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Win a Weekend for Two to the Elvis Festival!

Enter to win at ReadLegends.com.

PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT ��������������������Marianne Todd ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER.....................Chris Banks LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER ��������������������Shayne Garrett WEBSITE DESIGNER �������������������������������Scott Mire

Contact LEGENDS 601-604-2963 Editorial/Advertising - 601-604-2963 | Editor@ReadLegends.com Contributing writers: Kara Martinez Bachman, Meghan Holmes, Julian Rankin, Jacky Jack White, Zandra Wolfgram Contributing photographer: Dane Bachman and Rory Doyle LEGENDS welcomes your calendar submissions. Submissions are posted free of charge on our website at www.ReadLegends.com. Calendar submissions for consideration in LEGENDS’ print calendar may be sent to

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Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without express permission from the publisher. The opinions and views expressed by our contributors, writers and editors are their own. Various views from other professionals may also be expressed. Neither LEGENDS nor Blue South Publishing Corporation is endorsing or guaranteeing the products or quality of services expressed in advertisements. All advertisers assume liability for all content (including text representation and illustration) of advertisements printed and assume responsibility for any resulting claims against LEGENDS or its affiliates. Materials, photographs and written pieces to be considered for inclusion in LEGENDS may be sent to P.O. Box 3663, Meridian, MS 39303. Unsolicited materials will not be returned. Blue South Publishing Corporation provides thousands of free copies in its coverage area to tourism offices, welcome centers, hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, galleries, coffee shops, casinos and institutions of higher learning. If your business, agency or industry would like to be considered as a LEGENDS distribution point, please contact us at Editor@ReadLegends.com.

For more information, write to Editor@ReadLegends.com. More information, including a comprehensive, up-to-date calendar, may be found at

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WIN A VINTAGE TRUCK AND ELVIS FESTIVAL TICKETS - SEE INSIDE!

APRIL.MAY 2017

A Drive Down Memory Lane Tupelo’s Automobile Museum

The tight-knit clan of Meridian Underground Music M I S S I S S I P P I ’ S A W A R D - W I N N I N G C O N S U M E R T R AV E L P U B L I C AT I O N W W W. R E A D L E G E N D S . C O M

6 • APRIL | MAY 2017

ABOUT OUR COVER

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June 1-4 CONTENTS APRIL | MAY 2017

MUSIC 14 Pickin' Up Steam Again The Music of George Soulé

38 Paying Tribute to The King

Elvis Festival headlined by Lee Fields & The Expressions

60 The 27th Season of the Natchez Festival of Music

CULTURE 10 Kissing the Crisis

Field Notes on Foul-Mouthed Babies, Disenchanted Women, & Careening into Middle Age

20 Digital Graffiti

Projection Festival Anchors Art Week in Alys Beach

24 COVER STORY: A Love Affair with Cars

The story of America at the Tupelo Automobile Museum

32 Elvis Glory

Fans can't get enough of The King

46 The tight-knit clan of Meridian Underground Music 54 Man of Steel

The Art and Life of John “Puddin” Moore

This 1976 Lincoln Mark IV was once owned by Elvis Presley and is on display at the Tupelo Automobile Museum, along with more than 150 antique and collectible cars.

The museum tells the history of 20th century America through the story of the automobile.

40 Vanelli's Bistro

(Photograph by Marianne Todd)

63 What's Shakin' in the Cradle?

CULINARY Like Papa used to make

EVENTS Calendar of Events

20

Rossini, Puccini and Martinis 32

This has become a Natchez Festival of Music “do-not-miss” event.

Each year music lovers from all over the nation attend this iconic festival concert. Come hear the very best singers in the nation perform their most exciting arias while you sit back, relax, and enjoy one of your favorite drinks. These shows are always fun and different!

Waverly Plantation 790 Highway 61 South Natchez 7:00 p.m.

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Admission: $15

$10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 student,

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Wednesday, May 10

ROCKIN ON THE RIVER at Bowie’s

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38 Starring Brint Anderson

54 10

Blues and Rock and Roll, great drinks, and a fabulous Mississippi sunset come together to create this fun event. Come enjoy live music performed by Natchezarea musicians at world famous Bowie’s, located on the central bluff high above the Mississippi River.

46

Brint Anderson led his first band, The Shades, in his hometown of Natchez. Local Bluesman, Papa George Lightfoot, was Brint’s earliest inspiration, and from that point, he performed music of other Mississippi greats such as Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B. B. and Albert King.

•7 Later in Austin, Texas, Brint formed READLEGENDS.COM his band Coupe

8 • APRIL | MAY 2017

T-SHIRT CATALOG 2220 8th St. • Downtown Meridian • 601-485-1363 www.meridianundergroundmusic.com

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The latest version of the pioneering rock-jazz band Blood Sweat & Tears features all new musicians since the band’s 1960s-’70s heyday, including lead singer Bo Bice. That’s by design. Original drummer and trademark owner Bobby Colomby says that, like the owner of a baseball team, he continually refreshes the lineup with “brilliant musicians, singers, songs, and arrangements.” Bice, runner-up to country singer Carrie Underwood on the American Idol TV talent show in 2005, adds a bit of Southern rock twang.

His rich voice complements the jazzy horns, and his smiling stage presence is winning fans who weren’t even born when Assorted colored shirts w/white ink.

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Assorted colored shirts Forw/black Fans of: Three ink. Dog Night, Chicago, classic rock Sizes available: Small - 4XL Price: $20.00 QUINN SULLIVAN Silkscreen Print Thursday, June 15, 2017 | 7:30 p.m.

When guitar prodigy Quinn Sullivan takes the MSU Riley Center stage, he will be only 18. But here’s what counts: Sullivan can really play the blues. At age 8, he so impressed legendary bluesman Buddy Guy, his idol, that Guy invited the youngster to play onstage with the old master. Sullivan is spreading his musical wings, writing more of his own songs and incorporating diverse musical influences, such as his love of the Beatles. He’s also working hard on his vocals, adding emotional resonance as he matures.

See him now, because he’s going places, and you’ll love being along for the ride.

For Fans of: Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang MSU Riley Center Box Office | 2200 Fifth Street | Meridian, MS 39301 Facebook.com/RileyCenter 601.696.2200 | www.msurileycenter.com READLEGENDS.COM •

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Frank Jones Blues Challenge hosted by Dexter Allen

Mississippi Music Southern Charm

Enjoy over 120 years of automotive history!

Spring is the perfect time of year to visit Vicksburg to experience special events centered around our heritage and culture. From listening to regional bands at RiverFest to touring homes during Vicksburg Spring Pilgrimage, immerse yourself in the festivals and events of one of the prettiest seasons in the river city.

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STORY FROM MANDEVILLE, LA.

KISSING

CRISIS

Photo by Dane Bachman.

Field Notes on Foul-Mouthed Babies, Disenchanted Women, & Careening into Middle Age

By MEGHAN HOLMES

W

hen Kara Martinez Bachman began writing a collection of essays that would comprise her newlyreleased book, “Kissing the Crisis,” she went to her local library to do some research “I wanted to know what was out there, what people were writing about,” she said. Perusing the aisles, she found a taboo subject. “I couldn’t find any books about the process of turning 40. I hesitate to say midlife crisis, but for me, in some ways it was.”

Bachman, a freelance writer with a husband and two teenaged children, found her Generation X concerns largely eclipsed by stories of aging baby boomers and tech-savvy millennials. “There was nothing out there for someone like me,” she said. “I’m not menopausal, but I’ve reached a point where I can look back and say that I’m at a midway point. This book is about the questions I had, and have, at this point in my life.”

“Kissing the Crisis: Field Notes on Foul-Mouthed Babies, Disenchanted Women, & Careening into Middle Age,” starts with

12 • APRIL | MAY 2017

Bachman’s succinct advice for forty-somethings who still want to party (sometimes) – “Apply glitter with Bengay.” She then explains why she turned down a night with Brad Pitt: She was too young to know better.

This is Bachman’s style of humor, where the jokes are funny because she acknowledges the reality beneath them. She’s never going to go out with Brad Pitt, and now she needs Bengay.

“I read a lot of humor essays. I love authors like David Sedaris and Dave Barry, and I knew I wanted my book to reflect that balance of humor and seriousness,” Bachman said. “I think that’s the thing about humor, there’s usually something really serious behind it. We use humor as a way to deal with issues in our lives. It’s like a release.”

The essay where this technique is most apparent segues from a hilarious anecdote in Mississippi, while Kara and her husband shop for a house, to a description of her mother’s death in her early 50s following aggressive cancer. “When I had my first book signing at Maple Street Books (in New Orleans), I read that chapter. I don’t know why. But people were laughing, and then I start talking about my mother and

“There are also humorous stories involving Bachman’s husband and children, but the bulk of the work focuses on the questions plaguing the author as she ventures into what she describes as new, uncharted territory, 'where you will look different, act different, and even feel different. It’s like you’re becoming a whole new person, and that person is your mother.'” everyone got so serious. I felt like I almost had to get more serious to match them, and it was my mother.”

There are also humorous stories involving Bachman’s husband and children, but the bulk of the work focuses on the questions plaguing the author as she ventures into what she describes as new, uncharted territory, “where you will look different, act different, and even feel different. It’s like you’re becoming a whole new person, and that person is your mother.”

The process of writing the novel allowed Bachman to explore the way she, herself, was changing as she created a field guide for other women. “It was like a form of therapy,” she said. “I sometimes felt like I was writing in a journal, working things out.”

