pam Parker Director of Special Projects: Kelli Williams Contributing Editors: Maude Schuyler Clay, Lea Margaret Hamilton, Jim “Fish” Michie, Brantley Snipes, Roger Stolle Digital Editor: Phil Schank Consultant: Samir Husni, Ph.D. Graphic Designers: Sandra Goff, Maggi Mosco, Denton Reed Copy Editor: Suzanne Durfey, Camille Walker Contributing Writers: Jim Beaugez, Kelsey Betz, Jack Criss, Terri Glazer, Joey Lee, Stafford Shurden, Marilyn Tinnin, Wade S. Wineman, Jr. Photography: Austin Britt, Jesse Dittmar, Timothy Ivy, Bruce Newman, Allison White Account Executives: Joy Bateman, Melanie Dupree, Cristen Hemmins, Kristy Kitchings, Wendy Mize, Ann Nestler, Cadey True Circulation: Lyndsi Naron Accounting Manager: Holly Tharp POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to

Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732

ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call (662) 843-2700 Delta Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials or photos and in general does not return them to sender. Photography obtained for editorial usage is owned by Delta Magazine and may not be released for commercial use such as in advertisements and may not be purchased from the magazine for any reason. All editorial and advertising information is taken from sources considered to be authoritative, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. Neither that information nor any opinion expressed on the pages of Delta Magazine in any way constitutes a solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities mentioned. No material in Delta Magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publication. Delta Magazine is published bimonthly by Coopwood Magazines, Inc., 125 South Court St., Cleveland, MS 38732-2626. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, MS and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732-0117. Delta Magazine (USPS#022-954)

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from the editor

The Meaning of Life uick—what’s the meaning of life?” quips Kevin Dolenz, the character portrayed by actor-turnedwriter Andrew McCarthy in the quintessential ’80s film St. Elmo’s Fire.

It seems that McCarthy, has been asking himself that same question these past few years.

And his endeavor to find the answer brought him to Mississippi.

In December, when I saw his post about his travels through the Delta on social media, my inner ’80s-girl heart skipped a beat. Brat Pack royalty had come to the flatlands. Scott and I thought it would be a fantastic story for Delta—to share his thoughts and impressions of Mississippi and what brought him here.

Now a travel writer, McCarthy was on a mission to reconnect with old friends with whom he’d lost touch but found himself venturing away from interstate highways and into the small towns of the Delta and north Mississippi. From his post you could easily see he’d been to some key locations, from Red’s in Clarksdale to Elvis’s birthplace in Tupelo to Faulkner’s Rowan Oak in Oxford. “Whatever I thought I knew about Mississippi was completely wrong. Amazing experience.” his caption read. I made a rookie attempt to reach out and messaged him on Instagram. To no avail.

I knew my moment had arrived when I saw that he was coming back to Oxford in March for the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour on his book tour promoting his latest book, Walking with Sam, his 2023 memoir about walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago with his son. I can attest that it’s a great book, delving into looking back and looking forward as a parent with children who are becoming adults.

I graduated from high school in May 1985, one month before St. Elmo’s Fire was released. I saw it several times with my tight group of friends. We embraced it completely, each of us identifying in some way with the characters. I admit I was heavily influenced by characters in several iconic ’80s movies (in which most McCarthy has a role) that left such an indelible mark on our generation, including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and later Pretty in Pink. I flipflopped, channeling both Claire and Allison from The Breakfast Club. One day I was Leslie from St. Elmo’s Fire, with my lace collar, walking across campus. The next, I was Jules, trying to emulate the pinnacle of fashion with my chunky rhinestone earrings and oversized blazers. I digress.

Aside from fashion, St. Elmo’s Fire deeply resonated with us that summer, partly because the characters were graduating from college just as we were about to start. It seems that the collective influence of films, music, and culture at the time was something that more recent generations have not experienced as universally as we did.

Needless to say, meeting Andrew McCarthy with my daughter Travis (who inherited my With Andrew McCarthy at the book signing for his new book, Walking with Sam, hosted love of ’80s movies by default) at the reception following Thacker Mountain, and again at the

by Square Books. book signing the following day with my friend Cathy Miller was surreal. But we’re not fangirl types—or so we thought.

He was incredibly gracious and easy to talk with. When I finally got around to asking if he would consider being interviewed for a story, he quickly answered yes and shared his email with me. At that point, I turned to Jim Beaugez who brings us the story in these pages.

Coincidentally, McCarthy has also just released the documentary Brats. It’s a look back at the impact of the term “Brat Pack,” its effect on his own life and career, and that of his peers, the fellow actors who were also tagged with the defining label at the time, for better or worse.

McCarthy once again was looking for the meaning of life, and we’re glad his search brought him here!

This issue is packed from cover to cover with our exclusive interview with Andrew and many other great features you’ll love. It’s all about SUMMER—we bring you four unique and gorgeous pools and patios to inspire your own home project, cool summertime ice cream treats, the story behind Farmstead Florals, and thirteen-year-old guitar prodigy John Clayton White!

You’ll love this easy no-churn In closing, I wish you the best of all summer has to offer—time with family, good food, days ice cream, especially the bitesized Oreo sandwiches! Try the outdoors, and poolside fun! DM RORY DOYLE

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recipe on page 110.

Cindy Coopwood Editor

@cindycoopwood | editor@deltamagazine.com

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contents JULY/AUGUST Volume 22, No. 1

86 46 departments

38 BOOKS Reviews of new releases and what Deltans are reading now

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42 SHOPPING Accessories for the beach,

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pool, and patriotic parties

46 ART

SAMMY BRITT Remembering the beloved artist’s legacy

54 MUSIC

JOHN CLAYTON WHITE Teen guitar prodigy burning up the blues

86 HOME

Staying cool in 4 Delta backyard pools

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108 FOOD

Chosen Frozen: Cool summer treats

116 HISTORY

The Medal of Honor: The nation’s most coveted military award

108 features

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60 Farmstead Florals

Flower farm a blooming success

68 Actor Andrew McCarthy Finding meaning on the backroads of the Delta 78 Bill-E’s Bacon World’s best bacon from Yazoo City beginnings ON THE COVER: Photo of Andrew McCarthy near his Upper West Side home in Manhattan.

Photo by Jesse Dittmar 14 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

in every issue 18 Letters 26 On the Road Where we’ve been, where we’re going next

30 Off the Beaten Path Roaming the real and rustic Delta

34 Hot Topics 124 Events 130 Delta Seen 136 The Final Word

by Stafford Shurden

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Germantown

WE MAKE BANKING PERSONAL

Olive Branch Southaven Tunica

WE HAVE 22 BRANCHES

TO SERVE IN YOU IN

MISSISSIPPI TENNESSEE & LOUISIANA

BATESVILLE Clarksdale CLEVELAND Ruleville SUNFLOWER Greenwood Indianola greenville LELAND Inverness Louise

Hammond

New Orleans

www.planters-bank.com

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LETTERS

I have enjoyed your magazine for many years, but I especially enjoyed the May/June issue. Fish Michie’s well-written article about The Reets brought back a flood of great memories. That iconic band was so much a part of my early days and it was great to bring some of it back. Phil Turnipseed and I used to walk around school with an air of arrogance because we were “Reet brothers.” That is how good they were and how well-known they had become. My older brother, Ricky McWhorter, secured his position as hero in my life by having the Reets play for my twelfth birthday. Nothing could top that.

Keep the great magazine coming.

As I thumbed through the rest of the magazine I spotted Charles E. Sullivan II and his band, Delta String Band, in an article written by the one and only Jim Beaugez, with photos by Faith Barnett and Euphus Ruth.

Then I notice who I think is Norah Bruce watching birds, and, oh, Jim Beaugez wrote that one too!

I continued flipping through the pages and Maude Schuyler Clay and Lisa Howorth show up. Also, Susan Marquez wrote an article, Noah Saterstrom had a show at Mississippi Museum of Art, and lastly, Kate Medley’s kick-ass book Thank You Please Come Again, was reviewed.

All this to say, there are lots of interesting, talented folks around here and I’m happy to call many of them friends.

Delta Magazine does such a great job highlighting Mississippi folks. Great work should be shouted out, and I appreciate how hard your team works to do just that in every issue.

Lee Harper Oxford, Mississippi

Randy McWhorter (Reet brother) Ruston, Louisiana

DELTA KITCHEN COMMENTS deltamagazine.com

I recently picked up a copy of the May/June issue of the always fun Delta Magazine because one of my children is in it (the Mayflower), photographed in the gorgeous art-filled home of Mary Madeleine and Michael Koury. The beautiful spread on their home is amazing, including works by Blair Hobbs and Jere Allen.

My four daughters fêted me last night with your Father’s Day menu and it was fabulous. The pie was the crown jewel of the whole!

Thank you.

Ellis Darby Tunica, Mississippi Love the charred green beans! I harvest beans from my garden and use your recipe!

It’s the best! I did add mushrooms once and it was great!

Lois McMurchy Duncan, Mississippi

SEND COMMENTS AND LETTERS TO: editor@deltamagazine.com or Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732 18 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

Y’all Said

SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS @deltamagazine

We Asked...

What is your favorite beach town?

Gulfport, Ship Island – Robert Skrmetta Ponte Vedra, Florida – Kelly Connell Fort Morgan – Leslie Nichols Santa Rosa Beach – Starvin’ Marvin Gulfport & Biloxi – Margaret Watson Sandestin & Miramar – Sarah Kathryn Hopkins Ocean Springs – Emily Hill Biloxi – Ty Williams Navarre – Denise Soldevila Destin – Lauren Steinle Casavechi Cape San Blas – Alden Burdine Dewhirs Gulf Shores & Orange Beach – Mary Lou Scruggs Heaney

What is your favorite beach cocktail?

Sangria – Cynthia Thompson Savage Mojito – Beatty Carpenter Piña Colada – Linda Kay Harris

READER RESPONSE deltamagazine.com HISTORY

Dear Mr.French...

An Indianola man’s mission to send news from home to World War II soldiers around the world

W.R. French indexed everything he could find about Sunflower County and kept it in scrapbooks anticipating the day he would write the history of Sunflower County.

BY MARILYN TINNIN • PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

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uthor Marie Hemphill’s 1980 comprehensive history of Sunflower County, Fevers, Floods, and Faith, describes the “something special”

that sets the Delta apart. She attributed its uniqueness to a “rare quality involving the soul of its people—their generosity, their friendliness, their willingness to accommodate, and a never-failing optimism that can survive such problems as floods, droughts, labor shortages, high taxes, and crop failures.”

Marie was my mother, and I was privy to many conversations she and my father had during the five years she spent researching and writing her book. A name she often mentioned was Willie French, an Indianola leader who had been something of a mentor

to her through the years. Frequently called “the dean of local history,” Mr. French had also dreamed of writing a history of Sunflower County. He spent decades exploring musty courthouse records, traversing forgotten paths around the

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May-June Issue 2023 Dear Mr. French... by Marilyn Tinnin ~ Such an informative and engaging article; it is especially interesting to me as my daddy and uncle both lived at “The French Peabody” after coming home from WW2. – M. Marshall Very interesting article. Kudos for Mr. French for his patriotic service to the troops during WWII. And kudos for his service to so many civic, church, government, and personal endeavors in his lifetime. This is a man I had never heard of until now, but he is what we all should strive to be. A person of selfless service to his newly adopted home and fireside, to his neighbors and friends, to his community, county, and state, and to mankind and the world; for the betterment of all human beings. Being a veteran of the Iraq War in 2003, I know all about wanting news from home and the happenings there that you are missing out on.

That was a grand thing he did for those in the service of their country, at that time. I salute you Mr. William R. French, and only wish I could have known you.

– Mike Rounsaville DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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August is

NATIONAL

ABLE

TO SAVE MONTH Mississippi ABLE allows qualified individuals with disabilities to save for eligible expenses, invest for the future and keep important benefits.

!!"# " $ #%# & ! ' (& $ " $ " ) !!"# Contact Info

800.443.1000 MS ABLE Website

20 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

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Friendly Skies

PHOTO BY TANJA MOORE

The Stearman is an Amerian biplane formerly used for military aircraft training, thousands of which were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearmans served as a primary trainer for the United States Army Air Forces, and the United States Navy throughout World War II. After the war, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold for civilian use and became popular as crop dusters and sports planes. Stearmans are now being used for training in the agriculture flying program at Delta State University in Cleveland. The image of these beauties under a rainbow was captured after a thunderstorm at a recent airshow. DM

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ON THE ROAD

where we’ve been, where to go next

BOLIVAR COUNTY NEWTON COUNTY

Aerial shot of the iconic Baby Doll House east of Benoit. – ROBERT SKRMETTA

GREENWOOD

Stuckey’s Bridge, an abandoned truss bridge in Chunky, Mississippi. – DAVID POWELL

PHOTO OPS Never forgotten: One of the quirky details that made Lusco’s so unique. – LEE HARPER

SHELBY

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Never know what you will see while driving thru the Delta. A bear cub spotted between Greenville and Leland in June. – BOB BROWN

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Poly-pipe is always a common sight—it’s that time of year again for Delta farmers. – TYLER CHRISTMAS

GREENWOOD

LEFLORE COUNTY

Dual purpose: Martin houses serve as yard art in a Greenwood neighborhood.

– LEE HARPER

BOLIVAR COUNTY

Old signage adds a retro vibe to the downtowns of many Delta towns. – LEE HARPER

& FUNKY STOPS A lone traveler on the Mississippi River levee. – MARSHALL BLEVINS

CARROLL COUNTY

Mural on historic Route 62 at Berryville, Arkansas. – LARRY HENDERSON Gator mailbox, still draped in Mardi Gras beads, spotted in South Mississippi. – LARRY HENDERSON

Instagram users, follow @deltamagazine

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Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

COTTONHOUSECLEVELAND.COM 28 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

OUR AGENTS—TOP ROW L-R TERESA BROOKS, LIBBY GERALD, KRISTIN HUBBARD, CALEB LUKE, MELANIE MITCHELL MIDDLE ROW L-R NATALIE MORGAN, JAY MURPHY—MANAGING BROKER, AMY MYERS, Shannon Roundtree, Kyle Skinner BOTTOM ROW L-R JOE WEBB, JUDY WEBB, Jessica Wood

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH roaming the real and rustic Delta

THE LEVEE COMMISSARY Food and fun at Tunicas unique venue

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HE LEVEE COMMISSARY IN TUNICA, OWNED BY TARA AND TRACY MALLET, blends the comforts of

a cafe, the revelry of a bar, and the convenience of a store all under one roof. Since the Mallets took over in 2017, the Commissary has become a hospitality and entertainment hub.

Steak nights on Fridays and Saturdays have become a hallmark of the experience, featuring hand-cut steaks marinated in-house, tantalizing the taste buds of their customers. Various daily specials throughout the week will satisfy all who visit.

