Ground Zero is a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, US that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman, Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall, and businessman Eric Meier.[1] Attorney Bill Luckett was also co-owner until his death in 2021.[2] It got its name from Clarksdale being historically referred to as "Ground Zero" for the blues.[3][4] It opened in May 2001[3] and is located near the Delta Blues Museum. In the style of juke joints, it is in a repurposed, un-remodeled building, vacant for 30 years, that had housed the wholesale Delta Grocery and Cotton Co.[5] Mismatched chairs, Christmas-tree lights, and graffiti greet one everywhere. Blues fans in Clarksdale welcomed it as a place where local musicians have a chance to work regularly.[6]
The menu consists of traditional Southern foods, and the restaurant has live blues music playing Wednesday through Saturday. In addition to the food and music, there are seven upstairs apartments that can be rented.
Ground Zero is also associated with Ground Zero Biloxi located in Biloxi, Mississippi.[7][8][9]
Performers
editConsidered to be in the birthplace of the blues, Ground Zero has hosted local, national, and international performers. Artists include:
Symphonic Blues Experience
editSince 2022, Ground Zero has merged Delta Blues with symphony music from around the world through the Symphonic Blues Experience.[15] Performances include collaborations with:
- Savannah Philharmonic in Savannah, Georgia[16]
- RTÉ Concert Orchestra in Dublin, Ireland[17]
- Big Island Orchestra in Wolfgangsee, Austria[18]
In media
editGround Zero has appeared in many television shows and publications, including:
- CBS 60 Minutes[11]
- NPR[19][20]
- CNN[21]
- New York Times[6]
- Southern Living[22]
- Stephen Fry in America (BBC Documentary), 3rd episode, aired 26 October 2008.
- The Mighty Mississippi[full citation needed]
- "The Story of God w/ Morgan Freeman, S1/E3(Who is God)" ([NatGeo])[full citation needed]
- Loud Hailer Magazine[23]
- Garden & Gun Magazine[24]
- National Geographic[25]
- The Times[26]
Video
edit- Robert Mugge, Director (2003). Last of the Mississippi Jukes. Clarksdale and Jackson, Mississippi: MVD Visual. OCLC 971052576. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- Live at Ground Zero Blues Club: Bobby Rush
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Stories, Local (2023-06-06). "Exploring Life & Business with Eric Meier of Ground Zero Blues Club". memphisvoyager.com. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ "Co-owner of Clarksdale's Ground Zero Blues Club and former Mississippi mayor dies". 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b Ground Zero Blues Club (2014). "About Us". Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ^ "Thank you, Mississippi, for the Blues - It's a Southern Thing". www.southernthing.com. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ * Robert Mugge, Director (2003). Last of the Mississippi Jukes. Clarksdale and Jackson, Mississippi: MVD Visual. OCLC 971052576. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ^ a b Stephen Kinzer, In Search of the Blues, at Its Roots; Musing on a Genre's Purity, Fans Flock to Mississippi, NY Times, March 25, 2003, Section E, Page 1
- ^ Staff, WLOX (2024-02-17). "Morgan Freeman visits Ground Zero Blues Club for 2nd anniversary". https://www.wlox.com. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ McElfresh, Amanda (2023-08-27). "New Orleans businessman teams up with Morgan Freeman to bring the blues to a revitalized Biloxi". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Perez, Mary (June 9, 2023). "Morgan Freeman's blues club is transforming downtown Biloxi. What's next for Ground Zero?".
- ^ Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram (2021-01-16). Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Live At The Ground Zero Blues Club (Full Performance). Retrieved 2024-12-30 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Wertheim, Jon (2023-10-29). "Blues lives on in Mississippi | 60 Minutes - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Barretta, Scott. "Barretta: Musselwhite is featured draw at Ground Zero". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ "God Save the Blues – Good Grit Magazine". https://goodgritmag.com/. 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ a b c https://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "Mississippi Delta home of blues music, culture, history for tourism". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
{{cite web}}: External link in|last= - ^ https://symphonicblues.com/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Berinato, Christopher. "Savannah Philharmonic's Phil the Park brings music, picnic competition back to Forsyth Park". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ RTÉ (2023-06-12). "A night of extraordinary musical collaboration at the UCD Festival, as Morgan Freeman joined the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for 'The Delta Blues Project'". About RTÉ. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ "the blues symphony experience | by scalaria". scalaria. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ "Mississippi is home of the blues and key to civil rights past. Locals tell the story". NPR. March 13, 2023.
- ^ Rentner, Simon (October 27, 2017). "Talent And Tourism Keep Blues Alive In Clarksdale, Mississippi". NPR.
- ^ CNN, Susan Puckett,Special to (2014-05-15). "10 things to know about the Mississippi Delta". CNN. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ground Zero Blues Club Is Mississippi's Best Blues Club, According To Our Readers". Southern Living. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Walton, Phil (2023-10-12). "Interview with Eric Meier and Tameal Edwards of Ground Zero Blues Club". Loud Hailer Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Gomez-Misserian, Gabriela (2023-09-19). "Road Trip: Chasing the Blues through Mississippi and Beyond". Garden & Gun. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ "Four road trips to discover Mississippi's cultural heartland". Travel. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Cartwright, Garth (2019-01-26). "Follow the mighty Mississippi to the beating heart of the blues". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-30.