A native New Orleanian and current resident of Louisiana’s Northshore, Bachman focuses the bulk of the novel on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and southeast Louisiana. Stories about a gunshot jamboree in the Ohio River Valley and a leaky boat in Cabo San Lucas garner laughs, but Bachman’s biggest strength lies in telling stories close to home.

“It was really important to me to include both New Orleans and Mississippi because I wanted there to be at least a Southern feel, if not directly a Southern voice, to the work. There is one chapter where it seems like I’m making fun of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but I love the South. What I wanted to do was show the pros and cons of living in both places. When I was in New Orleans I was so tired of the crazy, but once I spent some time on the Coast I was ready to get my crazy back,” Bachman said.

Native New Orleanians will recognize the characters that appear in Bachman’s stories about Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Cooter

Brown’s and the Rock 'n' Bowl. She writes about local landmarks, live oaks, celebrations, and her first job at a donut shop with authority and nuance. Her penchant for collecting cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions thrown from floats during New Orleans’ St. Patrick’s Day parade is also well known to regional residents. This sort of local color brings the story to life, and also gives readers the ability to envision Bachman’s vibrant personality.

“Oh, I’m already ready for St. Patrick’s Day this year,” said Bachman, laughing. “I have a big freezer in my laundry room and it’s cleaned out. I’m going to fill it with chopped cabbage. If you put all those veggies and garlic bulbs and maybe some meat together and steam it, it’s paradise.

Catching things at parades is like going hunting. It’s my primal instinct.”

Bachman becomes serious when the topic turns to a less enjoyable Gulf Coast tradition: hurricanes. In her book, she describes the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and how it changed her. Before the storm, Bachman never entered fresh water. She was scared of tubing, scared of snakes, really scared of anything below the surface of the water. After the storm, when she watched a king snake flop off the roof of her house, slide down her husband’s back, and slither away from her flooded home, these fears fell by the wayside. She writes that, “Katrina snatched up some of our memories, but at the same time freed me up from the fear of making new ones.”

These kind of observations set the collection apart and make it a worthy read for people who may not meet the age and gender requirements described in the title. Some experiences are universal, and laughing as we gracefully age is definitely one of them. L READLEGENDS.COM •

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STORY FROM MERIDIAN, MISS.

Again

The Music of George Soulé

By JACKY JACK WHITE Photographs by Marianne Todd

I

n the late 19th century through World War II, the Soulé Steam Feed Works in Meridian, Mississippi, was one of the most vital and innovative manufacturers of lumber and sawmill products in the country. Even the Goodyears counted on them when they developed the Great Southern Lumber Company. The founder was a dynamo inventor and businessman known as George Soulé. His grandson of the same name followed a different and just as competitive and creative path in another field: the music business.

The younger George Soulé (pronounced Soo-Lay) was born in 1945 some 23 years after the death of his grandfather. From the time he was eight, George loved music. “Pop music at first,” according to George. “I had an aunt that played organ in a restaurant in Jackson, and I was fascinated I guess you’d say. She played our piano at the house every time she came over. Playing music just seemed like something you were supposed to do.”

16 • APRIL | MAY 2017

George kept at it, and others helped him discover that he was a really good singer. “Again, I never really thought much about it. I was shy. Heck, I’m shy now. But folks would need somebody to sing and there I’d be standing in the way.”

At the time, Meridian had a burgeoning rock 'n' roll scene, and many teenage musicians jumped right in. George met another timid teenager named Paul Davis. Like George, young Paul was consumed with learning to play, write and sing. “We were not dreaming so much about being famous back then, yet we were going to be ready if the possibility arose,” George said.

George Soulé's latest songwriting releases, “Two to Tango” and “Evangeline,” were recorded within days of their composition by California artist Justin Paul Sanders on SRI Records. A third release, What'sa Matter Baby," is slated for a Muscle Shoals recording session in a few weeks. The singer/songwriter has shared stages with such giants as Ray Charles, Leon Russell and Williie Nelson and has written for such greats as Percy Sledge, The Temptations and Mavis Staples.

“One night when George was spinning records, one of the managers became upset with the presence of Paul in the control room.

Paul had come for George's signature on some song contracts, but the angry manager ran him out of the room, telling him to go home.

The long-haired teenager left and just after sold millions of records as Paul Davis, the singer/songwriter of the beloved standards “I Go Crazy,” “65 Love Affair,” “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” and many more.

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They started a band and played with other bands on occasion and started taking baby steps toward stardom. In the meantime, George began a disc jockey career at the age of 18 at Meridian’s WOKK. It was there that fate played a hand in pushing George into the professional ranks.

One night when George was spinning records, one of the managers became upset with the presence of Paul in the control room. Paul had come for George's signature on some song contracts, but the angry manager ran him out of the room, telling him to go home. The longhaired teenager left and just after sold millions of records as Paul Davis, the singer/songwriter of the beloved standards “I Go Crazy,” “'65 Love Affair,” “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” and many more. George left, too.

“A Sandy Posey song was playing on the turntable. I think it was 'Born a Woman,'” George said. “I was born a man, so I just walked right out the door and left ‘em to find a new disc jockey.”

It was that step of rare independence that propelled George to take his next big leap. He continued to spin records at the local WMOX radio station and afterward moved to Jackson, Mississippi. Tommy Couch and Mitchell Malouf, along with Wolf Stephenson, had recently opened a recording studio to complement their artist booking agency, Malaco Records. In a short period of time Malaco became an important label for top blues and black gospel acts. Johnny Taylor, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, the Mississippi Mass Choir and Bobby Bland were all eventually associated with the label. George stepped in on the ground floor as a writer, engineer, musician and singer. Sue Thompson recorded his song “Someone” and George was off to the music business races.

“I made a lot of great friends back in those days. Met a lot of big name stars. Moved to Nashville and wrote for Acuff-Rose. Then moved down to Muscle Shoals and wrote with Terry Woodford a lot.

Mavis Staples, Bobby Womack, the Temptations, Wilson Picket, all those good folks recorded our tunes,” George said. “I wrote a big hit called ‘Shoes’ for Brook Benton. Then Rick Hall released a single on me entitled ‘Get Involved.’ That’s about the time Percy Sledge charted with my tune “I’ll Be Your Everything.” I was in the same studio when The Rolling Stones recorded there in Muscle Shoals. Believe me, that was a circus. A little while later I found myself in a studio singing backup on “Shotgun Willie” with Willie Nelson. Those were my ‘Salad Days.'”

Since those salad days George Soule has had his share of personal, professional and health related ups and downs. Always highly respected by fellow music professionals, the stress and competitive nature of the business, coupled with an almost insecure modesty, made George a singular figure in the entertainment business.

“When I sang on Shindig – one of the highest profile rock shows on network television – there I was rubbing elbows with Ray Charles and Leon Russell. It was both the most magnificent and most terrifying situation I’ve ever felt,” George said, his discomfort still palpable.

In 2004, he took his Country Soul Revue to England, a trip that

18 • APRIL | MAY 2017

included Muscle Shoals alumni Dan Penn, Jimmy Johnson and David Hood, and he has since occasionally recorded such releases as “Take a Ride” and “Let Me Be a Man.” Now in the last few months, George has reinvigorated and dusted off his writing skills.

“Two to Tango,” and “Evangeline” were recorded within days of their composition by California artist Justin Paul Sanders on SRI Records.

In Sanders’ words, “'Tango’ had so much swagger, I just had to do it. It also brought out my country side. Both songs have total authenticity.”

Geroge Soule is also excited about the release “What’sa Matter Baby” which is slated for a Muscle Shoals recording session in a few weeks.

Producer and hit song writer Billy Lawson is opening his studio to record the release in what will be a homecoming for George.

“He is a dear friend of mine. I taught him a few engineering board tricks when he first started,” said George, laughing. “Maybe I’ll get me a red Mercedes convertible out of the deal.”

Nothing seems is impossible for George, the singer/songwriter whose life grew from a storied American manufacturing family, to a legend from Muscle Shoals. L

READLEGENDS.COM •

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PATTI AUSTIN JUNE 17

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These events are supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

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22 • APRIL | MAY 2017

STORY FROM ALYS BEACH, FLA.

Projection Festival Anchors Art Week in Alys Beach

By ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

A

rt, architecture and technology are scheduled to converge at Digital Graffiti 2017 when dozens of dynamic digital art works set aglow the iconic alabaster walls, courtyards, pathways – even waterways – of Northwest, Florida's, Alys Beach.

Slated for May 19-21, this year's event is the 10th anniversary of the world’s first projection art festival, drawing as many as 200 artists from all over the globe. Presented in conjunction with Art Week South Walton, the free juried art competition on Scenic Highway 30A that awards $10,000 in cash prizes to winners in five categories, also will feature artist and curator meet-and-greet time, a culinary art celebration of wine and food, poolside time with VJ and DJ stylings and other surprises.

This year’s three-day event kicks off with a lower ticket price night on Friday and is open to all ages, making it a great outing for families to stroll the artwork alongside food trucks and beverage stations. Tickets for this night are $40 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under.

Saturday evening the event dials up a party open to those 21 and older. After a welcome cocktail event, guests will find local chefs and winemakers interspersed between art exhibits. The evening culminates

at a chill scene at Caliza Pool, which will be awash with visual art.

Guests can vibe on down-tempo DJ tunes, sip wine and nosh on desserts. Tickets are $125 per person.

Sunday features a relaxing brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Arboleda Park, where guests will visit with DG artists and event winners. Tickets for this event are $40 for adults and $15 for children.

Alys Beach is already spectacular with its whitewashed structures and gorgeous pathways, says senior event manager Kelli Siler, “but to layer in all this amazing art that is two to three-stories in scale, with passionate artists there to meet and speak with you, with the complement of food and wine artisans present, you get a whole gamut — it is an entire artistic and sensory experience that is like no other,” she says.