Beyond the food, the Levee Commissary hosts a wide range of events. From trivia to karaoke, darts, and pool tournaments, with occasional live music performances, there is never a dull moment at this vibrant place.

The unique fusion of convenience store amenities with a full-service cafe and bar truly sets the place apart.

Patrons can indulge in handmade burgers and mouthwatering pizzas and have a few drinks, all while grabbing whatever necessary grocery items they may need before going home or to the hunting camp.

“We’re the only place that I know of in Mississippi where you can sit down and have a drink and then buy a six-pack to go,” Tara quipped.

Favorites among patrons include the Commisary’s signature catfish, hand-breaded chicken tenders, and the ultimate Reuben sandwich. For those with a sweet tooth, fried Oreos and homemade banana pudding offer a fitting cap to a fine meal.

The Levee Commissary prides itself on its warm hospitality and welcoming atmosphere.

“We’re a five-star dive. That’s what they call us,” Tara laughed. “We’re in the middle of nowhere and look like a dive. The wind turbine workers hate to leave. They say we make them feel more at home than when they are actually at home!”

Their catering services are also a hot commodity in the area, serving everything from churches and businesses to retirement, Christmas, and birthday parties.

Whether a hearty meal, lively entertainment, supplies for the hunting camp or home, bait for your fishing trip, or a friendly place to gather, the Levee Commissary offers a slice of Delta charm that leaves a lasting impression on all who pass through its doors.

1124 Fox Island Road, Tunica; 662.363.2408 Facebook: TheLeveeCommissary

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Levee Commissary offers a full-service café, delicious steaks, a well-stocked bar, and the amenities of a convenience store rolled into one.

PARLOR 18 EIGHTY SIX Stylish, comfortable, eatery offering eclectic cocktails and a delicious menu

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ECENTLY OPENED IN FLORA, PARLOR 18 EIGHTY SIX IS QUICKLY BECOMING A POPULAR FIXTURE IN TOWN.

The name comes from a connection to Flora, established in 1886, and reflects a cozy, welcoming ambiance reminiscent of a comfortable parlor with dark, earthy tones and leather couches.

“It just felt homey and relaxing like you would be in your own living room,” said owner, Jason Dean. “We like to think of the restaurant as a comfortable place to get a nice, affordable meal or sip one of our specialty drinks while watching the Masters, Kentucky Derby or college football.”

Entertainment includes five TVs, foosball, shuffleboard, and an old-school arcade with weekly live music. An exciting addition coming soon, and further enhancing entertainment options, is a golf simulator, Parlor 18 Eighty Six has an eclectic drink menu.

“Without a doubt the Smoked Flora Ol’ Fashioned has From craft beer to unique cocktails to a satisfying menu, Parlor 18 Eighty Six offers been a hit,” Jason said. “We use Clyde Mays bourbon and real aromatic wood smoke to infuse that smokey something for everyone, in addition to lots of fun and casual entertainment options. flavor.”

Other favorites include the Pickle Juice Bourbon Sour and the Jalapeno Margarita, alongside a vast selection of Mississippi-brewed craft beers.

The food menu features a variety of dips, charcuterie boards, sliders, nachos, and flatbreads, ensuring that there’s something for every palate.

If you’re looking for something with less octane or for the kids, they have a growing selection of mocktails and non-alcoholic beers. They are even planning to host alcohol-free ParlorPalooza nights on Tuesdays with a taco bar, music, and games. They also plan to have bingo on Mondays, karaoke on Wednesdays, and trivia on Fridays to keep the community engaged and entertained.

“We’re intentionally taking our time picking out decor as the place gets a personality of its own,” Jason explained. “An example is a massive Spanish fighting bull scheduled to make its appearance soon. We believe the bull will make our customers either think of Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, or that we’re a little crazy. Just a little.”

Parlor 18 Eighty Six isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an important part of Flora’s growth. “We absolutely feel lucky to have been a part of Flora’s pro-growth story,” Jason said.

Whether you’re stopping by on your way to Jackson or headed back to the Delta, Parlor 18 Eighty Six is ready to welcome you with open arms.

4840 East Main Street Suite B, Flora; 769.246.7305 Facebook: Parlor 18 Eighty Six; Instagram: @parlor18eightysix DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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HOT TOPICS DELTA RISING Bringing the heartbeat of the Delta to a location near you!

We all know what a special place the Delta is. And now the soul and uniqueness of our beloved flatland is on the road.

Spearheaded by John Mohead, Delta Rising combines the music, food, and art of the region into a traveling show that brings a little of the Delta to audiences throughout the South and beyond.

Delta Rising attendees sample homemade food and enjoy unique beverages from sponsors like Cathead Distillery. Artists showcase pottery, paintings, and sculpture while the air is filled with the sounds of world-class musicians like Jim “Fish” Michie.

Mohead’s inspiration for Delta Rising came during his extensive travels across the region. Witnessing the dramatic shifts in the landscape—from ancient cypress trees to towering wind turbines—he felt a pressing need to preserve our rich cultural heritage.

“Small farms have been sold to large, multinational hedge funds, and the older musicians and legendary cooks have mostly passed,” he reflects. “So I thought we could take the good and pass this music and culture to others before the memories and images fade into the abyss.”

Mohead’s background as a musician and entrepreneur profoundly influences Delta Rising. He sees the show traveling nationwide, reaching cities and communities curious about the Delta and supportive of the arts.

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“It’s like going to the library, and there are no books left to check out,” Mohead explains. “A wealth of knowledge has eluded us, so Delta Rising is an attempt to preserve and share what we can.”

Looking ahead, Delta Rising will perform at the Powerhouse in Oxford on August 23. Future shows are being planned for Nashville and Birmingham.

“The feel of the Delta. The sounds of the Delta. The aroma of the Delta,” he explains, “It’s a moving target and ever evolving.” And as he his team continue to tweak and improve the experience, their mission remains clear: to preserve and celebrate the Delta’s rich cultural heritage, one story, song, and flavor at a time.

662.902.5772 Facebook: Delta Rising; Instagram: @deltarising.ms

MISSISSIPPI DELTA NATURE AND LEARNING CENTER Sharing the wonders of the natural world The Mississippi Delta Nature and Learning Center in Greenville is dedicated to fostering a deep appreciation for the earth and its resources with everyone who visits.

The center offers extensive educational programs designed to engage and inspire.

The Heart and Soul Children’s Garden is two acres designed to educate while entertaining kids ages one through ten. It offers distinct play spaces to learn and explore. Kids can play in the water area, build things in the engineering area, play music—or make noise—in the sound garden, or dress up and act out a play on the stage, among other things.

Working with fourteen- to sixteen-year-olds, the Youth Agribusiness program teaches participants to grow food using sustainable, climate-smart methods. The participants learn the business end by selling what they produce. They also donate 10 percent of their crops to local food banks.

The AmeriCorps Youth Environmental Stewardship program gives those seventeen years of age and older job experience and training in environmental stewardship. Participants remove invasive species and replace them with native plants, and they are building a

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nature trail that will be open in the fall.

“So often we spend a lot of time indoors. The more we can get kids out here and teach them about the natural world, the better off we’ll all be,” said Amanda Delperdang, executive director of the Mississippi Delta Nature and Learning Center. “Nobody should be afraid of the outdoors—we should have a healthy respect for it but not be afraid to go outside.”

The center hosts various special events throughout the year. Seasonal celebrations, field trips, birthday parties, and environmental cleanup efforts keep the center alive with energy.

From understanding local vegetation and animals to helping with conservation projects, there’s something to captivate every nature enthusiast.

Whether you’re a resident or a curious traveler, the center is a great place to explore the wonders of the Delta, engage in meaningful environmental education, and become a steward of the earth.

1950 Lisa Drive, Greenville; 662.430.2156; msdeltanature.org Facebook: Mississippi Delta Nature and Learning Center; Instagram @msdeltanature

EDEN BRENT’S GETAWAY BLUES Delta artist releases first CD in six years Getaway Blues, the much anticipated new CD by Greenville-based artist Eden Brent, was released in June, six years after her last recording. This latest outing was worth the wait for legions of Brent’s worldwide fans—and will no doubt create many new ones.

Recorded live at Southern Grooves studio in Memphis, Getaway Blues finds Brent in familiar, feisty blues territory, but this time with a bit more emphasis on her vocal range and skills than in previous recordings.

Produced and arranged by Brent’s husband, Londoner Bob Dowell, for the Memphis-based Yellow Dog Records label, Getaway Blues presents nine original songs recorded live in the studio with Eden on piano, Bob Dowell on bass, Rob Updegraff on guitar, and Pat Levett on drums. An intimate and almost jam-like musical soundscape lends the perfect backdrop to Eden’s vocal lines, allowing the song’s essence to cut Eden Brent straight through to the heart and soul of the listener.

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Released about a month before the actual CD, the single “You on My Mind” is a standout cut, as is the rollicking open track, “Getaway Blues,” and the tracks “Just Because I Love You” and “Rust.”

It’s hard to be objective about such an immense blues/soul talent as Eden Brent, but it’s fair to say that fans will find something to like about almost every one of the nine tracks on the new CD. If you loved her older material, Getaway Blues will more than satisfy you. If you’re a new fan or a casual listener, you might find some surprises in Brent’s vocal delivery on several of the cuts on the new CD, as well as a little more guitar to augment and accompany her incredible piano playing.

She explains in the CD’s liner notes that Getaway Blues resulted from her and her husband’s return to a party in his hometown of London—the first time she had ever been since the two married. After listening to Getaway Blues, Eden Brent fans can only hope she makes many more such future trips across the pond edenbrent.com; Facebook: Eden Brent; Instagram:@edenbrent

PRIME IN LELAND New venture serves dual purpose Entrepreneurs Jeffrey and Beth Giachelli have started a brand-new venture in Leland. A two-fold enterprise—Prime: A Delta Meat Company and Prime: A Delta Venue. Together, they create a classic meat market with the vibrant atmosphere of a modern event space.

Prime: A Delta Meat Company is housed on the left side of the building, preserving the original charm of Vince’s with its benched seating and nostalgic ambiance. The Giachellis have ambitious plans for this space, which will soon offer fresh meats, a delivery service, and a variety of light lunches, casseroles, and sandwiches.

The Giachellis are committed to delivering top-quality products and exceptional service. They promise everything needed for a complete meal, from charcoal and spices to sides and desserts.

On the opposite side of the building is Prime: A Delta Venue, a spacious, updated interior with a new stage and bar. With seating for seventy-five, this versatile space has already hosted dinner parties, wedding receptions, and club meetings. It is available for private rentals and open to the public from Thursday to Saturday on nonrental nights.

The idea for this project originated when Beth was searching for a studio for her photography business. When she found the old Vince’s location, she realized the potential for more than just a studio. With input from a friend and the building’s owner, the vision for Prime emerged.

The couple are taking a phased-in approach to the business. Phase

4

one, the venue, is open and thriving. Phase two, the meat market, will open this summer, pending final licensing and preparations.

The bar, part of phase three, currently offers beer and light wine, with plans to expand to full-service once the liquor license is secured.

Future phases will bring additional food services, including shortorder items and casseroles, to complement the meat market and bar offerings.

The Giachellis are excited about the journey ahead and eager to expand their offerings and refine their services based on customer feedback. Their commitment to quality ensures that Prime will become a cherished staple in Leland, attracting patrons with its blend of tradition, innovation, and community spirit.

207 North Main Street, Leland; 662.822.6632

Facebook: Prime: A Delta Meat Company / A Delta Venue Instagram: @prime_lelandms DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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• MSGIFTS.COM • 1.800.467.7763 • 300 HOWARD STREET IN DOWNTOWN GREENWOOD, MS 38930 •

DAVID LUSK GALLERY Memphis | Nashville

FREIDA HAMM Orchard In Bloom With Red Church 2006, oil on paper, 36” x 35”

36 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

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BOOKS

Buzzworthy Comments

Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (Macmillan Publishers) In her newest memoir, Grief Is for People, essayist Sloane Crosley brings her wit and playfulness to a complex, dark subject.

After she is burglarized, Crosley leans on her best friend and mentor who tells her she can’t take her things with her when she dies.

A few days later, this same friend commits suicide. Trying to find alternate routes through the stages of grief, Crosley tells of their friendship and the loss of it with poignant honesty and sharp humor.

Because life is sad, and life is funny too.

Though this is no beach read, it is the best grief memoir for the beauty of its language, its small dose of clever suspense, and its wholesome balance of comedy and tragedy. Anyone who has lost a loved one will find comic relief and resonance in this book. (Liza Jones)

We asked Facebook friends and the Delta Magazine fan page group members what is the shortest book they have ever read.

Sloane Crosley

The God of the Woods: A Novel by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books/Penguin Random House) Liz Moore’s newest suspense novel, The God of the Woods, is for readers seeking a well-written literary crime novel this summer.

In the summer of 1975 in the Adirondacks, Barbara Van Laar goes missing from her bunk at an elite summer camp, which is owned by her wealthy family and situated down the hill from their summer home on the family’s preserve. Is it a horrific coincidence, a terrible twist of fate, that her older brother disappeared in the same manner fourteen years prior?

Alternating between two timelines and four different female protagonists—a camp counselor, Barbara’s friend, Barbara’s mother, and the rookie police investigator on the case—Moore creates a slow-burn pace with atmosphere and well-drawn characters trying to navigate the two related mysteries. It’s a propulsive, startling read. (Liza Jones) Liz Moore

Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles (Viking Press) Amor Towles, the author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, writes historical fiction with such elegance, and his latest book, Table for Two, though it is a story collection and not a novel, is no exception.

The surprising, engrossing stories show complex, rich characters grappling with the messy business of being human. Lastly, in a gorgeous novella, readers of Rules of Civility will enjoy a noir spin-off of the story, following that novel’s heroine, Evelyn Ross to Los Angeles where she becomes entrenched in the Golden Age of Hollywood. A running theme is that in each of the stories, two characters sit across from each other in a critical moment at a table for two.