Longtime DG curator Brett Phares says organizers work to raise the bar each year. “The maturity of the artists who entered this year made it harder for the curator to make the final list. So, we did end up bumping up the number of works to be seen; have added more projectors and are opening a new space about a half block long on the pedestrian path called The Loop.”

Again this year, festival creators invite digital artists to participate READLEGENDS.COM •

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in its Artist Residency program under the direction of Phares, himself a New York-based digital artist and curator. Among this year’s residency class is Krystal Schultheiss, a motion graphic designer from Melbourne, Australia, coming to DG for her first time; returning DG veteran Robert Seidel, a Berlin-based artist working in the field of experimental film, facade projection and video installation; and Jinku Kim of Walpole, Massachusetts, who won a 2016 Curator’s Choice award for his moody work titled “What Is Seen Was Not Made Out of What Was Visible.”

This year, the artists will immerse themselves in Alys Beach, creating site-specific digital artwork for a week prior to the event in May. “Street art has that sense of immediacy, so the DG Residency relates to where the event came from – its roots – and allows the art to be seen nearly immediately after it was created, keeping it and the event experience very fresh,” says Phares. “And since there isn’t a lot of actual digital graffiti in South Walton, DG is a bit like Carnivàle, meaning we get to see 30A let its hair down.”

There are other similar events, but DG is unique in that digital art is cast directly upon on the stunning white stucco walls throughout the town instead of upon projector screens. “How architecture remakes the work into things the artist wasn’t expecting is an absolute thrill,” Phares says. “Alys Beach has so many details, it’s easy to overlook them. The festival allows us to see them with fresh eyes.”

For Alys Beach Town Architect Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, placing the town at the intersection of art and architecture is magical. “This work is normally viewed digitally, on a website say. When you are viewing it on site, you are walking through it, you are talking with others about what you are seeing and even what you are thinking to yourself. That is an immersive experience.”

Phares says the event will “hijack your neurons,” and relaxing is the best way to approach the experience. “Personal media has forced us to have an opinion about everything these days. To not have an opinion and enjoy DG just for what it is might seem Herculean, but once you start and stroll through, its fairly easy to let go.” L

Photographs courtesy of Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach.

24 • APRIL | MAY 2017

Enjoy the Fest Make reservations and purchase tickets in advance for best prices at digitalgraffiti.com.

Download the DG app and walk through the event before you arrive.

Dress in resort wear, and leave the heels at home, along with alcohol, chairs and pets.

Carpool if you can.

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READLEGENDS.COM •

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STORY FROM TUPELO, MISS.

A

affair with cars

The story of 20th century America at the Tupelo Automobile Museum

By KARA MARTINEZ BACHMAN Photography by Marianne Todd

I

n American culture, cars are more than just transportation; they're a symbol of freedom – the tangible result of what interests and intrigues us most. For nearly 12 decades, cars have mirrored the fabric of our country – from the late 19th century's sputtering, spokedwheeled models to the Delorean that brought us all “Back to the Future.”

With America's musical soundtrack piping through speakers and out of open windows on our favorite scenic drives, there's no doubting America's love affair with the automobile.

One of the best places to trace the birth and development of the automobile as it evolved from a motorized carriage to the high-tech transportation we have today, is in north Mississippi at the Tupelo Automobile Museum. Housing a permanent collection of more than 150 antique and collectible cars displayed in 120,000 square-feet of space, the museum also offers visitors special displays – from recent

26 • APRIL | MAY 2017

models produced by the local Toyota factory – to displays of hot rods, dragsters and muscle cars.

But you don't have to be a car-lover to enjoy the museum. One only needs a love of American culture. Even Executive Director Jane Spain, laughingly admits “I'm really not into cars.” The museum is, rather, more of a storyteller of American history as seen through the development of the automobile.

Since opening in 2002, the museum has become a visitor favorite in the city known as “The Birthplace of Elvis,” welcoming more than 35,000 guests each year.

“We’re No. 1 on TripAdvisor and have been for two years,” Spain said, adding that the museum now is ranked higher among attractions than the nearby Elvis Presley Birthplace. “We know that’s extraordinary,” she said.

OPPOSITE: A 1985 Triton is a custom pizza delivery car with panels in the rear created for pizza box placement. There were only eight manufactured. This one is on display at the Tupelo Automobile Museum.

THIS PAGE: The chronologically designed exhibit, which is the only one of its kind in North America, begins with early American models and progresses as the nation grows.

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Self-guided tours start at the beginning, with an 1886 Benz representing the origins of the automobile. The tour ends with the newest car of the Tupelo collection, a 2011 Toyota Corolla, one of the first built at the Toyota manufacturing plant in nearby Blue Springs.

When the gas-powered automobile was first put into mass production by German engineer Karl Benz in 1886, little did anyone know the freedom it would provide. No one could have fully comprehended the way its expansion would change how we live, work, explore and play, or have predicted the way the car would become intrinsically tied to the enjoyment of music.

Watch “American Graffiti” and you'll understand how the shiny chrome and bright colors of the day became tied to the youth culture of the 1950s, and through that, to music.

“The '50s cars were very big, very colorful, cheerful, happy cars. I’d say confident cars,” Spain said. “They represent the people driving them perhaps more than any other era.”

The collection also includes a 1976 Lincoln Mark IV purchased

by Elvis and given as a gift to Captain Jerry Kennedy of the Denver Police Department, who was in charge of The King’s security when he appeared there in Colorado. Elvis, who had been widely known for his gifts of Cadillacs, had been told by Denver's mayor that the police captain could not accept such lavish gifts as Cadillacs. In keeping with the mayor's wishes, he provided a Lincoln instead. Cars such as this Lincoln represent the age of the big behemoths, an excess that began to wind down as the ‘70s saw gas prices rise.

An era followed of “ ... weird cars, little, smaller cars,” Spain said.

“We were starting to worry about gas.” Spain cites the much-maligned Pintos and Gremlins of that era, which sit alongside classic cars of real value.

“We’ve got a few million-dollar cars in the building,” Spain said.

It is probably easy to look at the museum’s 1928 Hispano Suiza Town Car and imagine it parked just outside a Prohibition-era speakeasy, with jazz riffs audible from outside the building. Some might wonder how drivers ever parked these gargantuan cars belonging to mobsters, or the extravagant cars used purely for pleasure by the rich and famous.

It might be especially fun to imagine riding in the museum’s 1969 Corvette, perhaps with the radio blasting Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix, or, driving down the interstate in the museum’s 1981 Delorean DMC listening to a cassette tape of Huey Lewis and the News.

TOP TO BOTTOM: A 1915 Trumbull, sold originally for $425; a 1957 Ford Skyliner with a hard-top convertible roof was originally valued at $2,942; and a 1929 Duesenberg which had a price tag of $8,500 for the chassis only.

The museum was opened in 2002 by Frank Spain, husband of Executive Director Jane Spain, along with colleague Max Berryhill. Together, they spent years gathering the 150 car collection. A video honoring Spain's numerous accomplishments in the fields of television and communications is played upon entry. Spain died in 2006, but his work and legacy remain as hallmarks of the Tupelo, the city he chose to call, home.

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Guests might marvel at the Tucker 48, named for its designer, Preston Tucker, and the model year of its appearance. Only 51 Tucker 48s were ever assembled. Despite the car's innovations, Tucker was put out of business by baseless lawsuits allegedly initiated by The Big Three without having ever sold a single car. The shiny beige Tucker 48 on display boasts extravagant passenger seating room and a third headlight, which rotated left or right as the driver turned. Its hood is opened to reveal the engine, the first to feature fuel injection. Its suicide doors are opened to reveal the car's safety features, such as a padded dashboard and hand controls placed near the steering wheel.

Across the aisle sits a 1947 Jaguar Mark IV, originally priced $3,964, that boasts its own tools and tool box in the trunk. And not far away sits Liberace's black 1982 Barrister Corvette, complete with garish candlesticks.

“The shiny beige Tucker 48 on display boasts extravagant passenger seating room and a third headlight, which rotated left or right as the driver turned. Its hood is opened to reveal the engine, the first to feature fuel injection.”

The museum's most expensive car is the Duesenberg, which carried a $8,500 price tag in 1929 for the chassis only. With only 472 made, this car features all matching original serial numbers, making it a rare find.

Spain agrees with the idea of viewing the collection through the lens of culture and often suggests it to visitors. The exhibits are set up to explore the mechanical and engineering evolution of the automobile and to explore how those designs affected and mirrored the larger social scenes.

“To me, it’s like a memory lane,” Spain said. The museum’s design reflects this, with old Coca Cola bottles and advertisements and displays near contemporaneous automobiles. Underneath a mid-century Exxon sign and next to a restored milk truck, Spain said, “It’s about our behaviors and our culture, not just about cars.”

Often, and especially when talking to groups of women who might not be so interested in the engineering aspects, she presents the museum as this nostalgic tour through Americana.

“I talk to them about memories,” she said.

For older visitors, those memories may involve bouffant hairdos, pedal pushers and drive-in movies, where chrome-covered cars sat bumper-to-bumper at Elvis flicks. For Generation X visitors, those memories might involve cruising the streets in a beat up old Pinto or a decidedly uncool wood-paneled (otherwise known as “Your Mama's”) station wagon.

30 • APRIL | MAY 2017

OPPOSITE: The Tucker 48, named for its designer, Preston Tucker, and the model year of its appearance. Only 51 Tucker 48s were ever assembled. The car was the first to feature fuel injection, a padded dashboard and hand controls placed near the driver.