Imbued with Towles’s wit and sophistication, each story has its own personality, like courses to be savored leading up to the main dish, “Eve in Hollywood.” (Liza Jones)

o Anita Grossman Horn, retired teacher Pine, Colorado

The Old Man & the Sea

by Earnest Hemingway o Sherry Bailey, retired Teasdale, Mississippi

Luke: A Novel

by Aaron D. Cohen o Helen Tatum Watson, retired librarian Nashville, Tennessee

The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupery o Jamie Brown, medical sales Memphis, Tennessee

Old Yeller

by Fred Gipson o John Hood, retired Seattle, Washington

The Monster at the End of This Book

by Jon Stone o Buck Garrett Falls, self-employed Clarksdale, Mississippi

Jonathon Livingston Seagull

by Richard Bach o Joni Battistelli Tyler, Jackson Healthcare for Women Amor Towles

Jackson, Mississippi

Dick and Jane

by William S. Gray

For the Record Books Delta Magazine fans are currently reading o Valerie Rankin The Delta in the Rearview Mirror

by Di Rushing

o Marcy Buehler Feist The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

by Robert Dugoni

o Cleve Barham The Delta in the Rearview Mirror

by Di Rushing

o David Walker The Creature From Jekyll Island

by G. Edward Griffin

o Cindy Turner Roberts Trust

o Otis Goodin Masters of the Air

by Hernan Diaz

by Donald Miller

o Patty Moore Bailey The Women

o Claire Quittmeyer Call the Midwife

by Kristen Hannah

o Michelle Cockrell A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah Maas

o Anne Martin Vetrano Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era

by Laurence Leamer

38 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

by Jennifer Worth

o Brenda Leigh Koestler The Secret Life of Sunflowers

by Marta Molnar

o Patricia Sanders How to Sell a Haunted House

by Grady Hendrix

Watershed, Herman Murrah and the Pascagoula River Swamp

by Davy Murrah (University Press of Mississippi) The Pascagoula River is the largest unobstructed river in the contiguous United States. Because of this lack of restraint, the river has been left to rise and fall naturally with the seasons, overflowing annually into the adjoining bottomland forest. This phenomenon makes the Pascagoula River one of the wildest rivers, surrounded by some of the most ecologically diverse woodlands in North America. Herman Murrah (1935–2002) lived his entire life on the banks and in the swamp surrounding this river in southeast Mississippi. Watershed: Herman Murrah and the Pascagoula River Swamp recounts pivotal moments in Herman’s life and in Mississippi’s conservation history, more broadly. In this book, Herman’s eldest son, Davy, details the adventures that continue to inspire young conservationists in the fight to protect our remaining natural ecosystems. (DM Staff ) My Memories of John Hartford by Bob Carlin (University Press of Mississippi) My Memories of John Hartford is a memoir about author Bob Carlin’s years working alongside singer, songwriter, banjoist, and fiddler John Hartford (1937-2001). Throughout his short life, Hartford was a hit tunesmith, festival headliner, and godfather of newgrass music. He also made contributions to the film and television industry as a star in The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and helped create the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?

My Memories of John Hartford opens with an overview of the years before Hartford and Carlin’s friendship, then details the last fifteen years of John Hartford’s life. Included are in-depth descriptions of Hartford’s lifestyle, as well as his philosophies about music, performing, recording, and living as he expressed them to the author or those around him, with some road stories thrown in for good measure. (DM Staff )

Out of the Blue: Life on the Road with Muddy Waters by Brian Bisesi (University Press of Mississippi)

Out of the Blue: Life on the Road with Muddy Waters begins with a moment lifted from a young musician’s dreams. Brian Bisesi, a guitarist barely out of his teens, is invited on stage to fill in for a missing member of the band backing blues legend Muddy Waters. This life-changing quirk of fate opens the door into a world of challenges and opportunities that Bisesi, an Italian American reared in the comforts of a New York City suburb, can barely imagine. Despite their differences, Bisesi and Waters hit it off, and what might have been a one-night stand turns into a career. From 1978 to 1980, Bisesi worked for Waters as his road manager, bean-counter, and at times his confidant, while often sitting in with the band. Bisesi’s years with the band take him to Europe, Japan, Canada, and across the United States as Waters tours—and parties—with rock gods like Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, a Beatle, and the gamut of musicians who came of age with Waters and introduced a younger generation to the blues. In Out of the Blue, Bisesi captures it all: from the pranks and tensions among bluesmen enduring a hard life on the road, to observations about Waters’s technique, his love of champagne and reefer, his eye for women, and his sometimesacrid views of contemporary music. (DM Staff ) DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Cook

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Strengthening the grid Powering generations to come Entergy is investing in our infrastructure today to ensure Mississippi is ready for the next century. These projects will help ensure long-term energy a昀ordability and reliability throughout the state, so that we are prepared to power growth for generations of Mississippians.

Learn more at entergymississippi.com.

A message from Entergy Mississippi, LLC ©2024 Entergy Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

40 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

Over 120 Years of Combined Experience!

Welcoming our new provider, Lauren S. Mize, FNP-C

Meet our team!

Katie W. Sartin, CFNP • Shani K. Meck, M.D. Lindsey M. Turner, M.D. • Michelle Taheri, M.D. Missy J. McMinn, M.D. • Donna G. Breeland, M.D. Sharon K. Brown, CFNP

EastLakelandOBGYN.com | 601.936.1400 DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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SHOPPING

Summer Days

1.

Splash into the Season Perfect accessories for pool parties, lake days, beach trips, and summer celebrations!

1. Tennis Racket with Diamond Ball Jewelry Rosson Co., Cleveland Instagram: @rossoncompany rosson-co.com; 662.843.3986

2.

3.

2. Palm Tree Floating Speaker Punkin Patch, Cleveland Instagram: @punkinpatchcleveland 662.843.0434

3. Row Away Float by El Arroyo Sav-Mor Drugs and Gifts, Grenada Instagram: @savmordrugsandgifts savmordrugsandgifts.com; 662.226.6741

4. Giant Dino Pool Float

Punkin Patch, Cleveland Instagram: @punkinpatchcleveland 662.843.0434

Keep the tunes coming with the ultimate waterproof speaker. A great summer birthday gift!

5. Daisy Flower Round Sunglasses

4.

Young Ideas, Indianola Instagram: @young_ideas 662.887.5529

6. Summer Tote Bag

Ginger G., Oxford Instagram: @shopginger.g 662.234.1360

7. Summer Travel Packing Cubes

Lavender Lane, Indianola Instagram: @lavenderlaneindianola 662.452.5131

5.

Be the cutest cutie at the baby pool with these daisy-framed sunnies!

6.

7.

The cutest bags for your next beach trip!

42 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

1.

Red, White, & Blue Patriotic touches to enjoy all summer long 1. Patriotic Decorative Pillows

The Mississippi Gift Company, Greenwood Instagram: @themississippigiftcompany themississippigiftcompany.com; 662.455.6961

2. Girl’s Ric Rac Harbor Hat Sprout, Greenwood Instagram: @shopsproutgreenwood shopsproutgreenwood.com; 662.219.0327

2.

3. Staffordshire Dog with Cocktail Picks The Olive Tree, Starkville Instagram: @theolivetreestarkville theolivetreestarkville.com; 662.722.3019

4. Patriotic Cocktail Napkins

Viking Cooking School, Greenwood Instagram: @thevikingcookingschool vikingrange.com; 662.451.6750

5. Beach by Matisse Slides

Mod + Proper, Cleveland Instagram: @modandproper shopmodandproper.com; 662.400.3111

6. Serving Basket Trays

Osmanthus Market, Greenwood Instagram: @osmanthusmarket osmanthusmarket.com; 662.477.1026

7. Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel Mimi’s on Main, Senatobia Instagram: @mimisonmain 662.562.8261

4.

3.

Crisp, ivory-colored, casual kicks are just right for every summer occasion!

6.

8. Grill Basket

Viking Cooking School, Greenwood Instagram: @thevikingcookingschool vikingrange.com; 662.451.6750

9. Swig All American Can + Bottle Cooler Westgate Drugs, Clarksdale Instagram: @westgatedrugs 662.627.7858

5.

10. Maui Jim Sunglasses

7.

Fine Eyes, Ridgeland Instagram: @fineeyeseyewear fineeyes.com; 601.853.1695

8.

9.

Stay refreshed with a patriotic flair with Swig’s new bottle coolers

10.

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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44 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

• S EPTE M

BER 13 & 14

, 2024 •

FLIPTURN H A P PY L A N D I N G E A S Y H O N EY HANS WILLIAMS H EY, N OT H I N G Dogpark

Alexis Jade & the Gemstones

Alice Hasen & the Blaze

Chinese Connection Dub Embassy

Joe Austin & the Tallahatchies

Reed Brake

Trey Gardo

R

BU

IN RN

G MIDNIGH

Late Late Jams with Quint & Aaron

T S

AT

U

Full Bars • Food Trucks • Late Nite Jams • Yoga

Artist Market • Kids Zone & Petting Zoo • RV/Camp Sites

R

D

Y

G

I

TA

Terry “Big T” Williams

A

U

Stone Gas Band

T I C K E T S AT M I G H T Y R O O T S M U S I C F E S T I VA L . C O M

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ART

Sammy Britt

A Color-full Life

BY MARILYN TINNIN • PHOTOS COURTESY OF LINDA BRITT

ammy Britt was born to be an artist and a teacher.

He loved God, nature’s glory, wonder, and color— his contagious smile was a bonus. His devotion to teaching equaled his passion for painting, and from 1966 to 2002, his canvas and his classroom at Delta State University inspired and shaped hundreds of students who came to study painting or drawing. The beloved Delta artist died on December 18, 2022.

S

46 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

It is impossible to separate Sammy’s philosophy of life from his approach to painting, and his strong faith in God resonated in both realms. “In our greatest artistic moment, we can merely create a weak illusion of God’s great creative genius, but that tiny glimpse of God’s beauty is more than enough to share with another soul,” he once said.

Although Sammy retired from DSU in 2002, the same year he received the coveted Kossman Outstanding Teacher Award, he was certainly not forgotten. His work and workshops continued to attract art students and art enthusiasts.

The honors continued to flow, too. In 2015, Sammy was honored

CETIN OGUZ

The color language of Britt’s works is evident in this piece simply named Green Bottle.

with the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2017, he was tapped for the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts, and in 2019, he received DSU’s University Alumni Award.

In 2018, DSU’s art department chair, Michael Stanley, lured the energetic retiree back to teach for a few more years, promising he would not be required to attend faculty meetings and could teach his classes from his beloved studio.

Stanley’s offer was one he could not refuse.

Students eagerly registered for those classes at Sammy’s studio, which was flanked by lush, colorful flower beds. In true form, he had designed the beds with attention to color, shape, and height, envisioning all or part of them in his paintings. Careful tending by his friend Jerry Townsend kept the flower beds thriving and beautiful.

Then, in 2020, the Covid pandemic changed everything. When

classes became virtual, Sammy was done. There was a personal connection with his students that Zoom could never replicate.

Throughout his career, he spent his days exploring the language of light and color, believing that just as we must be taught to speak, we must be taught to see the full spectrum of light and color.

Aside from art, the other great passion of his youth was one sweet, pretty girl a grade behind him. They were in junior high school when Linda Newsome invited him to a Sadie Hawkins dance.

As they stood in the Cleveland High School gym the night of the dance, Sammy confessed that he did not know how to dance, so the two sat at the side of the dance floor most of the night, finding much to discuss. They did not stop talking for the next seventy years.

When Sammy graduated from high school, he headed to the University of Southern Mississippi, eager to enroll in his first art course.

He was disappointed to learn freshmen were required to DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Cotton in Bloom in Early Morning Light, one of Sammy’s signature landscapes.

complete a prescribed curriculum before they had the freedom to on their trip to Provincetown that summer, but Linda insisted he venture into other subjects. After several weeks of mandatory ROTC go. Early on a humid June morning in 1963, the group struck out and too much marching in formation, he resolved to return to from Memphis in a Chevrolet Impala the size of a Sherman tank Ruleville as soon as possible. The first quarter ended, and Sammy and packed to the gills with the art supplies of six aspiring artists. found employment for a few months back home, None of them were well-traveled. Interstate highways where he heard about the Memphis Academy of Art. were in their infancy. With a road map and meager It was only two hours away, straight up Highway 61 funds for food and gasoline, the friends zigzagged their and not too far from Linda. way toward Provincetown, stopping at various art Sammy enrolled in the summer of 1960 and found museums along the way. himself studying with renowned American portrait Finally arriving at their destination, the creative artist Nelson Shanks, whose credits include the official young artists found their inexpensive accommodations portrait of President Clinton, which hangs in the spartan or worse. They explored a city dump, National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. scrounging for temporary furnishings.

Shanks constantly referred to one of his most Sammy spent every waking hour absorbing what influential teachers, Henry Hensche, of the Cape Henry Hensche had to offer, spending as much as School of Art in Provincetown, Massachusetts. twelve hours each day at his easel outside. Discovering Hensche’s emphasis on light, color, and their Britt’s senior portrait Hensche’s methods was like finding the language he interplay fascinated tSammy. He and a few of his close had always wanted to speak. He returned from that friends at the art academy desperately wanted to study with Mr. first summer with two certainties: he wanted to paint like Hensche Hensche. and teach others to do the same.

That dream became reality at the end of his sophomore year. By Other American artists of that era did not paint in this way. then, he and Linda were married and had welcomed their first baby.

Sammy’s statement on his website They lived in a small apartment in Memphis, and Linda worked to describes a style that is neither traditional impressionism nor help put him through the academy. realism. He called it “beyond impressionism” and wrote, “This is a Money was tight. Sammy saw no way he could join his friends new language of seeing and cannot be explained, taught, or practiced 48 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

CETIN OGUZ

in a traditional manner or by traditional terminology.”

The annual sessions with Hensche continued for several years and provided many rich experiences. Linda recalls the summer of 1968 when she and their daughter, five-year-old Alison, joined Sammy on the summer trek to Provincetown for his summer study.

The cost of renting a house or apartment was prohibitive, so they pitched a tent at the Coastal Acres Camping Court. Two daily routines were outdoor cooking and hot showers in a community bathhouse. And fifty-six years later, Linda says she would do it all over again.

When Sammy completed his undergraduate studies at the Memphis Academy of Art, Malcolm Norwood was the chair of the art department at Delta State. He promised the young graduate a

CHARLES TINNIN

CHARLES TINNIN

CHARLES TINNIN

A beloved painting of Britt’s Cleveland studio, flanked with wildflowers.

Sammy’s studio was a comfortable haven, full of colorful collections and whimsy. In a natural setting and surrounded by stunning wildflower beds, this special place provided artistic inspiration for the artist and his students alike.

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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to Delta State from Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts. He was a collegiate swimmer, but painting was his passion. Although Chet spoke passable English, he found Southern accents to be a challenge. It took him a few months to catch on to Sammy’s sense of humor. When he did, he learned to laugh and enjoy it as much as Sammy did. One of his favorite phrases for Chet was, “Come to my office, and we can talk ‘turkey.’”

Chet also spoke of Sammy’s unique “color language.” Although Chet paints abstractly, he learned foundational principles that profoundly influenced his approach to his work and A favorite family picture is this one taken when Sammy received the 2017 Governor’s Award teaching. for Excellence in the Visual Arts. Left to right: Glenn, Sammy, Linda, Alison, and Steve.

“Sammy’s teaching had a philosophical component. It was that every time you start a new painting you begin as though you don’t know anything. You position at DSU if he obtained a master’s degree. With that promise, begin with fresh eyes and go where the process takes you. Process Sammy and his family moved to Oxford so he could pursue the takes over, and the color will speak to you.” advanced degree at Ole Miss.

One student who never quite parted with her mentor is Melanie Two years later, degree in hand, Sammy and Linda joyfully Atkinson, who stayed on and facilitated his workshops for years after returned to Cleveland. Raising his children—Alison, Glenn, and she graduated from DSU. Sammy was always her “touchstone” and Steve—in a place that reinforced his values was more important to “go-to” when she needed encouragement or advice. him than furthering his name and reputation in a different part A family man to his of the country. He never wanted to leave the Delta, and there, core, other than his art, he created a life and legacy that influenced generations of artists.

Sammy’s greatest joy Well-known Mississippi artists came from spending time Richard Kelso, Gerald with his three children DeLoach, and George and seven grandchildren.

Thurmond are among his He cherished sharing students who include comical stories from his “student of Sammy Britt” in own childhood and his their gallery bios. Although love of painting with his famed watercolorist Wyatt grandchildren. Until the Waters never studied with very end, he was able to him, he, too, claims Sammy’s enjoy these two great loves influence on the way he sees of his—painting and being light and color. with his family.

Gerald DeLoach, whose In the past few months, works hang in private and In 1968, Linda and their daughter Alison accompanied Linda has sorted through corporate collections nation- Sammy to his summer study memorabilia, papers, notes and wide and abroad, is one of with Henry Hensche. They more that her husband left Sammy’s protégés. Having roughed it, living in a tent behind. A treasure trove of abandoned his first major of and cooking over a campfire, memories, almost everything in accounting to pursue art, but it was well worth it! their home and his studio DeLoach was greatly reminds her of things that were impacted as an artist by Sammy’s language of light and important to him. color.

Recently, Linda came across “Sammy taught a class called ‘Painting,’” Gerald one of his favorite books, Dr. Howard Hendrick’s Teaching to Change explains. “It was actually a course in the art of seeing color. He Lives. These words were bookmarked and starred with Sammy’s presented us with a process or procedure to use color to describe the black pen: “One reason I’ve stayed so long in teaching is the light reflecting off objects in various lighting conditions, to create fulfillment of seeing so many of my students graduate and do far descriptions of the form of objects using observed color.” beyond what I could ever do. To build into their lives, and then to “He didn’t set himself apart from his students and made himself see them take that and run with it so much farther than I ever could, available. He had a great sense of humor and joked around with us,” is true fulfillment.”

Gerald says of Britts’s natural ability to connect with people.

Linda closed that book, held it out to me, and said, “That is just Cetin “Chet” Oguz, current chair of the art department, arrived so Sammy Britt.” DM as a twenty-three-year-old Turkish international student transferring 50 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Shop Senatobia

52 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

VISIT TATE

COUNTY this summer!

SHOP. Dine. Splash.

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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MUSIC

BLUES RISING

BY JIM BEAUGEZ AUSTIN BRITT

Teenage musician John Clayton White has already jammed with stars in the blues scene— now he’s readying his first EP of original music

54 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

ALLISON WHITE

Susan Tedeschi with John Clayton White at the June 2023 reopening of Club Ebony in Indianola

o get a sense of what the young blues guitar slinger John Clayton White has accomplished so far in his life, imagine taking the stage with your biggest musical heroes. Now, picture that taking place at a hallowed, revered venue where nearly every artist responsible for modern blues and rock and roll have performed. Oh, and one more thing: you’re twelve years old.

White had his first pinch-me moment in June 2023 at the grand reopening of Club Ebony in Indianola, when he took the stage with slide-guitar phenom Derek Trucks and his wife and co-bandleader in the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the ace blues bender Susan Tedeschi.

“He was supposed to play one song, and so when he got done, I started heading up there to help him unplug,” says Allison White, his mother and manager, who grew up in Indianola. “And they were like, ‘No, Susan wants him to stay for the rest of the set.’ So, he stayed.”

“I did my homework,” John Clayton says. “I went and listened to how they play, and I got ready for it. I was initially kind of nervous, but as soon as I got up there, I guess I ripped it. That was a big moment for me. I don’t really get nervous anymore.”

There is some precedent here, to be clear. Blues titan Joe Bonamassa first played with B.B. King when he was twelve. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

ALLISON WHITE

T

John Clayton White poses with Derek Trucks, of Tedeschi Trucks Band at Club Ebony in Indianola, where the two jammed on stage.

jammed with Buddy Guy at seventeen, which led to big tours and Guy financing his first album. That isn’t bad company to keep—and fortunately, the White family’s relationship with the blues power couple didn’t end there.

In May, when the Whites traveled to the Sun, Sand and Soul festival in Miramar Beach, Florida, to see the Tedeschi Trucks Band perform, Derek and Susan recognized John Clayton on the beach and invited him to play with them at a smaller pop-up show that weekend.

Allison made sure he was cleaned up and ready to plug in on time.

“It’s really neat just to watch how people are connecting us, and how one thing leads to the next,” she says. “It’s making the path pretty clear that this is what he’s supposed to be doing. If you’re

going down the wrong path, the doors seem to close. That’s not happening— doors are opening.”

John Clayton’s burgeoning career was practically inevitable from the start. He grew up around musical instruments at home and played drums before picking up the guitar at eight years old. But he showed an aptitude for music much earlier.

“The initial inkling my husband and I had that he was going to be musical was when he was barely walking,” she says.

“My husband sat down with his Martin guitar in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner, and at the first strum that he made on the guitar, John Clayton stopped playing on the floor, walked over to his dad, and stood there mesmerized.”

Now thirteen years old, John Clayton DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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AUSTIN BRITT ALLISON WHITE

D.K. Harrell, White, and Susan Tedeschi jam at the grand reopening of Club Ebony.

56 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

is putting together the pieces of a career in music. After playing with the Mississippi School of Music in Tremont, where he met his mentor, Tony Wayne Hooper, he formed the 662 Band and began playing concerts and writing and recording songs.

“Tony’s helping me with a lot of my writing,” he says. “We co-write it, but we basically put our heads together and we come up with that kind of stuff. I haven’t really thought about who I’m trying to be through my writing yet. I would say probably along the lines of Joe Bonamassa or Kingfish.”

There are those names again.

Out of the spotlight, John Clayton is learning to use his talents to give back. He penned the song “Biggest Fan” for his close friend Ansley Haynes Thompson of New Albany, who was struggling with brain cancer earlier this year. The pair had a big sister/little brother relationship and spent days swimming and attending church together. Thompson came to every performance she could, even when she was confined to a wheelchair. Just days before she passed away, he shared the song with her.

“John Clayton sat by her bedside,”

AUSTIN BRITT

Allison says. “She had been asleep all day, and they said she’s probably not going to wake up. And the minute she heard John Clayton’s voice, her eyes opened, and he sat by her bedside and played that song.”

After attending Thompson’s funeral, John Clayton went to the studio to record “Biggest Fan.” The song is now available for purchase on his website, johnclaytonwhitemusic.com, with proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So far, they have sold enough copies of the CD to reach half of their $2,000 goal.

“She fought a really long and hard battle,” he says, “and I just wrote a song about her journey and how she supported me through my journey. We were really close, and I thought it would be a really nice thing to do for her family, and to honor her as well.”

John Clayton recently put his energies toward recording his first EP of original music, slated for release this summer, at The Lodge Studio in Rienzi with the 662 Band. He’ll return to Club Ebony in Indianola for a release party on August 9, and follow up with another one at the Blue Canoe in his hometown of Tupelo on August 16.

This fall, he’ll perform on the Legendary Blues Cruise alongside Mississippi musicians like Ingram, Mr. Sipp and Paul Thorn, as well as heavyweights like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Taj Mahal. Tickets for the Caribbean cruise are already sold out. And while an ice storm prevented them from making the trip to the International Blues Challenge earlier this year, he’ll make up for it with a performance on Beale Street in January 2025.

As the future unfolds for the rising blues artist, he’s learning the ropes of a working musician. He recently played to a graduation-night crowd at Rooster’s Blues House on the Oxford Square until past midnight, and somehow found time to give an interview to a visiting music journalist from England. And the gigs keep coming.

“We’re really serious about this path I’m going down, and this is definitely what I want to do into adulthood,” he says. “The music comes from my soul. It comes natural to me on stage. That’s really my element—to be on stage in front of people performing, to make ‘em happy and uplift ‘em.” DM

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In FullBloom From vibrant fields of color to self-serve flower stands operating on the honor system, Katherine Webb puts a new riff on local farming

BY KELSEY BETZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATHERINE WEBB

Flower girl: Katherine Webb of Farmstead Florals harvests an armful of blooms from the field.

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here’s a magic to growing flowers. Given the tens of thousands that bloom on her seven-acre farm in peak season, Katherine Webb knows this firsthand. Webb grew up in south Louisiana, watching her parents navigate entrepreneurship and pitching in when she got old enough to help.

T

While she was in high school, her parents took on vegetable farming, which would be a pivotal point for Webb’s future career.

Through her parents’ example, she learned about farming and about making it work as a business. As she was going through college at Sewanee, Webb’s parents encouraged her to try out farming on a piece of family land in Oxford.

She gave it a shot one summer but with her own personal spin. Instead of growing vegetables, she would grow flowers. And after one season of growing flowers, she was hooked.

“I totally fell in love,” Webb remembers.

From there, falling in love with flower farming grew into a steady, committed love that sustains the farm today. Webb

Webb with Maddie Dyess at the Oxford Farmers’ Market.

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Katherine Webb with her parents at the Farmstead Florals self-serve flower stand in Oxford.

Webb has now taken the leap into the wedding florist business, with her stunning bouquet and arrangements gracing the cover of the Delta Magazine wedding issue earlier this year.

All in a days work—Webb and her team harvesting mounds of zinnias and other flowers.

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graduated from Sewanee and returned to Oxford in 2017 to establish Farmstead Florals, now a fully operational flower farm and Webb’s full-time job.

“This is not something I grew up dreaming of doing, but I now can’t imagine doing anything else,” Webb said.

She started out by selling flowers at the local farmers’ markets but quickly decided

The Hardesty Homestead sunflower field in all its glory.

to grow her business by replicating part of her parents’ business model. As vegetable farmers, Webb’s parents would sell directly to fine-dining restaurants across southern Louisiana. Webb decided to do the same with local florists.

“I would load up my car with buckets of zinnias, sunflowers, celosia, and all the bright, colorful things that we grow,” Webb recalled. “I would knock on the door and say, ‘Hi, I’m Katherine! Would you like to buy my flowers?’”

This resulted in varying levels of success at first, but as she consistently showed up with beautiful flowers, the idea of buying locally from Webb’s farm started to grow on florists.

Webb said that ninety percent of the flowers bought from most florist shops are sourced from outside the United States.

They’re shipped from all over the world— Holland, Ecuador, and other parts of South America. She decided to take cues from the florists and ask them what types of flowers they wished to sell but couldn’t because flowers are not typically shipped internationally in water.

Doing this helped her business grow, she

Natalie Hardesty and her family at the first Cleveland Farmers’ Market of the season.

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The Hardesty Homestead’s new honor flower stand at Zoe Coffee Co. in downtown Cleveland.

now sells at multiple farmers markets and flower shops, while also expanding into the wedding florist business. But another unique offering that sets Farmstead Florals apart is the honor system flower stands established throughout Oxford.

Webb stocks the stands with self-serve, pre-made, bouquets casually arranged in quart and pint jars, and leaves a sign letting people know how much they cost and how to pay for them. And then she trusts her community to do the rest.

“It was actually my dad’s idea to start the self-serve flower stands,” Webb said. She was skeptical at first but didn’t have much to lose other than a little bit of time and the lumber it took them to build the stand.

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Misty morning view at Farmstead Florals.

being receptive to me and Farmstead Florals.”

There are now three self-serve flower stands in Oxford: two on campus and one on North Lamar Boulevard near Heart Break Coffee.

This idea has also taken root ninety miles west in the Delta. Inspired by Sharp’s business model that not only spreads beauty, but also builds community connections, Cleveland resident Natalie Hardesty recently started a self-serve flower stand at Zoe Coffee Co. in downtown Cleveland.

“Someone sent me a picture of [Farmstead Floral’s] flower stand in Oxford, and I thought, ‘This would so work in Cleveland! I love flowers, and the Delta has nothing like this. This would be a great opportunity for myself and the community,’” Hardesty explains.

Hardesty has always had a love for life, growth, and color. She’s dreamed of living on a farm most of her life. For the past five years, she has lived on a few acres outside of Cleveland’s city limits with her husband and four sons, where they grow vegetables and keep chickens (and a host of other friendly farm animals).

But all along, Hardesty has been yearning to farm flowers and share them with the community. In early spring, she planted enough flower seeds to start a small farm, with the intention of selling them at the Cleveland Farmers Market in the summer.

“I started all my seeds in the laundry room. I had so many grow lights and seed trays, we didn’t even have enough room for dirty laundry,” Hardesty said.

Leading up to the first Cleveland Farmers Market, she wasn’t sure what the reception to her flowers would be. Within 45 minutes of being open, she completely sold out.

“This is a dream come true,” Hardesty said. “And it’s just starting.” DM

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◆

The

ROADS Less

TRAVELED Actor-turned-writer

ANDREW McCARTHY searches for meaning on the backroads of the Delta

BY JIM BEAUGEZ • PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDREW MCCARTHY

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JESSE DITTMAR

On

a winding journey from Kentucky to Texas in December 2023, the actor, director, and travel writer Andrew McCarthy, newly 61, was driving through his past.

Ostensibly on a trip to reconnect with friends who had left New York for jobs and lives elsewhere, McCarthy ignored the common routes that any driving app would suggest, venturing away from interstate highways and onto the blacktop backroads of the Deep South.

That’s when his journey of rediscovery began to reveal places he had never considered visiting, and which, like him, can’t easily be separated from their past—where the past is never past, to paraphrase William Faulkner. He found the Mississippi Delta particularly fascinating, at once enchanting, intimidating, and illuminating.

“What I was interested in is how the past is still influencing the present, and

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BRUCE NEWMAN

McCarthy’s first stop in Mississippi was Tupelo, where he visited Elvis’s favorite booth at Johnnie’s Drive-In.

While in Oxford in March, he read from Walking With Sam for a taping of Thacker Mountain Radio (shown here with host Jim Dees).

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how the present can be changed by our interpretation of what happened in the past,” he tells Delta over a video call from his home in New York, where he lives with his family.

He’s been thinking about the past a lot lately, but not as nostalgia. For his recent documentary Brats, McCarthy visited the actors who, along with himself, were tagged with the moniker “Brat Pack” as they rose to fame in the 1980s. The star power rivals the movies they made, with segments featuring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, and the other stars of blockbusters like The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles.