CLOCKWISE: A 1935 Packard with suicide doors; a 1955 Messerschmitt created with a World Ward II leftover airplane fighter cockpit; displays of Americana dot the floor of the museum; 1950s model cars line a row from that period of American history.

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Whatever the age, our memories of time and place are inextricably tied to cars. At the museum, the cultural story of each vehicle is told along with design and engineering specifications. Each car in the permanent display collection is accompanied by a speaker, where visitors can tap it and hear a story of the car. Often, these carefullyscripted recorded messages contain details of the social and cultural climate into which the car was born.

“It’s like when you hear a song,” Spain said. “You’ll always remember where you were when you heard that song, or remember that time in your life. Cars are the same.” L

Want to go?

Visit the Tupelo Automobile Museum at 1 Otis Boulevard or phone them ahead at (662) 842-4242.

Visit the museum online at tupeloautomuseum.com.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4:30 p.m. Sundays.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12, and $9 for AAAmembers, seniors and military personnel.

Children four and younger enter for free.

32 • APRIL | MAY 2017

OPPOSITE: A 1948 Jaguar Mark IV (valued originally at $3,964) comes with its own tool box and tools neatly packed into the trunk; a 1982 Barrister Corvette, owned by Liberace and complete with garish candlesticks, is one of seven ever made; the 1963 automobile, called Lesli, was created specifically for and featured in the movie The Great Race with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood.

This 1957 Corvette originally sold for $4,140.

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33

STORY FROM TUPELO, MISS.

Fans can't get enough of The King

By MEGHAN HOLMES Photography by Marianne Todd

C

onnie Tullos, a longtime tour guide at the Tupelo Hardware Store, pointed to a duct tape weathered X affixed to the shop’s wooden floor. “You’re standing at the very spot where Elvis bought his first guitar,” she says, smiling broadly. “Every day people from all over the world travel here to stand there.”

Directly ahead, an acoustic guitar hangs on the wall behind her.

“This isn’t 'the' guitar, but this is what it looked like,” she says. “Elvis asked his mother for a .22 rifle, and she said 'No.' He ended up with an instrument instead, and the rest is history.”

Every year, tens of thousands of people come to Tupelo to trace Elvis’ path to stardom via an Elvis Driving Tour, with 12 spots around town, including Elvis’ childhood home, various performance venues and favorite childhood haunts. The Tupelo Hardware Store occupies spot No. 6 on the tour, an imposing, multi-story structure built following a tornado in the spring of 1936 (the fourth deadliest in United States history).

34 • APRIL | MAY 2017

“This is a family-owned hardware store, which the Booth family started across the street 91 years ago this year,” says employee Owen Sparks. “They moved to this location during a decade-long construction boom that came after the tornado, which killed hundreds of people, although it missed downtown.” The space feels older than its 75 years, with features like a 100-year-old elevator salvaged from an area hospital and custom-fitted into the building.

“It’s really like a step back in time,” says Sparks. “The squeaky wooden floors, the big, high ladders, the exposed beams. Back then all the buildings downtown looked like this.”

ABOVE: Fans come from all over the world to the Tupelo Hardware Store to stand in the spot where Elivs' mother purchased his first guitar; a blues marker at the Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum tells the history of Elvis and the blues.

OPPOSITE: During Elvis' time in Tupelo, he was exposed to gospel through services at the Assembly of God church, which is on display at the Birthplace.

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Connie Tullos is a longtime tour guide at the Tupelo Hardware Store and tells the story of Elvis buying his first guitar there; the "Elvis Booth," still sits as it did at Johnnie's Drive-In, Elvis' favorite burger joint; guitars and Elvis' t-shirts line the counter at the Tupelo Hardware Store, the No. 6 stop on the Elvis Driving Tour.

The building remains a functioning hardware store but also makes of God church as well as watching and listening to bluesmen in the room for guitars and assorted Elvis memorabilia, something you’ll find Shake Rag community, a historically African American neighborhood in businesses unrelated to Elvis around town. Across the street, a barber in Tupelo where Vernon delivered groceries. shop has attached a cutout figure of Elvis, hips contorted mid-twist, to

Shake Rag was largely bulldozed in the 1960s and the their street-facing windows above a posted hours sign.

BancorpSouth Arena now occupies most of the area where Elvis “Down Main Street there’s also a statue where Elvis performed at listened to blues guitarists like Willie C. Jones, Charlie Reese, Tee-Toc, the Mississippi/Alabama State Fair,” says Tullos. The statue, celebrating and Lonnie Williams. “It may be impossible to prove that Elvis learned Elvis’ homecoming performance at the fair (he also performed there some of his signature guitar licks and singing style in Shake Rag,” said at age 10) is modeled after Roger Marshutz’s Tupelo Daily Journal writer M. Scott Morris, famous photograph “The Hands” and faces “but the oral history of the area has no shortage “Other spots along the east towards Elvis’ birthplace. “You can get of Elvis sightings.”

Elvis tour include the your picture taken holding his hand with the Other spots along the Elvis tour include county library, the county hardware store in the background,” she says. the county library, the county courthouse, the courthouse, the junior Then there are the guitars. Sculptured junior high school he attended, the grocery high school he attended, guitars, painted by Tupelo Public School store he frequented and the drive-in where the grocery store he District students, have been erected adjacent frequented and the drive-in he routinely enjoyed a cheeseburger and R.C. to nearly every Tupelo attraction and serve as where he routinely enjoyed Cola. reminders of the city’s musical legacy, especially Mississippi is laden with historic music a cheeseburger and Elvis. More than 30 sculptures currently stand markers, but Elvis is the only artist to have a R.C. Cola.” at spots like the Tupelo Automobile Museum dozen spots dedicated to his childhood. It is and Johnnie’s Drive-in (Elvis' favorite burger joint), as well as along the a testament to the worldwide (and local) enduring popularity of the corridor leading to Elvis’ birthplace.

King.

The Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum is another popular

When Elvis died in 1977, President Jimmy Carter said, “His music spot along the driving tour, and one locals refer to simply as “The and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm Birthplace.” Its serene park and museum is much changed from the and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. low income area once crowded with small shotgun houses where Elvis’ His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world father, Vernon, built the family home. Elvis was born January 8, 1935, over of the vitality, rebelliousness and good humor of his country.” In and lived in Tupelo until he was 13, when his father moved the family the coming years, Elvis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of to Memphis in search of better economic opportunity. During his time Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of in Tupelo he was exposed to gospel through services at the Assembly Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

36 • APRIL | MAY 2017

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Elvis also holds the records for most songs charting Billboard’s Top 40 and Top 100 charts, with the respective totals at 104 and 151. These statistics still fail to encompass the impact he’s had around the world.

Visitors to Tupelo enjoy the Elvis tour year round, but the town becomes overrun with Elvis aficionados and tribute artists during the Tupelo Elvis Festival. The event runs through the first weekend in June and features a tribute artists competition (don’t dare say 'Elvis impersonator' in Tupelo), as well as a reenactment of Elvis’ guitar purchase at the hardware store, among other Elvis-themed performances and events.

There is also a Tupelo Elvis Fan Club (Tullos is the president elect) celebrating the life and times of the King of Rock 'N' Roll. The group meets monthly to develop a new generation of Elvis fans and plan charitable work which funds scholarships for area students skilled in song and dance. Club members also organize a yearly “Dancing with the King” event, a weekend in March when participants attend a sock hop and dance competition and an extensive Tupelo tour with Elvis historian Roy Turner.

All the events and tributes surrounding Elvis illustrate what most people already know – his legacy continues to influence millions. “You wouldn’t believe the people I’ve met in this store who’ve come to Tupelo because of Elvis,” says Tullos, back at the Tupelo Hardware Store. “His music has traveled around the world – and it all started here.” L

38 • APRIL | MAY 2017

Want to go?

To plan your trip to Tupelo, visit tupelo.net.

Once there, stop by the Convention & Visitors Bureau for brochures and tips for your stay. They're located along the Elvis Driving Tour at 399 E Main St. For the quintessential Elvis experience, plan on visiting June 1-4, when the Elvis Presley Festival gets underway.

COKE 10k MAY 6 Coke 10k is Mississippi’s largest 10k race, running through beautiful historic Corinth.

Loyal employees of Corinth Coke, countless volunteers, and hundreds of spirited spectators along the course build an exhilarating atmosphere for 1,500 runners.

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39

STORY FROM TUPELO, MISS.

PAYING TRIBUTE TO

The King

By MARIANNE TODD

Elvis Festival headlined by Lee Fields & The Expressions

T

he Tupelo Elvis Festival is most widely known for its Elvis Tribute Artist Competition, but this year's headliner may steal the spotlight.

Slated for June 1-4, Lee Fields & The Expressions take center stage at Friday night's Fairpark, a music event that drew record crowds from around the globe during last year's festival. From a James Brown type of funk to contemporary Southern soul, this stunning vocalist hails from North Carolina with 43 years of performing and recording with such artists as Kool and the Gang, O.V. Wright and Little Royal. His 2009 release “My World” with The Expressions was heralded by Pitchfork as “one smoking mother of an old-sound soul record.”

40 • APRIL | MAY 2017

The departure from “country only” bands is a new take for this festival that draws thousands of tourists to Tupelo from around the world, says Debbie Brangenberg, executive director of Tupelo Main Street, which hosts the event. “We're shaking things up this year,” she said.