Although McCarthy hadn’t seen his former co-stars in three decades, he found that the Brat Pack media hype, oversaturation, and eventual decline had impacted them all in different ways. In his own life, acting began to mean less, and he lost the interest and fire he felt his first time on stage at fifteen. He started to travel more, and the more he ventured out of the comfort zone he’d built around himself, the less fear he felt.

“I found traveling really changed my place in the world, and it helped me realize how much fear had

BRUCE NEWMAN

Square Books in Oxford hosted a book signing for McCarthy in March.

McCarthy’s two latest books, BRAT: An ’80s Story, which inspired the newly released documentary by the same name, and Walking with Sam.

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McCarthy at the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo.

While touring the Delta, McCarthy snapped this picture of ivory-white cotton bolls.

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dominated so much of my life,” he says. “When I was walking across Spain on the old Camino de Santiago years ago, I had this sort of white-light experience in the middle of a wheat field in Spain about that.” He kept traveling, and eventually began writing about his experiences. To his surprise, he found the same feeling he’d experienced discovering acting as a teenager. “I just went, ‘Oh, there I am.’”

Success as a writer came quickly, too. National Geographic made him an editor at large, and the Society of American Travel Writers named him Travel Journalist of the Year in 2010 for his work in publications like The New York Times, The Atlantic and Men’s Journal. His first travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, landed him on the NYT bestseller list, a feat he has repeated three times—most recently for Walking With Sam, his 2023 memoir about walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago again, this time with his son as he neared

Under the iconic Crossroads sign in Clarksdale, one of McCarthy’s favorite towns to visit.

adulthood. In fact, his extensive book tour promoting “Obviously, in so much of the Delta particularly, there’s Walking With Sam brought him back through Mississippi not a ton of excess money bouncing around. When there’s again in March. McCarthy was the featured literary guest not money to shield things, things are pretty exposed for for the weekly, statewide public radio show, Thacker what they are. There’s something really attractive about Mountain Radio, which was recorded at the Gertrude Ford something that is just utterly itself, whether it’s people or Center, followed the next day a place.” with a book signing at Square Starting off with a hazy sense Books. of what he aimed to find, As far afield as he traveled, McCarthy first visited Tupelo though, Mississippi had long and the birthplace of Elvis been a blank spot on his map of Presley, then stopped at Rowan – from McCarthy’s Facebook post, December 12, 2023 America. Not only had he never Oak, Faulkner’s home in Oxford. visited, but no one in his circle of friends and family had, Everywhere he went, people suggested new places to go— either. But now, driving backroads across the country to and so, he went. reconnect with old friends, the prospect of driving straight “I had something about the blues vaguely in my mind, and into the heart of the region felt daunting and intimidating. it kept unfolding and unfolding and unfolding, and I thought, So, naturally, he did. you could spend an extraordinary amount of time here and it “Mississippi seems so distinctly itself,” he says. would still be unfolding and still be a mystery to me.”

Whatever I thought I knew about Mississippi was completely wrong. Amazing experience.

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Seeing the ruins of Bryant’s Grocery in Money was a profound experience for McCarthy.

While in Clarksdale, McCarthy caught a performance by Lucious Spiller at Red’s.

At Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home in Oxford.

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“I ask people, ‘Have you ever been to Mississippi?’ I’m like, ‘You need to go to Mississippi,’” McCarthy says.

“They’re going, ‘Really?’ And I go, ‘No, really. Mississippi is unbelievable.’”

Some of the places he ate along the way stand out the most among his favorite experiences, which will surprise few in the Delta. Joe’s Hot Tamales, or The White Front Place in Rosedale, as well as Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville and Walnut Hills in Vicksburg, all made his best-of list.

McCarthy spent a good deal of his stay in Clarksdale, where one night he was one of three paying customers watching Lucious Spiller perform at Red’s Lounge. Still, he walked away in awe. “They just gave it up for two hours, and it was just three random people, me and this couple from Ohio, and these musicians who just were there for the love of it,” he says. “That kind of generosity and spirit, and the history of the blues, it’s so deep. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life.”

The duality of life experiences in the Delta and the disparity of histories, which rarely ceases to create a sort of dissonance, struck him most profoundly when he reached Money. Seeing the ruins of Bryant’s Grocery and the landing on the Tallahatchie River associated with the lynching of Emmett Till were powerful to witness.

“It’s still such a fraught, complicated place,” he says, “and I don’t have any pretense that I understand something deeply there. It’s like that great Eugene O’Neill line: ‘The past is the present, isn’t it? It’s the future, too.’ And that seems like Mississippi to me. It’s alive and it’s there. Emmett Till seemed very much alive. That was a haunting place to me.”

So, what did he distill from witnessing the complexities of life and his own experiences in Mississippi? He’s still unraveling the meaning as he nears completion of his next book, due in 2025, a recounting of his trip to see old friends—but what he experienced in the Delta plays an outsized role in the story, he says.

“The best of travel just makes you childlike in your sense of wonder again, and it’s a very contagious quality. When I would talk to people [in Mississippi] at first, I’d be invisible.

And then when I’d be engaged, then they would get engaged, and then both of you leave better for the encounter. And that’s all you want. That’s what connection is.”

Whatever conclusion he ultimately draws, chances are, he’ll be back.

“I ask people, ‘Have you ever been to Mississippi?’ I’m like, ‘You need to go to Mississippi,’” he says. “They’re going, ‘Really?’ And I go, ‘No, really. Mississippi is unbelievable.’” DM

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Tender, house-cured, Bill-E’s bacon is a perfect addition to a charcuterie board.

The World’s Best BACON?

Billy “Bill-E” Stitt makes a strong and tasty claim

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Stitt proudly displaying his signature butcher paper.

BY JACK CRISS • PHOTOS COURTESY BILLY STITT

illy Stitt, or “Bill-E” as he’s come to be known (the “E” standing for his middle name, Ernest), produces thousands of pounds of bacon every week, is in four national distribution warehouses—with two additional locations forthcoming—and has been ranked as having one of the top three brands of bacon in America.

B

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Bill-E’s Bacon’s charming store and restaurant in Fairhope, Alabama.

Stitt’s early training, work ethic, and natural love of food were the perfect storm to find the niche for his bacon venture in the culinary world.

And this love of bacon all came from a conversation in the car with his dad during a business trip.

Based in Fairhope, Alabama, Stitt has two businesses: Bill-E’s Restaurant and Catering, where he conducts personal chef experiences for diners, and Bill-E’s Small Batch Bacon, LLC. The latter is a USDA 80 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

facility located behind the restaurant, where Stitt makes a small-batch bacon that is shipped all over the world.

Stitt learned his trade—and love and knowledge of bacon—in the Mississippi Delta.

“I was actually born in Jackson, Mississippi, because babies weren’t delivered in Yazoo City, where my parents lived at the time,” laughs Stitt. “My father, John Williamson “Billy” Stitt, II, went to three high schools growing up: one year spent in Clarksdale, another year in Ruleville, and his last year at Whitehaven in Memphis.

His father, my grandfather, ran the Federal Compress and Warehouse Company, so they moved around a lot. My Dad graduated from Ole Miss, served in the Navy, and, eventually, after marrying my Mom and living in Tennessee ended up coming to Yazoo City to work for the Southern Bag Corporation. So, my brother John and I were both raised in Yazoo City and have very strong connections to the Delta to this day,” he says.

In fact, Stitt says today he sells much of his bacon orders to Delta customers and chefs.

“My ultimate goal in business is to have my companies strong enough where we’ll be able to go to some of the smaller communities in the Delta and open up hamburger ‘joints,’ with quality food,” says Stitt. “I’ve been in the hospitality industry since I was fifteen years old, and now I’m fifty-five, so this is my life. Nothing would

make me happier than to get together and work with Delta folks who want to reinvent and revitalize their communities with my brand and a restaurant model that makes sense. I’d love to see many Bill-E’s bacon and burger joints in underserved communities to create jobs and opportunities for people in those areas,” he says.

Stitt says he lost his father, who he called his best friend, six years ago. “My older brother decided he wanted to be a doctor at the tender age of nine and guess what? He’s a doctor today,” chuckles Stitt. “He delivers babies and I deliver bacon and burgers! But Dad was such a huge influence on us both. We didn’t take vacations growing up—we took business trips.

John and I would get in his car, take a nap, and wake up in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, you name the city.”

“Dad would call on clients all over the country. He called on Paul Newman and Orville Redenbacher, for instance. At the time, he was helping his clients with their packaging, working for a company based in southern Illinois. It was called Hospitality Brand, and so I grew up learning about branding, manufacturing, and packaging food properly. That’s when it got in my blood.”

Stitt’s love of bacon came about when, as a teenager, he went on a trip alone with his father.

“I was working all the time, doing odd

jobs like mowing lawns, and Dad said to me on this trip, ‘I need you to start thinking about what you want to do with your life, son. I had this same conversation with your brother, and now it’s your turn,’” says Stitt.

“And he told me that, once I made a decision, he would help me find some experts to advise and help me in whatever field or profession I chose. I started really pondering this during that same trip, and I told him that we were always taking his clients out to breakfast, lunch, and dinner at awesome restaurants across the country, that I enjoyed that, and that I simply liked groceries. I liked food. He said, ‘Okay, that gives me something to work with.’”

After the trip, Stitt and his father returned to Yazoo City. Life went on, and after a few weeks, his father told him he had found someone he wanted him to talk with.

“So, when I got out of school one day, we drove out to meet with a butcher who lived way out in the county,” recalls Stitt.

“Dad proceeded to leave us alone, and the guy struck up a conversation with me about food and how my father had told him I was becoming an Eagle Scout and was a hard worker. Long story short, he offered me a job to help him out a few hours here and there to clean equipment and learn his

Stitt’s signature vintage truck travels along with him for food shows and demonstrations.

Stitt cooking at the Mobile Ole Miss Rebel alumni club gathering at Fort Conde in Mobile, Alabama.

trade. I was fifteen at the time, and the man told me that, while he needed someone to help him, my first commitments should be to my Scouting, football playing, and schoolwork—not to him and the job. It was an interesting and sobering conversation for a kid that age to hear. He told me to stick to what I was doing.”

As Stitt was preparing to go to college, this same man told him that he was going to teach him how to make and prepare bacon the way their ancestors had done. “I just said, ‘Sure, okay.’ I had watched him make bacon plenty of times and, truthfully, it just never really stuck with me. But then he proceeded to go into all these details about how the pigs had to be raised, fed, and treated properly. He taught me the whole

process. I was fascinated—and hooked.”

While Stitt was at Ole Miss, he says he would make bacon for his friends based on what he had learned. “I found myself actually loving the process of cooking it up and putting into practice what I’d been taught,” he says.

After graduating, Stitt became the head chef at the old Downtown Grille on the Square in Oxford. “Well, I did have to work my way up first, from dishwasher to cook and then to assistant manager. I was helping Lee Cauthen, the manager at the time, who still has a restaurant in Oxford,” says Stitt.

“I did that for a couple of years but knew I’d never get promoted because Lee sure wasn’t going anywhere!”

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Dr. Bill Accousti, creator of Dr. Bill's Cane and Maple Syrup—which Stitt uses in his recipes— seen here with Stitt at Dr. Accousti's kitchen in New Orleans.

82 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

manager at a Ruby Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee, and worked there for twenty years. “I did a lot of traveling all over the country for them and actually instituted several new programs and innovations, as well,” he said. “When I left Ruby Tuesday, I was in upper management.”

After he left Memphis and Ruby Tuesday, Stitt opened his own place in Fairhope. “And that’s when I really started solidifying my bacon recipe and craft,” he says. “I would order bacon from all over the country and try it to sample it and see what other producers were doing. And, honestly, most all of it was so smoky, salty, and flavorless that you would forget it was pork.

I wanted a product that a professional chef would get excited about and treat as a premium protein and not simply something to slip over a salad. My goal was to make bacon a center dish. And I started doing just that at my own restaurant,” he says.

People began noticing, eating, and buying Stitt’s bacon in droves—including area chefs.

“Even some chefs who were tourists in the area wanted to take my bacon back with them,” he says. “That’s when I knew I had to get USDA certification, which many people told me would never happen. Well,” he chuckles, “when you tell me I can’t do or get something, that’s all I need to hear!”

Stitt wrote out his own submission plan for the certification and built a team to help him make the bacon following his own selfcreated process, which, incidentally, contains no hormones or growth antibiotics. “I eat it every day and I’ve lost over seventy pounds over the past year!” laughs Stitt.

“And that’s where we are today. Trying to grow the company even more by putting everything back into it,” Stitt says. “We’ve won numerous awards for our bacon, and I’ve got to say—we’re really on to something! We sell our bacon, along with swag and t-shirts, online at billesbacon.com, and we also sell it wholesale to a number of national food distributors, and then we have simple walk-in traffic. My bacon is also available at Piggly Wiggly grocery stores, all the Robert Fresh Market stores throughout Louisiana, some Winn-Dixie and Rouses, and a ton of local retail stores. They’re all listed on our website.” DM

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JOIN US OCTOBER 4-5 for the largest Plein Air Paint Out in Mississippi. Come paint beautiful Greenwood in the heart of the Delta.

Register online.

THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER Enjoy fascinating work from Turkishborn DSU Assistant Professor of Art and Animation Korkut Akacik and his wife Zelda Akacik.

THE MONTH OF DECEMBER Lee Harper’s Miniature Dioramas are sure to enthrall young and old alike.

Doe’s Eat Place has been shrunk to fit on a steak platter!

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HOMES

POOLS & PATIOS Summer in the Delta can be brutal, but these four families have it made in the shade with backyard pools perfectly suited to their needs

BY TERRI GLAZER

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Hidden Treasure

Like a secret garden, this oasis tucked away from the world is a charming and private respite from summer in the Delta

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIMOTHY IVY

S

ITUATED BEHIND A HISTORIC TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY HOME IS A PARADISE WHERE A POOL, pool

house, and pergola exist so comfortably alongside natural elements that it’s hard to remember they weren’t placed there by Mother Nature.

Although the house was originally built in 1913 by the current homeowner’s grandparents, the pool didn’t come to be until the late 1990s. The family added the pool house a couple of years later.

Surrounded by a lush canopy of trees, the pool sits in a large open area. Grass extends right up to the pool coping on three sides. “I didn’t want a lot of concrete or hard surface around the pool,” says the owner. Only on the end closest to the pool house, bluestone pavers form a wide path from the water to the building. Poolside furniture is minimal, adding to the elegant simplicity of the scene.

A weathered teak bench flanked by a pair of concrete urns sits on one side, and a trio of traditional teak deck chairs on the other.

The homeowner says her husband came up with the vision for the pool house. “It was supposed to look like a big tent. He sketched it out on the back of an envelope,” she recalls. Its covered outdoor terrace is supported by four columns covered in the same Arkansas fieldstone used on the fireplaces in the main house. The terrace’s generous size means there is room for a sofa, a pair of chairs, and a pine table surrounded by comfortable seagrass chairs.

A favorite spot for the family is the porch swing on the terrace.

A cozy place to relax, the piece reminds them of the annual vacations they took to the Georgia coast. “We saw that swing on Cumberland Island. There’s a wonderful hotel called the Greystone Inn. They had those swings on their porches, so we found out who made them and had them make us one,” the homeowner explains. “It’s nice and big.

The cushion is the size of a twin bed mattress.”

Along with a main room, the pool house includes a kitchen and a bathroom. “We spend a lot of time out there,” says the homeowner, and it’s no wonder. The terrace’s relaxed charm makes it perfect for summer in the Delta.

A fieldstone and timber pergola stretches out to form an area

Grass and concrete pavers form the harlequin-patterned “floor” under the pergola.

Timeless wooden deck chairs add classic simplicity poolside.

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The roomy pool house porch has room for dining, visiting, and lounging on a custom-made swing.

Twin pillars feature the same Arkansas fieldstone found on the fireplaces in the main house.

border. The charming structure has a whimsical feel. The “floor,” fashioned from concrete pavers laid on the diagonal to create a diamond pattern on the grass, adds just a touch of formality. String lights with Edison bulbs brighten the way. The homeowner has mixed emotions about the wisteria that covers the structure. She says, “It’s really pretty when it blooms, but it’s very invasive.” While some of the vines produce the familiar lavender blooms, a good portion of the plant is covered in white blossoms every spring. “I’m reluctant to be too aggressive about chopping it down because I don’t want to lose the white,” she adds.

With a unique character all its own—and as part of a home that’s been treasured by generations—this Delta backyard is a true treasure.

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Pool Perfection

After years of planning, the Bass family’s patio and pool are just right, with natural stone elements, water features, beautiful landscaping, and outdoor furnishings to enjoy all season long.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN BRITT

O

FF TO ONE SIDE IN HER BACKYARD WAS A SPOT THAT HAD BOTHERED BRIDGETTE BASS SINCE 2000, WHEN SHE AND HER FAMILY MOVED INTO THEIR CLARKSDALE HOME. The area had a small landscape pond with a little waterfall feature, but she could see the potential for more. “I always told my husband it would be a great place for a pool,” she recalls.

After years of resisting, her husband, Brent, finally agreed in 2019, and the Basses couldn’t be happier with the finished product. Lance Foster with Madison County Rocks and Pools handled the design and construction. Joby Jackson, owner of Joby’s Landscape in Winona, took care of the landscaping.

Foster suggested a medium-sized, kidney-shaped pool to fill the problematic area, but only take up part of the yard. The waterfall accent he designed adds more than an element of beauty.

Keeping the water moving helps lower its temperature during the hot Delta summer weather.

The pool’s coping—natural-edged sandstone—provides a beautiful contrast to the deep blue of the water. Stained and scored concrete around the deck repeats the warm tones of the stone Foster placed not only on the coping and a nearby wall built to encase the pool equipment.

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All-weather wicker chairs combine comfort and convenience. They swivel to provide views of the pool or the nearby golf course.

Added just a few years ago, the Bass’s beautiful pool is the centerpiece of their backyard.

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Homeowner Bridgette Bass created multiple seating areas, including spots for conversation and sunbathing. Below, the fence’s nostalgic look echoes the home’s rustic architecture.

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A waterfall feature and a series of sprayers add visual interest and also keep the water moving, cooling it a bit on hot summer days.

The family feels fortunate that, thanks to the terrain, even though their pool is on the golf course at Clarksdale Country Club, it still feels private. Bridgette explains that the club’s guidelines prohibit privacy fences along the course, but because their home is on a bit of a high point that falls away from the course, the pool area is not easily visible from the fairway.

While privacy fences aren’t an option, the organization does require enclosure of the pool areas adjacent to the course. The Basses chose an attractive four-foot iron fence in a hoop-andarrow pattern to complement the rustic style of their home.

Whether the family wants to sit and chat or relax and lounge, the pool deck provides plenty of options. A trio of teak chaise lounges with light neutral cushions offers a perfect spot to soak up the sun, while three separate seating areas easily accommodate the family and their friends. All-weather wicker furniture from the River Oaks Collection by Better Homes and Gardens combines beauty, comfort, and durability. Bridgette placed two

sofas and six swivel club chairs around the pool deck in varying configurations. She says, “We really like the swivel chairs. When you’re out by the pool, you can swivel around and look at the golf course or watch people in the water.”

Pops of color come from vibrant textiles. Inspired by a design blog she follows, Bridgette added bright accent pillows in cool blues and greens in the seating areas. She punched up the chaises with geometric print bolsters and striped towels, custom monogrammed by her daughter’s business, KP Embroidery in Clarksdale. Mother Nature adds to the palette each spring, when the row of ‘Hardy Gardenia’ azaleas near the pool fills with white blossoms. Seasonal flowers in several groupings of pots also make a colorful statement.

Although it took a while to make the pool Bridgette envisioned a reality, the Basses are so glad they did. “It’s been great! We’ve loved it, and of course, our two little grandsons love it,” she says.

This backyard has truly achieved its potential.

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Bold & Beautiful

New decking, beautiful containers, and comfortable seating dressed in bold stripes with stunning pops of red bring hotel luxury to this Clarksdale home and pool

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN BRITT

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HEN RHODES AND RHETT SHAFFETT MOVED INTO THEIR HOME ON THE GOLF COURSE AT THE CLARKSDALE COUNTRY CLUB, THEY SET ABOUT MAKING THE FORMER CONNELL PLACE THEIR OWN. In addition to updating the house, they gave the existing pool and surroundings a major facelift.

The couple was happy with the pool’s kidney shape, so they left it intact and added a water feature with three spouts. They had the gunite redone in a deep blue to produce a sapphire hue when the pool is filled with water, The new tile along the top edge, deep blue with a bit of sparkle, further highlights the look.

In place of the original concrete deck and brick coping, the area around the pool now features cut bluestone. Rhodes loves the look of the new material and the fact that it’s easy on the feet of the couple’s three young grandchildren.

The pool area is the backyard’s focal point, and its new look blends beautifully with the home’s painted brick exterior. The Shaffetts added a dramatic touch by giving the windows a new, saturated color. “I chose [Sherwin Williams] Urbane Bronze, and I added a little something else to it to give it a little more definition,” says Rhodes.

Five teak chaise lounges in a row, plus a matching double chaise across the pool, all painted in the same rich tone, continue the theme. It’s the accessories, however, that provide the pop the

A classic color combination—red, black, and white—brings pizazz to this pool deck.

A fire pit allows the family to gather poolside even when the weather turns cool.

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Charming elements like monogrammed towels and ceramic garden stools are ideal finishing touches.

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Traditional bluestone on the pool deck keeps the look light. It also stays cool enough to accommodate bare feet, even in the hottest weather.

homeowners were seeking. “We knew we needed some color,” recalls Rhodes. “My husband agreed that because it’s a big yard, we didn’t want it to look lost from the golf course—not plain.”

First came the red umbrellas. After seeing them in place, the couple loved the look, so the bold black and white cushions soon followed. Fun red bolster pillows and matching towels complete the resort feel.

Bronze accents come into play again on fleur-de-lis motifs of the large concrete planters. Rhodes selected the pots as a nod to Rhett, who was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The urns, filled with cheerful red flowers, are an eye-catching and personal addition to the overall design.

The Shaffetts completed the poolside decor with a pair of conversation areas. Outdoor wicker sofas, loveseats, and chairs provide comfortable spots to relax, watch the children swim, or enjoy a beverage. The grouping on the west end includes a fire pit so the family can enjoy the beautiful setting even when there’s a chill in the air.

Bronze-toned flower pots reprise the color of the home’s doors and windows.

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Bold colors paired with elegant styling make a big statement in this golf course home’s backyard.

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CURVED, CUSTOM & STANDARD MOULDINGS DOOR & BATH HARDWARE • CABINET DOORS & HARDWARE CABINET ORGANIZERS • CABINET POSTS & LEGS CORBELS • MANTELS • MIRRORS • WOODCARVINGS CEILING MEDALLIONS • DOVETAIL DRAWER BOXES

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Chilling & Grilling

From the diving board to the newly renovated pool house, this backyard is equipped for fun.

The Marley home is ready to roll with a family-friendly space that’s perfect for grilling out, pool parties, ping pong, game days, and more.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN BRITT

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HE BACKYARD OF MADELYN AND THORNTON MARLEY’S CLARKSDALE HOME IS MEANT FOR FUN.

Whether it’s a pool full of their two teenage boys’ friends or a crowd of Rebels fans watching Ole Miss play on television, the place buzzes with activity throughout the summer and into the fall.

The Marleys bought the house in 2017, but it had been on Madelyn’s radar long before—it was the longtime home of the family of one of her high school friends. Once it became the Marley residence, the couple began renovating it. The pool and pool house got a major facelift to better suit the needs of a young family with school-age children.

The pool house’s large, covered patio previously held a builtin bar. In its place now stands a brick fireplace, a handsome focal point for the area. A comfortable cast aluminum sofa and swivel chairs provide a cozy spot for watching the television that hangs above the mantel. Gas fireplace logs, along with a wall-mounted patio heater, give enough warmth to carry football fans all the way through the season on the patio. For the warmer weather, a pair of fans hung from the newly vaulted ceiling ensure a steady breeze.

The Marleys also added a brick cooking center with a Big Green Egg grill under the patio and reworked the entrance doors to access the pool house’s den, kitchenette, and bathroom.

The original red brick on the pool deck and coping now blends seamlessly with the new masonry on the patio. The Marleys stained the existing herringbone-patterned pavers and reworked the mortar to achieve a uniform look.

Madelyn opted to keep the furnishings clean-lined and simple around the pool. A row of four teak and charcoal wicker lounge chairs from Frontgate overlooks the water along one of the long sides of the oval, and a pair of iron benches provide seating on the opposite side. The original diving board installed when the pool was built around 1999 remains at the far curved end. “We thought about taking it out and putting in a water feature instead, but the kids still use it,” says the mom of Leyton, fifteen, and Hunter, thirteen.

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A round wrought iron table stands ready for a dinner al fresco.

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A new cooking station assures that the chef doesn’t have to miss a moment of the action.

When the family’s two sons and their friends want a break from water fun, competition heats up on the outdoor ping pong table.

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Outdoor cooking is big in the Marley family. Their appliances include a Big Green Egg by the pool house, as well as a Blackstone griddle and a smoker on a porch off the home’s den.

the landscaping, ornamental trees, and smaller shrubs. Landscape lighting illuminates the trees and other highlights of the yard, creating a stunning ambiance as the sun goes down.

Although the pool and surrounding area are the stars of the outdoor show, the Marleys’ home also has two charming porches.

Just off the den, a covered cooking porch holds the family’s smoker grill and Blackstone griddle. A couple of Summer Classics teak chairs and ottomans with neutral canvas cushions offer a quiet spot for coffee or reading. A grouping of McCarty wind chimes hangs on one side, providing a lovely accent against the painted brick of the home’s exterior. Also recently updated, the porch now features the same stained wood six lite doors and traditional brickwork as the pool house patio. A charming wraparound porch, accessed from the primary bedroom, gives the couple a convenient spot to relax and unwind. DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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CORINTH’S DESTINATION LOCATION FOR ALL

YOUR FISHING AND APPAREL NEEDS

2804-A HWY. 72 WEST CORINTH, MS 38834

662.594.8687

STORE HOURS: MONDAY-SATURDAY | 8 AM - 6 PM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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FOOD

Cool

SUMMER TREATS othing says summer like homemade ice cream. It’s often the star of our favorite celebrations, from 4th of July gatherings to church picnics to family reunions.

Childhood memories of hand-churning the sweet concoction aside, we think you’ll love this 3-ingredient, no-churn option. It. Is. Delicious. Plus, it’s simple to make, and there is no need for any fancy equipment. Stir in your family’s favorite add-ins and give it a try. Our frozen peanut butter yogurt pops are another great, cool snack for hot days. They’re packed with protein, loved by all ages, and fun to assemble—the kids will have fun making these! Stay cool, and happy summer!

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WRITTEN AND STYLED BY CINDY COOPWOOD

NO-CHURN VANILLA ICE CREAM Get your homemade ice cream fix this summer with this simple 3-ingredient recipe everyone will love.

2 cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Place dish for storing ice cream in freezer to chill while you make the recipe.

Whip 2 cups heavy cream in a large chilled bowl on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. A hand mixer will work well for this!

In a separate large bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and a dash salt if desired.

Gently fold mixture into the whipped cream. Once mixture is coming together, it is the time to add any desired mix-ins such as cookie crumbs, fruit, etc.

Pour the ice cream mixture into your dish, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

Freeze it for at least 4 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, allow ice cream to thaw for a few minutes on the counter.

Scoop into bowls or cones, and serve!

This no-churn vanilla ice cream comes out super creamy and is versatile for all your favorite add-ins!

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STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM For strawberry ice cream: Mix about ¼ cup of sugar, or to taste, with 1½ cups sliced or rough-chopped strawberries. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour to macerate. The sugar will help pull the juice from the berries and soften them a bit.

After folding in whipped cream and condensed milk mixture together, stir in macerated berries and juice to base mixture. Continue with remaining instructions, for freezing and serving.

Serve in bowls or cones, and enjoy!

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OREO ICE CREAM For Oreo ice cream: Add about 2 cups crushed Oreos to base mixture, after folding in whipped cream and condensed milk mixture together. Continue with remaining instructions for freezing and serving.

For bite-size Oreo ice cream sandwiches: Simply separate Oreo cookies, scrape out the filling, if desired, scoop about a tablespoon of the ice cream onto one side, and top with the other wafer! Simple, cute, and perfect for little hands!

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Tips Add any of your favorite mix-ins—like chocolate chips, crushed cookies or candy, berries, and more—to the no-churn, vanilla ice cream base recipe. You can also swap the vanilla for peppermint extract, toffee sauce, chocolate, or whatever flavoring you would rather use for your ice cream.

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Place frozen pops in a plastic container or in individual small ziplock bags to store in freezer.

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FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER YOGURT POPS 1 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt ½ cup crunchy peanut butter ¼ honey, or to taste ½ cup of dark chocolate chips 1 teaspoon Crisco or coconut oil ½ cup chopped, roasted peanuts flaky salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and honey. Stir until well combined and smooth.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and scoop yogurt mixture into mounds, spreading it out evenly. Place a popsicle stick in each mound, and cover with mixture to secure stick.