The hugely popular Elvis Tribute Artist contest remains a highlight of the festival. Slated at downtown's BancorpSouth Arena, the tribute artist contest had to be moved from the former Lyric Theater locale due to burgeoning attendance. Contestants compete for the title of Tupelo’s Elvis Tribute Artist based on their singing and performance ability – and their likeness to Elvis. Each night, former Tupelo winners perform

their tribute to the King of Rock 'n’ Roll to a packed audience. Winners

move on to compete in the Ultimate Tribute Artist Competition at

a re-purposed venue that once served as the city's cotton mill and

Graceland.

This year's Elvis Tribute performers include crowd favorite Bill

warehouse, coupled with Tupelo's craft beer vendor, 1817, and live music throughout downtown Tupelo in the afternoons. “We will have

Cherry, along with Doug Church, Diago Light, Brandon Bennett, Jay

music during afternoon times when there are no performances so that

Dupuis, David Lee and Dean Z, all of whom are Tupelo and Ultimate Tribute Artist winners.

anyone who comes to town can hear live music all day,” Brangenberg said.

Also at BancorpSouth on Saturday morning will be “Conversations

Also new to this year's festival is Thursday's Music at the Mill,

Don't miss the Pet Pageant and Parade on Saturday morning,

with Tom Brown,” a native of Tupelo and former vice president of

where animals “look like Elvis” as they parade past the audience.

Turner Classic Movies who works extensively with Graceland and

Elvis Presley Enterprises. This year, Brown will converse with Marlyn Mason, co-star of Elvis' 1969 “The Trouble with Girls” movie and with

International Fan Best Festival by the Elvis Presley Tribute Industry awards, Brangenberg said.

Troy Montgomery from the popular band Montgomery Gentry, who is

a huge Elvis fan and who made and performed in a jacket mimicking Elvis' white studded jump suit at Tupelo's Fairpark.

On both Friday and Saturday, a reenactment depicting Gladys buying Elvis his first guitar at the Tupelo Hardware Store will take place. This is a new event for the festival. “There will be actors who represent the people who knew Elvis at the time,” Brangenberg said.

every year become part of our family, and we have new visitors every year,” she said. “It's a fun atmosphere, and even if you're not totally an Elvis fan, it'll rub off on you. As John Lennon said in 1975, 'Before Elvis there was nothing.'” L

“They'll recount their experiences with Elvis growing up in Tupelo, and there will be a mix of music downtown – acoustic, blues, rockabilly, black and Southern gospel on the street corners.”

OPPOSITE: Elvis Tribute Artist Bill Cherry gives fans teddy bears during a performance.

The festival has become so popular that it has earned the title of

“We always have such a good time. The people who come back

THIS PAGE: A young Elivs look-alike performs with his dog at the Pet Pageant and Parade, which takes place on Saturday morning.

Want to go?

For more information, or to purchase tickets for Fairpark or other concerts and events, including Sunday's Gospel concert, visit tupeloelvisfestival.com or phone (662) 841-6598.

Tickets can also be purchased at the gate on the day of events.

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42 • APRIL | MAY 2017

STORY FROM TUPELO, MISS.

Vanelli's Bistro Like Papa Vanelli used to make

By MEGHAN HOLMES Photographs by Marianne Todd ust as lunch time begins at his downtown Tupelo restaurant, Voz Vanelli walks through the back door, navigating a few crates of produce on a hand truck. Before checking on things in the kitchen, he greets a pair of musicians performing an acoustic version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” outside the front door. “Those guys are great,” he comments, settling into a chair in the dining room. “They’re part of the vibe of the bistro, and we’re proud that they’re here.” In appearance, Vanelli is striking. With long hair and a beard, a flannel shirt and square black glasses, he could be the sound guy at your favorite local dive.

Vanelli is also a musician (and a writer, among other talents). He opened this third incarnation of Vanelli's Bistro, a restaurant his father started in 1975 using his mother's recipes. The downtown location is the newest version after a 2014 tornado destroyed the previous location

on North Gloster Street. The cypress ceiling beams and a pair of lion heads are the only surviving remnants of the former location.

The space seats 40-60 and feels open and casual, with bright, animated menus and plenty of natural light. It’s a spot popular with business people or tourists looking for a quick lunch, offering whole pizza as well as pizza by the slice, salads, sandwiches and pasta. Popular pizzas include the Athenian, with a white sauce base, mozzarella, feta, Roma tomatoes and spinach, as well as the Grecian, with a house-made red sauce, mozzarella, feta, pepperoni, mushrooms and Greek peppers.

“Everybody eats the Greek salad when they come to Vanelli’s,“ says longtime employee Carrie Bradley. “Is it my favorite? I don’t have a favorite.

I can eat all of it, and I’ve been here 40 years at both locations. If you come back I’m still gonna be here, and I’m still gonna be eating everything.”

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44 • APRIL | MAY 2017

The Greek salad is simple and satisfying with a mix of iceberg lettuce and red cabbage as well as bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, pepperoncini, olives, feta and vinaigrette. “We’re about nutrient-rich foods,” Vanelli says. “The red cabbage in your salad has six times the amount of nutrients the same amount of green cabbage would have. We had a group of English tourists come in yesterday, and they said it was 'smashing,'” he laughs.

On a tour through the kitchen, Vanelli samples two varieties of recently roasted chicken. “We’re experimenting with rubs, and this one’s not right yet,” he says, moving on to a giant cauldron bubbling with bone-in pieces of chicken. “We use this chicken as well as the broth in our tetrazzini, and we also boil our sausage. It cooks off the fat so that it doesn’t end up on the pizza.”

The kitchen also has a conveyer pizza oven, cranking out pies made using Papa’s original 1975 recipe where the dough spends a minimum

“The restaurant also offers Greek specials, including homemade spanakopita and baklava, an ode to Papa Vanelli’s Greek heritage." of 12 hours rising before being baked. The restaurant also offers Greek specials, including homemade spanakopita and baklava, an ode to Papa Vanelli’s Greek heritage. “’Who’s going to buy pizza from a Greek named Kapenekas?’ That’s what dad said,” Vanelli continues. “His name was Demetrios Kapenekas, but he decided to name the restaurant Vanelli’s and went by Papa Vanelli after that.”

The restaurant’s original menu also included fresh pasta, which Vanelli soon plans to reintroduce alongside his current offerings of chicken tetrazzini and baked cheese ziti. “In the next couple of weeks we’re going to start serving fresh homemade pasta, and we’ll be the only restaurant in Tupelo,” he said. The machine sits on the counter next to the pizza oven, where the staff has already started practicing perfecting new doughs. “This is a different machine from what we had at our old building. We will have traditional doughs, as well as gluten free, spinach, beet and squid ink pastas. They only take two minutes to cook and then we’ll dress them lightly, with fresh sauces.”

Pasta sauces will include options like traditional meat and Alfredo as well as lighter fare like olive oil and chili oil varieties. “It will be very rustic and nutritious,” he says. “I want to serve the kind of food I like to eat, the food that I ate growing up.”

Vanelli’s new downtown location is next to some of Tupelo’s other popular eateries, including Park Heights and Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen.

KOK features a small, hyperlocal, seasonal menu with healthy options

OPPOSITE: Musicians perform just outside Vanelli's front door; homemade spanakopita is ready for the oven; the Athenian, featuring spinach, feta and fresh Roma tomatoes; homemade baklava features plenty of nuts, honey and cinnamon.

RIGHT: The Greek salad is both nutritious and satisfying and is a customer favorite; customers can watch the animated and colorful menus as they dine.

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Voz Vanelli listens to the band outside his Main Street restaurant, rebuilt recently after a tornado demolished the former on Gloster Street.

46 • APRIL | MAY 2017

like seared salmon salad and turkey tacos and less healthy indulgences, including house cut fries and a burger made from leftover cuts of highend meet from Tupelo’s Neon Pig. (Also owned and operated by KOK owners).

Park Heights offers an elevated dinner menu featuring primarily steak and seafood items like red chili glazed salmon, maple and mustard halibut and pan seared Gulf grouper with a Cajun maque choux and crawfish etouffee. Lunch is more casual, with soup and sandwiches, including a fried oyster BLT, an open-faced BBQ shrimp poboy, and a steak sandwich with provolone, onion and a chimichurri mayonnaise.

Nearby Crave café offers coffee and desserts, as well as bike rentals for those ready to explore downtown Tupelo or spots along the Elvis Presley walking tour. An alley alongside Vanelli’s hosts Crave’s rental bicycles and serves as a shortcut between the two restaurants. “I love walking over to Crave,” Vanelli says. “That’s been a great addition to downtown.”

New and diverse businesses continue to move downtown as the area grows. “I opened my gallery in 2010, and I’ve seen so much development since then,” says Kim Caron, owner of Caron Gallery on Main Street. “It’s wonderful to see and adds to events like Tupelo’s Downtown Open House, which is in April this year.”

In addition to new restaurants and businesses, downtown Tupelo continues to radiate small town charm and reflect the area’s history.

Vanelli’s 40 years of history began outside the city’s center, but now also contributes to downtown growth.

For Vanelli, it really is about the food. “I want people to enjoy the foods my family prepared, based on my grandmother’s recipes.” L

Want to go?

For a taste of authentic Italian and Greek food, visit Vanelli's at 206 W. Main Street in downtown Tupelo.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays; 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; and 11 a.m. To 8 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, visit vanellis.com.

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View over 50 antique and new wooden boats on display, plus enjoy fireworks over the beautiful Bayou Teche.

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ROAD TO 3RD STREET SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL & RETREAT | April 6–9 Morgan City | Listen to some of the hottest songwriters in the country or join us for the songwriter’s conference and retreat for tips and inspiration for writing songs.

This festival in charming downtown Franklin features educational seminars, Cub Club children’s activities, field trips, an art sale and exhibit, arts & crafts, food, music and more.