Place pan in the freezer and allow pops to freeze for about 2 hours or until firm.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and Crisco together in 30second intervals, stirring each time until smooth and well combined. Spoon the melted chocolate mixture over the frozen popsicle, covering the entire surface. Spread it evenly to ensure it’s fully coated. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and a sprinkle of flaky salt.

Return to the freezer and let the bars freeze for another 30 minutes or until the chocolate coating is firm and set.

Allow the bars to thaw for 5 to 7 minutes before consuming. Otherwise, they will be too icy and hard to eat. Enjoy! DM

Tips ● To pack with more protein, stir in a scoop of peanut butter protein powder ● Drizzle the chocolate coating instead of full dipping, if desired ● Add mini-chocolate chips or other crushed candy before freezing ● Before the chocolate coating sets, top with your favorite crumbled cookies for a fun topping

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Subscribe to Delta Magazine’s NEW DIGITAL E-NEWSLETTER

• Subscribe to receive two issues each month directly to your inbox • Menu ideas and entertaining tips from editor Cindy Coopwood • New recipes and DM favorites • All recipes are printable Scan the QR code to subscribe Select $6.95/month or $76.50/year to receive one month FREE! Or sign up on our website deltamagazine.com DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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HISTORY

NO GREATER “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

JOHN 15:13

Since its creation during the American Civil War, the Medal of Honor has undergone several design changes. The US Army and US Navy have always had separate designs for their personnel. Until the US Air Force introduced its design in 1965, all airmen received the Army design. The US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard receive the US Navy design.

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LOVE T

BY WADE S. WINEMAN, JR.

o most of us, it would seem unimaginable to witness a four-star Army general saluting a lowly private. Surprisingly, however, one circumstance demands such a show of respect: when the lower ranking service member has been presented the nation’s most coveted military award—the Medal of Honor, also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor. This medal commands such esteem that all uniformed service members are required to salute its recipients, regardless of rank.

Conceived in 1861, the Medal of Honor is awarded only sparingly. According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, of the forty million soldiers serving in the US Armed Forces, only 3,517 have earned the medal—an incredibly small number, amounting to only 0.000088 of all service members in US military history.

Over 43 percent of all medal presentations were made for Civil War participants alone (1,523), followed by World War II (472), and the Indian Wars (426, of which twenty-four were associated with the Battle of Little Bighorn). The high Civil War numbers were almost certainly influenced by the lower qualification standards at the time, when awards were based on sparse evidence, often subject to clerical errors, and awarded for relatively minor actions, such as capturing an enemy flag. Without the relaxed standards of that era, the total number of presentations made would almost certainly be lower.

Master Sergeant Hubert L. Lee pictured at various locations during his tours of duty in both World War II and the Korean Conflict.

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Master Sergeant Hubert L. Lee

The gravemarkers of Master Sergeant Hubert Louis Lee at the Stoneville-Leland Cemetery in Stoneville, Mississippi, are reminders of his sacrifice and service.

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Qualifications for the medal have become much more stringent over time.

Today, only well-documented acts of “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” can qualify service members to be recipients.

Nineteen soldiers received Medals of Honor for two separate acts of gallantry, one being Thomas W. Custer, the brother of George Armstrong Custer, who received both medals for his actions during the Civil War. Other notable Medal of Honor recipients include: • Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the only president receiving the medal.

• Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., for his actions in the Normandy Invasion. The Roosevelts comprise one of only two father-son pairs receiving the medal, the other pair being Arthur MacArthur (Civil War) and General Douglas MacArthur (WW II).

• Audie Murphy, one of the biggest Hollywood movie stars of the 1950s, who received his medal for actions during World War II. While the total number of national medal recipients has been minuscule, the number of Delta residents receiving the medal has been nearly infinitesimal—only two. Ironically, both were accredited to Washington County: Robert Thomas Henry, of Greenville, and Hubert Louis Lee, of Leland.

Two other medal recipients have either lived in the Delta or been buried there, although neither was officially accredited to the Delta. One was John A. Pittman, who resided in Greenwood following his service

Army Private Robert T. Henry

in Korea. However, since he had grown up in Carroll County and entered service from that county, his medal is officially accredited there. Another was Army Lt. Col. George Wilhelm, who is buried at Greenville Cemetery in Greenville. Wilhelm, an Ohio native, is officially accredited to that state and was living there when he died in 1920.

He was most likely buried in Greenville because his wife, who predeceased him in 1904, had been interred in Greenville Cemetery.

The lone medal recipient who was a native-born Deltan was Robert T. Henry, born in Greenville and better known as Bobby Henry. In 1943, Bobby and twin brother, Billy, left Mississippi State and joined the Army, with Bobby beginning his journey into immortality, becoming one of 679 medal recipients listed as, “fallen in service.” His story is best told by his official Medal of Honor citation: Robert T. Henry, Private, US Army, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date of action: Luchem, Germany, December 3, 1944. Entered service at: Greenville, Mississippi. Birth: Greenville, Mississippi.

Citation: “Near Luchem, Germany, he volunteered to attempt the destruction of a nest of five enemy machine guns located in a bunker 150 yards to the flank which had stopped the advance of his platoon. Stripping off his pack, overshoes, helmet, and overcoat, he sprinted alone with his rifle and hand grenades across the open terrain toward the enemy emplacement. Before he had gone half the distance he was hit by a burst of machine gun fire. Dropping his rifle, he continued to stagger forward until he fell mortally wounded only ten yards from the enemy emplacement.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History marker at the entrance of the Greenville Cemetery, Robert Henry’s final resting place, honoring the ultimate sacrifice he made in service to the United States in World War II.

His single-handed attack forced the enemy to leave the machine guns. During this break in hostile fire the platoon moved forward and overran the position. Pvt. Henry, by his gallantry and intrepidity and utter disregard for his own life, enabled his company to reach its objective, capturing this key defense and seventy German prisoners.” (Congressional Medal of Honor Society) Bobby Henry’s interment at Greenville Cemetery was honored with an Army firing squad and a huge crowd that included veterans of both World Wars. A Mississippi Department of Archives and History historical marker was later erected in his memory at the cemetery’s entrance.

Still today, Bobby Henry is widely recognized as Greenville’s greatest hero. For many years, a scholarship in his honor was given annually to the top high school graduate in Washington County. The award was sponsored by the Delta Democrat Times, where he had worked as a young paper

Gravemarkers of Private Robert T. Henry at the Greenville Cemetery.

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A solemn display of the numerous medals earned by Hubert Louis Lee during his multiple tours of duty at the Our Town & Beyond Museum in Leland. The Medal of Honor is prominently displayed at the top.

carrier. Editorials appeared for many years in that paper, advocating that Greenville’s Main Street be renamed Robert Henry Avenue.

In 1951, following construction of Greenville’s largest municipal swimming pool, Henry was honored when the pool was named Bobby Henry Municipal Pool. He was further honored when the Army named one of their ships for him.

Bobby’s twin brother, Billy, also served in the Army during World War II, eventually reaching the rank of staff sergeant before being discharged in January 1946. Billy lived to the age of eighty-five and died in Foley, Alabama.

Although our second Delta medal recipient, Hubert Louis Lee, was born in a small Missouri town, his family moved to Leland in 1926, when he was eleven years old. Lee dropped out of high school before graduating and began seeking work in the dark days of the Great Depression. In 1938, 120 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

The Medal of Honor is the only US Military medal that hangs around the neck. Presently, there are three variations of the Medal, and out of respect for those who have earned it, its appearance has remained largely unaltered in over 150 years. Medals left to right: Army, Air Force, Navy.

he finally found a job—in the US Army, enrolling in Leland, thereby making Washington County his county of accreditation.

Lee first served with distinction in World War II, winning a Bronze Star and Silver Star for heroism, fighting in North Africa and Italy. By the beginning of the Korean Conflict, he had risen to the elevated rank of master sergeant (E-8). His official citation describes the action for which he received the Medal of Honor: Hubert L. Lee, Master Sergeant, US Army, Company I, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Place and date of action: Near Ipo-ri, Korea, February 1, 1951. Entered service at: Leland, Mississippi. Birth: Arbyrd, Missouri.

Citation: “Master Sgt. Lee, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon was forced from its position by a numerically superior enemy force, and his platoon officer was wounded, M/Sgt. Lee assumed command, regrouped the remnants of his unit, and led them in repeated assaults to regain the position. Within twentyfive yards of his objective he received a leg wound from grenade fragments but refused assistance and continued the attack. Although forced to withdraw five times, he each time regrouped his remaining men and renewed the assault. Moving forward at the head of his small group in the fifth attempt, he was struck by an exploding grenade, knocked to the ground, and seriously wounded in both legs.

Still refusing assistance, he advanced by crawling, rising to his knees to fire, and urging his men to follow. While thus directing the final assault, he was wounded a third time, by small-arms fire. Persistently continuing to crawl forward, he directed his men in a final and successful attack which regained the vital objective. His intrepid leadership and determination led to the destruction of eighty-three of the enemy and withdrawal of the remainder, and was a vital factor in stopping the enemy attack.

M/Sgt. Lee’s indomitable courage, consummate valor, and outstanding leadership reflect the highest credit upon himself and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the infantry and the US Army.” (Congressional Medal of Honor Society) M/Sgt. Lee received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman at the White House on January 29, 1952. On February 4, 1952, Lee was honored with parades in both Leland and Greenville, and with speeches by both mayors, the Lt. Governor of Mississippi, and distinguished

military officers. On September 5, 1953, Lee was chosen by the American Veterans of World War II to represent “all fighting men and women of the United States” by receiving the National Peace Award in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lee, always an unpretentious man, was once asked by a Time magazine writer what he did to receive his Silver Star in World War II. His response was, “I’m not very good about telling combat stories.” At Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, the modest sergeant’s first assignment after returning from Korea, his fellow soldiers only learned about his bravery and medal when they read about it in an Oklahoma newspaper.

Lee remained in the Army after the Korean War, serving in Oklahoma, Indiana, Washington state, and Alaska. His only marriage occurred in Alaska, and he and his wife adopted his only child there, a daughter. After retiring in 1958, he worked briefly in Alaska and in Michigan before moving back to Mississippi, where he resided in Greenville, working in the electronics repair business. Health problems late in life forced him to live with a sister in Greenville.

Hubert Louis Lee died on November 5, 1982, and was buried in Stoneville-Leland Cemetery at Stoneville, Mississippi. On the imposing Medal of Honor monument standing at his grave, the word, “Valor,” appears, below which are engraved the words, “a man among men, a soldier among soldiers, a hero among heroes.”

Medal of Honor citations include words and phrases like “conspicuous gallantry,” “extraordinary heroism,” “sacrifice,” “above and beyond the call of duty,” and “selflessness,”—words that truly capture the spirit of the medal. As with Hubert Lee, the word “humble” could be used to describe many medal recipients. One remarked long ago, “We are just common men who were recognized for uncommon deeds.” A selfeffacing remark, but in reality, these men were the bravest of the brave, those willing to lay down their lives for their brothers in arms, ones who had “no greater love.”

Precisely the sort of men described in John 15:13. DM

Although an Ohio native, Union Army Lt. Col. George Wilhelm, is buried at Greenville Cemetery in Greenville. Wilhelm received his medal for action at the Battle of Champion Hill, Mississippi, on May 16, 1863.

(Thanks to Annette Lee Ray for providing photographs of Hubert L. Lee, her uncle.

Thanks also to Billy Johnson, curator of Leland’s Our Town & Beyond Museum.)

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EVENTS

Mamma Mia!, July 23–28

Lauren Daigle, August 17

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & FUN THINGS TO DO July 2, 6:30 pm

Hernando

July 12, 8 pm

Memphis

July 16, 6 pm Grammy Museum Ms grammymuseumms.org

Children’s 4th of July Bike Parade

1964 The Tribute

July 18, 7:30 pm

Hernando Courthouse Square cityofhernando.org

Graceland Soundstage gracelandlive.com

Parker McCollum

July 4, 10 am

Oxford

July 12

Memphis

Goo Goo Dolls

July 19, 10 am

Downtown Square oxfordarts.com

Radians Amphitheater radiansamp.com

World Snake Day!

Vicksburg

Vicksburg Independence Day Fireworks Celebration Downtown Vicksburg visitvicksburg.com

July 13, 8 am

July 19

Shelby Farms Park shelbyfarmspark.org

Monica with K. Michelle & Raheem DeVaughn

Jackson

Farm Bureau Watermelon Classic 5k Ms Sports Hall of Fame msfame.com

Til Death Halloran Centre orpheum-memphis.com

July 13, 7:30 pm July 4–6

Memphis

All-American Weekend

Olive Branch

Light the Way Music Festival 2024 Olive Branch City Park lightthewayministry.com

July 5–7

Delta Soule Picnic Festival Garfield Point Park visitgreenville.org

Jackson

Hernando Performing Arts Center desotocountyschools.org

July 19–28 Greenville

Desoto Family Theatre dftonline.org

July 20, 10 am Revive Collegiate visitjackson.com

Vicksburg

July 20, 8 pm

DL Hughley

Tunica

Fitz Casino & Hotel fitzgeraldstunica.com

Southaven

AEW Collision

July 21–26

Landers Center landerscenter.com

2024 Jxn Film Festival

Jackson

Tougaloo College jxnfilmfestival.com

Memphis

Memphis Summer Cocktail Festival

July 23–28

The Kent memphisfestivals.com

Mamma Mia!

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Jackson

Kidpreneur Business Fair

Vicksburg National Military Park visitvicksburg.com

July 12, 6 pm

Southaven

Footloose

Texas Camel Corps Program

July 6, 6:30 pm

Hernando

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

SERA Jackson Black Rodeo

July 13

Southaven

BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove bankplusamphitheater.com

July 19–28

Ms Coliseum fairgrounds.mdac.ms.gov

3717 Elvis Presley Blvd graceland.com

July 5–6

Memphis

Jackson

MDWFP’s Ms Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com

Promise Walk for Preeclampsia

July 13, 7 pm July 4, 7:30 pm

Memphis

Brandon

Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

4th of July Children’s Parade

July 4, 7 pm

Cleveland

Big Night: Women in The Round

Goo Goo Dolls, July 12

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

Memphis

Lainey Wilson, August 9

July 25, 7:30

Jackson

Drivin N Cryin Duling Hall dulinghall.com

July 26, 10 am

Jackson

Water Journey Festival MDWFP’s Ms Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com

July 26, 7:30 pm

Memphis

Chevelle Graceland Soundstage gracelandlive.com

July 26

Tunica

Three Dog Night

visitcarroll.org

Gold Strike Casino Resort goldstrike.com

July 27, 7 pm

Jackson

Summer Breeze: The Exclusive, Fashion, Flair and Food Ms Museum of Art msmuseumart.org

July 27

Vicksburg

Big River Monsters Weigh-In Event

CLASSIC AMERICAN QUALITY.