49

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RHYTHMS ON THE RIVER | April 21, 28 • May 5, 12, 19, 26 •

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47

STORY FROM MERIDIAN, MISS.

The tight-knit clan of Meridian Underground Music Words and Photography by Marianne Todd

I

n 1996, Wayne Williams took a leap of faith.

It wasn't that he started a business. It was that he started a business with relatively no financial backing, no inventory and not much of a business plan, other than what he and his girlfriend had dreamed up and an empty shop space. They had fallen in love there (before, when it was a coffee shop) and he had proposed to her there.

And they were young and childless, so one might deduce that youthful optimism was the driving force behind the effort.

Stacey Williams says her husband began his Meridian Underground Music business with his personal collection of 250 CDs. He says it was more like 230. But it really doesn't matter. “Our first week in business we made $50,” Wayne says. “People would bring in two CDs and trade for one.”

In those days, the shop was located next to the old Peavey Melody Music Building, just across from The Meridian Star. Wayne had hosted a local television show, The Wild Side With Wayne, with Saturday Night Live type comedy skits and music. And he had launched and published the statewide magazine Fame. The music store was the next chapter in their lives.

“His parents donated some arts and crafts for the cause,” Stacey recalls. “We had one tapestry and one display of incense sticks.

When one item sold, we bought another two, until eventually we got where we are now.”

Which is a far cry from 1996.

These days, Wayne and Stacey have been married for 21 years and operate the sub-cultural MUM from a newer and larger location around the corner from the original 22nd Avenue shotgun building.

The recent acquisition of an adjacent building and a remodel has expanded the store, packed with musical instruments, amplifiers, speakers, t-shirts, figurines, tapestries, tobacco-related products, skateboards, jewelry, stickers, lighters, accessories, gaming, vaping supplies, albums, record players, hair dye – and an ample incense supply. With their MUM branding now on many items – everything from a t-shirt line to skateboards – the store has also grown to offer

OPPOSITE: Wayne and Stacey Williams began their Meridian Underground Music store in 1996 with a personal collection of CDs. Today, the store is known nationally and regarded as an easy-going sub-cultural hangout that offers a community outreach.

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“We always wanted to have our kids with us, and we didn't want them in the school system.

There would be times when I was bottle feeding and ringing up customers.

It got easier after I stopped nursing.” an online shop. Both have become a nationally recognized brand for independent musicians, artists and fans.

In 1990, when Rhigel, their first child was born, Stacey gave up her job at a local bank and joined her husband at the shop full-time.

Three years later, Rhigel's brother, Dyson, came along. And in two more years, Jayden, a baby sister, was born.

“We always wanted to have our kids with us, and we didn't want them in the school system. There would be times when I was bottle feeding and ringing up customers. It got easier after I stopped nursing,” Stacey laughs.

For the first few years, playpens and baby walkers dotted the floor space of the shop. As the children grew, so did the sophistication of their toys, and these days, Rhigel, Dyson and Jayden have joined their parents in the entrepreneurship adventure. As Wayne says, “We wanted to be with them all day, every day, to give them an added boost in life, a prosperous life with a strong base. I want them to understand how to create something from nothing.”

It might be easy to assume, with Stacey's muti-colored hair and Wayne's long locks, that this couple is a quirky pair of hippies.

“We're far from what society considers normal,” Stacey says. “Our kids are intelligent and open-minded. And homeschooling has limited a lot of negative aspects that children get in public school, like bullying and peer pressure. We want them to explore their own identities.”

Not far from the sandwich and drink refrigerators, Rhigel mans a 3-D printer. Using spools of colored plastic, he programs his designs on a computer and waits for the printer to finish the task. “It started out as a hobby, and now I do it on the side for a little money here, a little fun there,” the 17-year-old says. In the meantime, he's selling ads for his own magazine, The Cheat Sheet, a locally-driven product designed to boost small business revenue, and for fun “I melt aluminum on the weekends.”

And as if that isn't enough, he's also logged 40 hours of flight instruction toward his private pilot license. "I've always had a little fascination with flying," he says.

At age 14, Dyson has officially become one of Apple's youngest registered app developers. He's undecided if he will be a physicist as he's always planned, or be a professional gamer. Wayne offers his

CLOCKWISE: Rhigel Williams creates 3-D printed models such as the chess pieces pictured above; Thor, the 2-year-old family dog, is on the scene daily as Jayden organizes her handmade jewelry line; Wayne and Stacey have raised their family practically in the store, starting home schooling at 8:30 each morning and continuing with extracurricular activities after lunch.

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Wayne and Stacey play chess at the shop with the 3-D printed chess pieces made by their oldest son, Rhigel; The MUM mural which adorns the exterior of the store, is a Meridian landmark.

52 • APRIL | MAY 2017

opinion to the youngster. “The most famous YouTube gamer makes $5 million a year,” Dyson counters. “They record their games and monetize their channels.”

But Wayne isn't taking the bait. He hands off the conversation to the piano and voice teacher who has just arrived. School starts as soon as the family arrives at the 8th Street business at 8:30 each morning. By noon, Stacey has cooked lunch in a semi-apartment concealed at the rear of the shop. This is also where she manages the store's books. By noon, extracurricular activities begin.

Like her brothers, Jayden is undecided if homeschooling has an added disadvantage to the social life of a teenager. “I spend more time with adults than children, and children understand more than adults do,” she says. Her bright, multi-colored hair is woven in a braid. Her eyes look to the ceiling, left, then right, as she decides if she would rather be a fashion designer or a veterinarian. “I'm having my first sleepover tonight,” she interjects, forgetting the discussion of her love of horses. At 12, Jayden designs and sells her own jewelry line at the shop. She also sculpts “animals, robots and Santa bears, from clay.” She loves the country and going to church at New Beginning Christian Fellowship. Her brothers, she says, attend First Baptist.

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Wayne is tasked most recently with launching an independent recording studio for both audio and video, also at the shop. It is one of the more recent projects he's developed in a community outreach effort. As they begin MUM's 21st anniversary celebration, a quick look around the store is a testament to the family's achievements.

They offer live music once a month, singer/songwriter and poetry night, Art Night in which a local art teacher volunteers her time to teach, Tai Chi Night, Game Night with flat panel TVs for gaming stations, or Game Night with cards, and more.

Or, customers can simply “hang out,” Wayne says. “It's a space they can come to in the heart of the city where they feel comfortable – like a living room at someone's house. They can have coffee, popcorn, play pool or chess. We have customers from all walks of life. We have people who come in for 2, 3, 4 hours just looking through records. It's an easy place to hang out.” L

54 • APRIL | MAY 2017

Want to go?

Visit MUM at 2220 8th Street in Meridian or visit them on the web at meridianundergroundmusic.com.

Offering all types of musical instruments, the family takes a break for a little fun at the shop.

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55

STORY FROM GREENVILLE, MISS.

The Art and Life of John “Puddin” Moore

By JULIAN RANKIN Photographs by Rory Doyle

T

here aren’t many metalsmiths named Puddin. Even if Greenville, Mississippi, artist John “Puddin” Moore isn’t the only one with the moniker, he’s certainly one of a kind.

He got the nickname as a 4-day-old babe, in the arms of some distant uncle. Sweet as pudding. The name doesn’t fit Moore’s grizzled countenance. He’s sinewed and strong with blue eyes that shine with sparks from an arc welder. The craftsman has been bending metal for a living since he was 16 years old. You can find Moore’s work in almost every state and in 19 foreign countries. But he’s never left – and will never leave – his hometown.

Before he begins any project, he blueprints mental schematics. "I don’t use any pictures. Any drawings. I visualize the finished product of whatever I want to make, and I just start making it.” Moore told a man recently that if you brought together all the things he’s made over six

56 • APRIL | MAY 2017

decades, not even the New Orleans Superdome would be big enough to hold it.

Moore’s art comes in every shape and size: volleyball-size spherical fish and eight-inch tall alligators playing guitars; sculpture made with metal adornments and salvaged driftwood from the Mississippi River, with cypress knots that reveal themselves to Moore as a slew of animal heads – including a bear, a loggerhead turtle and a goose; and a giant metal tree on the campus of Greenville Higher Education Center, 20 feet tall, with alloy twigs so delicate they look like they’d snap off in your hand like midday icicles. Moore always considered himself an artist. Everything he’s ever made has been custom, crafted with an improvisatory curiosity that makes them thoroughly unique.

Moore’s mastery has impressed art aficionados and captivated laymen. His formal art training is nonexistent. He taught himself to

OPPOSITE: An 8-inch alligator band sculpted from metal.

THIS PAGE: John "Puddin" Moore has been creating these pieces since he first began his metal shop at age 21. He is as tireless today as he was then, still claiming Greenville as his hometown and still walking the same streets on his lunch hour as he did as a kid.

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draw as a boy. While his classmates doodled in the margins, Moore

Moore keeps his shop open to the public, which is how he became drew like a polished draftsman. In high school, he saw a newspaper Greenville tourism’s unofficial ambassador. Travelers and wandering ad for one of those art institutes in the northeast that invited aspiring strangers find their ways to his doorstep, and he treats them all like artists to send in their work by mail for critique. “I’d send in the dignitaries. History Channel’s American Pickers sought him out for assignments and they’d send me more his collection of Indian artifacts and things to do,” Moore recalls. One dinosaur bones and assorted vintage day he came home from school and treasures, which Moore has always a man from the institute was in his hunted for as a hobby and displays living room. They offered Moore a in a corner of his shop that he calls scholarship, but he turned it down. his museum. He met a European He wasn’t ready to leave. tourist once who made small talk for Around this time, in the early an hour before revealing he was the 1960s, a Greenville man with a German Minister of Defense.

Venetian blind business hired the The United States Army came 16-year-old Moore to create metal calling on numerous occasions. window guards. It was meant to be A general from the first cavalry a two-day gig but the man hired commissioned a decorative iron Moore, who was already one of the brand that matched the horsemost skilled workers around, to a head patch on his uniform. Then full-time position. After a few years the Army came back with a more working for this man, Moore opened pressing problem: a minor but critical a metal shop of his own. He was design flaw in their fleet of M1 tanks, 21 years old. He’s been working for stationed all over the world. When himself ever since. soldiers fired the machine gun “At one time I had three guys downward at a steep angle, the open working for me,” Moore says. “But ammo canister hung on the roof and they didn’t do work that satisfied me. paralyzed the gun. Naturally, Moore I’m the type of person that if it doesn’t solved in one afternoon a problem suit me, it’s not walking out the door. that had slipped by the finest military I couldn’t find qualified guys so I engineers; he fabricated a metal piece did it on my own. And that was the that bolted in to keep the artillery extent of me having employees.” moving smoothly. Later, another About 20 years ago, Moore officer visiting Greenville came by realized that he could sustain his the shop. When he found out Moore business on artwork alone. He was the man who’d fixed the tank’s stopped taking on as many of the machine gun, he wept. “Do you ubiquitous restoration projects and know how many lives you’ve saved?” focused instead on the ideas in he asked him. his head. When he walks into his Moore is as tireless at 72 as he downtown Greenville shop these was at 30. He’s a bottomless well of In today’s Mississippi, perhaps Moore's greatest accomplishment is that he’s turned his fanciful dreams into an ironclad business with no college days, he doesn’t need a plan of action; stories. His art is unlike anything or technical instruction and no guide book to show him how. the ideas pour out like cascading else around. But he’s inimitable not flotsam from an overstuffed closet. only because of these idiosyncrasies.

His only challenge: which notion to bring to life first?

In today’s Mississippi, perhaps his greatest accomplishment is that he’s “I can do anything in the world with metal,” Moore says of the turned his fanciful dreams into an ironclad business with no college possibilities. “I can work it like clay. I heard a guy say that I can do more or technical instruction and no guide book to show him how. While with a piece of metal than a monkey can with a banana.” others fled north on Highway 1 in search of better opportunity, Moore

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The Original Museum Mile– see how deep the Delta really is.

Pat Thomas, son of bluesman James “Son” Thomas can often be found playing at the Highway 61 Blues Museum in Leland.

From art to aviation, and hometown heroes to literature, there’s something for everyone on the Delta’s Museum Mile.

Greenville History Museum 409 Washington Avenue, Greenville

The Patriot at Greenville Cemetery South Main Street, Greenville

William Alexander Percy Memorial Library & Delta Writer’s Exhibit 341 Main Street, Greenville

Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum / Outdoor Hall of Fame Leland, (Grand Opening June 2-3, 2017)

E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center / Armitage Herschell Carousel

Winterville Mounds 2415 Highway 1 North, Winterville

323 South Main Street, Greenville

“Century of History” Hebrew Union Temple & Museum

Highway 61 Blues Museum

Greenville Air Force Base Museum

307 North Broad Street, Leland

Mid Delta Regional Airport, Greenville

504 Main Street, Greenville

1927 Flood Museum 118 South Hinds Street, Greenville

Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit 206 Broad Street North, Leland

www.visitgreenville.org • (800) 467.3582

Convention & Visitors Bureau

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doubled-down on his own imagination and cultivated a clientele that has no borders. On his lunch break, he still walks the same sidewalks on Walnut Street that he did as a child. Moore has molded the circumstances of an austere Delta life in the same way that he molds metal; fashioning something delicate and heartfelt and innovative out of cold and rigid steel.

“People who watch me don’t understand how I do any of this,” says Moore. “There are people my age and younger who retire and sit down and don’t do anything. They don’t last long. I’m not that type of person. I’ve got to keep going." L

Moore keeps his shop open to the public, which is how he became Greenville tourism’s unofficial ambassador.

Travelers and wandering strangers find their ways to his doorstep, and he treats them all like dignitaries. He is known for his art pieces, such as the ones pictured here, but he has also been commissioned to solve a design flaw on the Army's fleet of M1 tanks.

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STORY FROM NATCHEZ, MISS. Saturday, May 6

MISSISSIPPI BLUES II STARRING VASTI JACKSON

i

THE FIRST LADY OF SONG

Camelot

Rossini, Puccini and Martinis

The 27th Season of the Natchez Festival of Music

Ella Fitzgerald CENTENNIAL

A TRIBUTE TO THE Saturday, May 20

Tuesday, May 9

A Timeless and Magical Musical by Lerner and Lowe Tuesday, May 23

Rossini, Puccini and Martinis

Wednesday, May 10

ROCKIN

ON THE RIVER at Bowie’s

By KARA MARTINEZ BACHMAN

Wednesday, May 24

Thursday, May 11

Revolution, Romanticism and Rachmaninoff

ROCKIN t was a slow evolution to become “The Birthplace of America's Music.” It began generations

I

ON THE RIVER at Bowie’s

ago, when the blues – a truly indigenous Southern art form – sprung up as the only viable communication in the cotton fields of the antebellum South. From there, it made its way Friday, May 12 ALVIN SHELBY and the downriver to New THAT SENSATIONAL NATCHEZ COMMUNITY GOSPEL CHOIROrleans, where it intertwined with ragtime in the early 20th century and became This evolution continued through the decades and some could say, still continues today.

Friday, May jazz.

26 THE KING OF Saturday, May 13

As one of the more important river towns during the period when this music took giant cultural From Mississippi leaps, the PRESLEY eclectic, storied and complex City of Natchez may lay claim to its share of influence as well.

AN EVENING OF ELVIS to 27 The 27th season of the Natchez Festival of Music, held at various venues across Natchez May Saturday, May Tuesday, May 16 6-27, will this year pay tribute to Mississippi’s bicentennial and acknowledge the range of music Rossini, Puccini A Hilarious Musical Comedy by Gioachino Rossini heard in every nook and cranny, and within earshot of every demographic in the state. and Martinis ALSO DURING THE FESTIVAL Saturday, May Wednesday, May 17 6 The 2017 Festival, headed by Artistic Director Dr. Jay Dean, will honor the theme of “By Way Little Red Riding Hood - A Children’s Show Saturday, May of 13 the River: A Salute to the Mississippi Bicentennial” as it celebrates 200 years of sonic expression of Mississippi, The Birthplace of America’s Music ON THE RIVER Conference at Bowie’s grief, joy, beauty, individuality, creativity, and community felt and shared throughout the state and MAY 6 - 27, 2017 Saturday, May 20 Thursday, May 18 Southern Musical Conference II overTheatre generations.

M I S S I S S I P P I born in Mississippi, the blues, will be celebrated with the first performance of Concert Hall MUSIC. COME FOR The THE music A Tribute to Mississippi’s Greatest Classical Composers STAYFest, FOR“The THEE XPERIENCE! the Best of the Mississippi Blues II.” The concert, held May 6, kicks things off with and Performers charismatic vocalist and guitarist Vasti Jackson, who will present selections from blues pioneers who Friday, May 19 ORDER TICKETS ONLINE MAIL PHONE IN PERSON THE FIRST LADY OF SONG would eventually influence At Performance Venue the development of rock ‘n’ roll and later continue to inspire the bulk of www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com Natchez Festival of Music 888.718.4253 A TRIBUTE TO THEElla Fitzgerald CENTENNIAL P. O. Box 2207 Natchez Pilgrimage Tours Natchez, MS 39121 640 S. performers Canal Street, Natchez,of MS today. Jackson will perform music of B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy rock and pop 601.446.6631 Saturday, May 20 Tourology Waters, and404 other bluesmen Main Street, Natchez, MS who have had profound affect on Mississippi, and in turn, on the world.

601.660.7300 Destination Natchez A Timeless and Magical Musical by Lerner and Lowe

On May 9, “Rossini, Puccini and Martinis” switches the Fest’s gears to bring audiences a taste 601.445.8413 Tuesday, May 23 of opera as “the very best singers in the nation perform their most exciting arias” in an elegant setting Rossini, Puccini at Waverly Plantation. This program also will be repeated at different locations on May 16 and 23. and Martinis May 10 quickens the pace a bit as “Rockin’ on the River” takes place at Bowie’s Tavern, a Wednesday, May 24 Natchez landmark. Starring Brint Anderson and his band, the evening will be a festive celebration of blues and rock by a Natchez native son.

ON THE RIVER at Bowie’s

On May 11, the amps are turned off and things again take a classical turn as virtuoso pianist Thursday, May 25 Jonathan Levin tickles the ivories with the spirit of Eastern Europe. His program, “Revolution, ALVIN SHELBY and the Romanticism and Rachmaninoff,” will include selections by Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian, NATCHEZ COMMUNITY GOSPEL CHOIR Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Russian-influenced pieces that Levin himself composed.

Friday, May 26 TH E KI NG O F The program of May 12, “That Sensational Sondheim,” focuses on the work of beloved multiple Tony Award-winning composer Stephen Sondheim, best known for his popular Broadway AN E VE NI N G O F ELVIS PRESLEY musicals including “West Side Story,” “Sweeney Todd,” and more. The revue, held at Natchez' famed Saturday, May 27 The Towers, will include favorite selections from the Sondheim songbook.