Vicksburg Convention Center visitvicksburg.com

July 27

Jackson

Farish Forward Fest Jackson Convention Complex farishforwardfest.com

July 27

Greenville

Ronnie Bell & Willie Clayton Harlow’s Casino Hotel Event Center harlowscasino.com

August 3

Tunica

Blackberry Smoke Horseshoe Casino caesars.com/tunica

August 4

Vicksburg

Vicksburg National Military Park Free Day Vicksburg National Military Park visitvicksburg.com

August 9, 7:00 pm

Southaven

Lainey Wilson: Country’s Cool Again Tour BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove bankplusamphitheater.com

August 9

John Fogerty Radians Amphitheater radiansamp.com

Memphis

Grilled Simmons Catfish Fillet

By Cock Of The Walk Restaurant Ridgeland, Mississippi

FRESH FROM THE POND TO YOUR PLATE. SIMMONSCATFISH.COM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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August 10, 8 pm

Jackson

Jeff Barry

Joe Bonamassa: Blues Deluxe Tour

Go to Hell Ole Miss

Thalia Mara Hall thaliamarahall.net

July 11, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis

August 10

Tunica

Elvis Elvis Elvis: A Tribute to the King Gold Strike Casino Resort goldstrike.com

Gabrielle Zevin with Katy Simpson Smith

Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow July 12, 6:00 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

August 15, 8 pm

Jackson

Groovefest

Brad Watson

There Is Happiness: A Celebration of the last collected works of Brad Watson

The Hideaway visitjackson.com

July 16, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford

August 16, 7 pm

John Fogerty, August 9

August 9–11

Clarksdale

Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival 326 Blues Alley visitclarksdale.com

August 9–17

Memphis

Brandon

Jordan Davis

Eli Cranor

Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

Broiler Vicksburg

July 16, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis July 17, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford July 18, 5:00 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Southaven

Shaun Hamil with Ellen Rodgers Daniels

August 16–18

A Southern Antiques Affair Downtown Vicksburg visitvicksburg.com

August 17, 6:30 pm

Elvis Week

Memphis Tri-State Blues Festival

Graceland graceland.com

Landers Center landerscenter.com

August 10, 6 pm

Memphis

August 17, 7 pm

The Dissonance July 23, 5:00 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Julia Phillips with Snowden Wright

Brandon

Bear

Memphis Chicken and Beer

Lauren Daigle

July 25, 5 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Field memphischickenandbeer.com

Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

Amanda Bellows

August 30, 8 pm

Vicksburg

Still Standing: A Tribute to Elton John Waterview Casino Hotel waterviewcasino.com

August 31, 1 pm

Clarksdale

The Explorers: A New History of America in Ten Expeditions July 29, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis July 30, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford August 1, 5:00 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson MJ Wassmer with Avery Cunningham

Red’s Old-Timers Music Festival Labor Day

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend

Red’s Lounge visitclarksdale.com

August 6, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis

LITERARY EVENTS Boyce Upholt

The Great River: The Making & Unmaking of the Mississippi July 1, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford

Shad White

Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal That Shocked America August 8, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford R.J. Lee

The Majestic Leo Marble Phyllis Dixon

August 20, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis

A Taste for More July 2, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis

Julie Liddell

Hurricane Baby Constance Terry Morris

OMG! Oh My Griefness July 6, 6:00 pm, Novel, Memphis

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August 24, 12:00 am: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Laurence Wells

Marc Cameron with Mark Greaney

Fair Youth & Ghostwriter

Bad River

July 10, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford July 20, 2:00 pm: Novel, Memphis

August 26, 6:00 pm: Novel, Memphis

DM

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Hometown

128 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

Collegiate

Dorm & Sorority

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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DELTA SEEN

Pretty Woman Musical at the Bologna Performing Arts Center in Cleveland on May 7. Photos by Lyndsi Naron

Becky Dixon, Margaret Dubois, Mary Jo Ayers, Susan Shamoon and Myrtis Tabb

Amber Kincaid, Bob Ragan, Kitty Kossman and Charlie Harlow

Billy and Becky Nowell

Gloria and Johnny Brister

Diane and Hugh Smith

Carol Wood, Beth Fisher and Lynn Eastland

Jill and Amanda Mahaffey

Karen Brunetti, Kerri Mosco and Kendall Roberts

Myrtis Woods, Owen and Jamie Harden with Luther Woods

Freida Serio and Susan Trimm

BJ Nichols, Chrissy Nicholson and Teresa Key

130 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

DELTA SEEN

Andy and Sarah Ozbun

Kelly Welsh and Greg Bacom

Amber Kincaid and Bob Ragan

Dena Weeks and Melanie Quinton

Derek Miles and Sykes Sturdivant

Steve and Janet Rodgers with Bob and Carol Ginn

Megan Walton and Ashley Williams

Edwin Craft with Morgan and Pat Gulledge

Betty Johnson and Nancy McKnight

Christie Storey and Kim Black Brock

Eric and Haley Kelly with Debbie and Bill Powell DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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DELTA SEEN

Annual Party and Fundraiser at Delta Arts Alliance in Cleveland on June 1.

Photos by Lyndsi Naron

Amanda and Kirkham Povall

Ann and Hunter Nowell, Debbie Powell, Signe Adams and Claire Winn

Bill Abel with Billy and Becky Nowell

Beverly and Bob Card

Dana and Brad Baugh

Diane and Hugh Smith

Hilda Povall, Chris Collins and Candice Dalton

Ben Keith and Sandee King

Kelsey and Peyton Overstreet with Whitney and Josh Morgan

Holly Center and Carey Estes

Jeff Laurenzo, Yarbrough

Rachel

and

Lauren Smith, Jackie Guest, Marsha Mary Grace Summers Coleman Warrington Goss and Sandra Britt

Ron Nurnberg, Jenn Mohead, Ann Shackelford and Suzette Matthews 132 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

and

Mary Helen and Rogers Varner

Scott and Cindy Coopwood with Amy Todd and Mary Elizabeth Jeffreys, Carolyn and Jimmy Goodman with and Stephen Smith Amber Kincaid and Bob Ragan

Rachel Tate and Gregory Cole

Jordan and Taylor Williams with Brittany Cannon

2024 Annual Meeting & Banquet of the Washington County Economic Alliance, Delta Compass and the Chamber at the E.E. Bass Cultural Center in Greenville on May 23. Photos by Beth Giachelli.

DELTA SEEN

Miller, Mary Wright, Frankie and Parker England

Iris Stacker and Justin Burch

Bill and Rhonda Brozovich

Melissa Moyse and Norris Hunter

Carolyn Mills-Baker and Hillary Boggs

Maroun and Nadine Hayek with Margie and Hamilton McGee

Susan and Katherine Shamoon with Justin Burch

Marc and E. Hooker

Docia England and Lea Margaret Hamilton

Mary Wright and Miller England

Rob Baker, Sherry Smythe and Mark King

Connie and Paul Dillon

Hillary and Daniel Boggs

Harold and Marige McGarrh

Betty Ruth Patterson and Ellen Harris

James and Anne Ceranti

Al and Mitzi Brock with Vernon Greenlee

Leslie Steward Theunissen

Mary Catherine and Nolan Brooks

Cameryn Burch and Stephanie Patton

and

Justin

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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DELTA SEEN

The Delta Soul Celebrity Golf & Charity Event at the Greenville Country Club on June 7 and 8. Photos by John Keen.

Andrew Abide, Jeff Schwartz and Kim Alexis, (former supermodel)

Ash and Kortney Pulliam and Drew Pulliam

Beth Mansour, Steve and Gwen Branford Marsalis, Grammy Award Azar with Esther Virden Winning Saxophonist and Barry Bays

Brian and Michelle Street with Greg and Liz Vickers

Charlotte and Charles Nobholz with Bob and Gina Whitehouse

Delta Soul Champions Tonya Nelson, Bob Whitehouse, Corey Miller, Charles Nabholz, Scotty Bell and Robert Gamez

Harold Lewis, Steve Azar, Jim McMahon (former NFL), Gary Valentine (actor), and Chris Seely

Isabelle Millwood, John Bentley Suares, Amy and Richard Taylor with Paige and Neal Suares

Joseph and Donna Terracina, Phil Mansour, Freddy Achecar, Jr. and Beth Mansour

Julice Curry, Steve Azar and Nadine Hayek

Kea Cassada and Augusta Cassada Irvine

Mark Pattison (former NFL), Darci Hansen, Allyson Duckworth, with John and Leslie Gross

Mark Rypien (NFL), Scott Flansburg, Joe Norelli, Bill Govenor, Lee Raley and Harold Lewis

Nadine Hayek, Cecilla Azar, Charlotte Nabholz, Gwen Azar and Reya Hayek

Paul Dunavant, John and Maribeth Bond with Charissa and Danny Oberle

Rose and Reggie Smith (former MLB) with Kris Tschetter (former LPGA)

Paige Suares, Nadine Hayek, Gwen Azar (Ladies Lunch)

Sam Purcell, John and Beth Crawford, David and Sherry Abney, with Norma and David Jackson

Tim and Angie Zepponi, Chasity and Billy Roberson, Rhonda and Bill Brozovich, Ricky, Lou Velle and Mickey Jones

134 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

Art by Design Celebration at Palladio Interiors in Memphis on June 6.

A selection of photos by Delta Magazine readers.

Cynthia Hamm with Carl Moore

Amy Schaeffer McQueen and Elizabeth Rouse

DELTA SEEN

Greg Boudoin, Lori Montgomery and Russ Williams

Kathy Gale Uhlhorn with Gil Uhlhorn

Joy Bateman with Michael Donahue Bo Allen, Elizabeth Allen and Bruce Hopkins Gary Wunderlich with Martin Hand Kerri Campbell with Ann Parker

Elizabeth Fikes of Stonewater Adolescent Recovery center, with Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen at the 2nd Annual First Responders Appreciation Luncheon in Oxford

Neal and Ann Berryhill at the “Make a Wish Mississippi” Gala in Starkville

Mississippi House Representatives Andy Stepp and Rickey Thompson with Jordan Coopwood at Stonewater Recovery Center’s law enforcement luncheon

Jaxson Dart and Allyson Duckworth with Abby and Eli Manning at A Special Evening with Eli Manning and Jaxson Dart at the Manning Center in Oxford

Daniel Ennis, the President of Delta State University, poses with the university’s mascot, a Fighting Okra, in front of the United States Capital in Washington, D.C.

Anna Sparks, Izzy Boyd, Jane Hopson and Nicole Boyd smile while attending the 33rd annual Mississippi on the Mall in Washington D.C. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Thefinalword Up and Down, In and Out

Stafford Shurden is a farmer, former judge, restaurant owner, eater, and proud Mississippian. He writes a blog and reviews gas station food in his spare time. Shurden lives with his wife and children in Drew.

like the scenic, winding drive down Highway 35 from Batesville to Charleston. And I like solitude. It gives me time to think.

On one solitary trek a couple of years ago, I thought a lot about why I still farm.

The winding road of Highway 35 takes you in and out of the Delta—the edge between two worlds: one flat with unparalleled sunsets and one with beautiful rolling green and thick timber. That day, I realized the intermittent rise and fall of the two-lane road down into “cottonlandia” and back into the hills seemed analogous to the last several years of my life. In and out. In and out.

By way of explanation, my father died in 2006. A couple of weeks later, I was elected justice court judge. That same year, I ran for a special election. I also had the worst crop I’d ever harvested. I won the election but lost a lot of money farming and in my restaurant, Main Street Deli—now Stafford’s, in Drew.

From that time on, a pattern was established. For me, running for office was easy. It was hard work, but understanding what I needed to do came naturally. It was very time-consuming, but I was all in. I ran hard every single time and got more votes every single time. However, I also lost money

I

136 | JULY/AUGUST 2024

BY STAFFORD SHURDEN

farming every election year. It was the special election in 2006. In 2007, there was a general election, and I was unopposed. In 2011, I lost money. And in 2015, I lost so much money farming that it caused me to go bankrupt a year later.

“What Can’t Stafford Shurden Do?” was the headline of an article in late 2015. I was justice court judge, owned 1933 Restaurant in Ruleville, and Stafford’s Market, plus I owned a nice-sized farm in Drew. I knew when that article came out that things were not good, and I felt like a fraud. Inside, I thought, “What a lie.”

My love of farming began when I was just four or five years old and played under one of the big cedar trees in our yard. It was at least twenty degrees cooler under those trees, and there was no grass. And under that tree, day after day, I pushed around the little toy John Deere tractors my family had given me, built catfish ponds, and rowed up ground to plant cotton. That is where I started farming.

What I experienced in 2015 was a far cry from that “lost forty” under the cedar tree.

There was a 33 percent reduction in commodity prices, and I produced the worst crop I had ever made that year. To make matters worse, both restaurants were operating at a loss, but hey, I won the election with 85 percent of the vote.

“If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall,” my father often said.

I was in trouble and realized I needed to make some changes. As crazy as it sounds, I went to a Tony Robbins event and heard something that changed the way I thought about money, business, debt, and cash. I had always thought being bankrupt meant you had more debts than assets, but it actually means your debt cannot be serviced by your cash.

I had lots of very valuable assets, but I could not make the payments because I had no cash. All these years later, Bubba Shurden was speaking to me from the grave through a guy from Texas.

I couldn’t believe it. I was the kid who would literally iron twenty-dollar bills before stashing them in a shoebox when I was young. How does the kid who irons his twenties go bankrupt? Oh, the irony.

In 2016, I made massive changes to my mindset and farming operation. Even though I was bankrupt by definition— having more bills to pay than cash—I talked to all my debtors and made a plan to pay everyone. Tony Robbins’s positive message is real and helped me a lot. That’s the year I started making motivational videos, which helped me as much as others because now I had put myself on record. I had to live up to that.

It’s been full of ups and downs, but each year farming since 2016, I have made money and slowly recovered.

No one wants to talk about their biggest failure. I was hurt and embarrassed, but all I could do was face it. I suppose I could blame it all on so many things: my love of Drew and using every extra dollar to invest there, my obsession with not losing my father’s judge seat, and going too far. In the end, I had only myself to blame.

I have finally come to peace after all the years spent worrying about what people thought and what my father might think.

What I do know is that the absolute last thing he would want is for me to feel I owed him or the world anything. Being a father myself taught me that.

So, back to my drive on Highway 35. I understand now that I really can go from the hills to the Delta, up and down, and that is okay. I can rate a fried pie at a truck stop on a Wednesday and still be a good farmer the rest of the week. I can fall and get back up.

Life is short and long, and up and down, and easy and hard. It hurts and is beautiful, and we wouldn’t’ know one from the other if it was always a straight, flat Delta road. I have so much left to give.

My name is Stafford Shurden, and I am a farmer. DM

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