A Hilarious Musical Comedy by Gioachino Rossini

A decidedly soulful groove takes over on May 13 as “From Mississippi to Motown” highlights ALSO DURING THE FESTIVAL Saturday, May 6 the Detroit sound, which may ultimately be traced back to its roots in the music of Mississippi. The Little Red Riding Hood - A Children’s Show Saturday, May 13 performance will include numbers popularized by Motown greats such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Mississippi, The Birthplace of America’s Music Conference Robinson and The Supremes, and will also focus on native Mississippians who added to the Motown Saturday, May 20 Southern Musical Theatre Conference II legacy.

SONDHEIM

Thursday, May 25

Highway to Heaven

Rock and Roll

Motown

The Barber of Seville

ROCKIN

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Friday, May 19

BEST OF THE

This project is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, va federal agency.

Camelot

This poster made possible by the generosity of

ROCKIN

Highway to Heaven

Rock and Roll The Barber of Seville

MUSIC. COME THE2017 62 • APRILFOR | MAY STAY FOR THEE XPERIENCE!

Another installment of “Rockin’ on the River” at Bowie’s features Ben Lewis, Natchez singer, songwriter and guitarist, who will perform on May 17.

On May 18, “Mississippi Concert Hall: A Tribute to Mississippi’s Greatest Classical Composers and Performers” features vocal and instrumental music by Mississippi composers, including work by luminaries such as Leontyne Price, John Alexander, William Brown and more.

May 19 offers “The First Lady of Song: A Tribute to the Ella Fitzgerald Centennial,” where Lynn Beach Smith and the Larry Pinella Quintet present songs popularized by the legendary jazz vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald.

On May 20, the Festival’s full “Broadway” performance of 2017, “Camelot,” transports audiences via music to the magical world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

May 24 offers the last installment of “Rockin’ on the River” when Natchez-based band Speakeasy takes to the stage at Bowie’s Tavern.

On May 25, Alvin Shelby and the Natchez Community Choir lifts voices – and spirits – with a performance of “Highway to Heaven,” an evening of moving religious and inspirational music.

Native son of Mississippi, Elvis Presley, is honored in the May 26 event “The King of Rock and Roll: An Evening of Elvis Presley.” As one of the most influential artists in American music history, the songbook of The King will be presented by top-rated Elvis tribute artist, Victor Trevino.

“The Barber of Seville” closes out the Festival when it brings musical comedy to the stage of the Natchez Performing Arts Center on May 27. This comedic opera by Gioachino Rossini will delight the audience as it has for generations.

In addition to the adult roster, the Festival also offers free children’s events on Saturday mornings. On May 6, youngsters are treated to a musical stage performance of “Little Red Riding Hood.” May 13 brings a unique “Musical Instrument petting Zoo,” described as “an interactive, hands-on musical experience for kids.” Songs from “Fairy Tale Musical Movies” will be enjoyed on May 20 with the program “Fairy Tales in Music.” On the last Saturday of the Festival, children will explore another art form in “Painting with Emotion,” where children will draw and paint pictures that are inspired by music.

For more details on the Natchez Festival of music performances, artist bios, locations and purchase of either individual event tickets or ticket packages, visit Natchezfestivalofmusic.com or call (888) 718.4253. L

Saturday, May 6

BEST OF THE

MISSISSIPPI BLUES II STARRING VASTI JACKSON

This evening is a tribute to the fantastic Blues icons of Mississippi. Anyone who knows about Mississippi’s Thursday, May 11 blues music knows how it has influenced popular music around the world and inspired countless rock artists such as Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Born primarily in the Mississippi Delta, its impact has been felt for evolution, andperformachmaninoff well over a century. Comeomanticism hear Vasti Jackson selections by B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Elmore James Jonathan Levin, piano and many other iconic Mississippi Bluesmen.

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Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin 64 Homochitto Street Natchez 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy cash bar refreshments beginning at 6:00 p.m. in The Grape Escape Club Room.

Admission: $25

$10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 student, College and Active Military with current ID

Certainly no stranger to the City of Natchez, virtuoso pianist Jonathan Levin will enthrall the audience with an Eastern European program that will include Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Khachaturian’s “Adagio” from Spartacus as well as other works by master pianists Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin. Also, Jonathan will perform some of his own compositions based on Russian influences.

Trinity Episcopal Church 305 South Commerce Street Natchez 7:00 p.m.

From Mississippi to Motown

Admission: $20

$10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 student, College and Active Military with current ID

Saturday, May 13

Because Detroit is a town that has been made famous by the automobile industry, “Motor City” is its nickname. This led Berry Gordy, Jr. to call his record label “Motown,” which became a distinctive style of American soul music. During the 1960s, his label achieved spectacular success, and it is still in business today, operating out of Los Angeles.

This show will feature some of Motown’s greatest songs and READLEGENDS.COM will include hits by The Four • 63 Tops, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and Diana

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64 • APRIL | MAY 2017

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WHAT’S SHAKIN’ IN THE CRADLE? •

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Columbus, Miss.

Apr. 22 - Summer .... Mississippi University for Women Galleries hosts Betty McArthur: A Mississippi Treasure exhibit. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The exhibits are free and open to the public. For information on this and other W exhibits call (662) 329-7291 or visit muw.edu/as/art/gallery.

Corinth, Miss.

May 5 .... The Oak Ridge Boys at the Crossroads Theatre. Tickets are on sale at the Crossroads Arena box office, open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday. For more information call (662) 287-7779 or visit crossroadsarena.com.

May 5 .... Corinth Coca-Cola Classic 10k Run in the shady streets of downtown. Almost $4,000 in overall prize money. Trophies in all age groups, $2,200 in prize money for winners 25 and up. Event starts at 8:30 a.m. For more information visit runsignup.com/Race/MS/ Corinth/Coke10k.

Destin, Fla. Apr. 10 .... Maximum Magic Dinner Theater featuring Noah and Heather Wells, Fudpuckers Theater on Okaloosa Island. Illusionist of the year Noah Wells presents Maximum Magic with mind-blowing illusions, hilarious comedy, special effects and more for all ages.

Show starts at 8:45 p.m. Tickets range from $8.25 for toddlers to $50 for adults. For more information visit magicontheisland.com.

Apr. 21-23 .... Musical Echoes Native American Flute Festival at Fort Walton Beach Landing. More than 15 dancers, singers, musicians and performers. See traditional style Native American art and performance. For more information visit musicalechoes.org.

Franklin, La. Apr. 21-22 .... Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show in downtown Franklin along the Bayou Teche. View more than 50 antique and new wooden boats on display, plus fireworks over the Bayou Teche. For more information call (800) 256-2931 or visit cajuncoast.com.

Apr. 21-22 .... Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival in downtown Franklin. Features educational seminars, Bub Blub children's activities, field trips, an art sale and exhibit, arts & crafts, food, music and more. For more information call (800) 256-2931 or visit cajuncoast.com.

Jackson, Miss.

Through Jul 8 .... Picturing Mississippi, 1817-2017: Land of Plenty, Pain and Promise, at the Mississippi Museum of Art. More than 135 artworks interpreting the state's rich cultural legacy over two centuries. For more information call (601) 960-1515 or visit msmuseumart.org.

April 11 …. Music in the City presents soprano Sibyl Child and pianist John Paul in a recital of songs by Claude Debussy. The program includes the composer's earliest seven songs, some of which were written when he was only 17, 5:15-8 p.m., Mississippi Museum of Art. For more information, visit msmuseumart.org.

Apr. 22 .... Verdi's Rigoletto at Thalia Mara Hall. In the story a curse is placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter had been seduced by the Duke with Rigoletto's encouragement. The curse later comes to fruition when Gilda falls in love with the Duke and is mistakenly killed by an assassin hired by her own father. For more information call (601) 960-2300 or visit msopera.org.

May 2017 - May 2018 .... Art Across Mississippi, twelve exhibitions across twelve communities. For more information call (601) 9601515 or visit msmuseumart.org.

Meridian, Miss.

Apr. 8 .... Moe Bandy Live at the Temple Theatre for the Performing Arts. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $10-$20 and are available at the Temple Theatre Box Office. For more information call (601) 693-5353 or visit meridiantempletheater.com.

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April 20 …. The Heart Behind the Music Songwriter's Showcase featuring Oleta Adams, Beth Nielson Chapman, Richie McDonald and Lee Roy Parnell, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39 and $33. Pre-show party at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit msurileycenter.com.

May 11 …. The Hillbenders present The Who's Tommy, a bluegrass opera, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 and $16. For more information, visit msurileycenter.com.

Morgan City, La. Apr. 6-9 .... Road to 3rd Street Songwriters Festival and Retreat. Listen to some of the hottest songwriters in the country or join them for the songwriter's conference and retreat for tips and inspirations. For more information call (800) 256-2931 or visit cajuncoast.com.

Natchez, Miss.

May 6 - 27 .... The Natchez Festival of Music. Come see the best of the Mississippi Blues II featuring Vasti Jackson and various other stylings of music as Natchez celebrates Mississippi's bicentennial. For more information call (800) 647-6742 or visit natchezfestivalofmusic.com.

New Orleans, La. April 2 ... The New Orleans Ragtime Festival featuring "The Great Scott Joplin.” Event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call (504) 535-4993 or visit neworleansragtimefestival.com.

Tupelo, Miss.

April 20-22 .... The Tupelo Film Festival. Come see film screenings, visit workshops and meet the filmmakers behind the screens. For more information visit TupeloFilmFestival.net.

Jun. 1-4 .... The Elvis Presley Festival. Each year's festival features regional, national and local artists along with a Sunday Gospel Concert and a Tribute Artist Contest that serves as a preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis. For more information visit tupeloelvisfestival.com.

66 • APRIL | MAY 2017

67 • APRIL | MAY 2017

tupelo.net

68 • APRIL | MAY 2017