JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – As Black History Month passes the halfway point, Black Mississippian’s influence on America’s music will continue to exist beyond February.
From Blues to Gospel, the musical contributions of African Americans shaped the culture of music not only in the Magnolia State, but across the U.S. It is in part why Mississippi is known as the Birthplace of America’s Music . Below are some of the most well-known artists and groups from Mississippi responsible for that.
B.B. King
Riley B. King was born into a sharecropping family in Itta Bena in 1925. He began his musical career in Memphis, Tennessee, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was first known as “the Beale Street Blues Boy.” That nickname was soon shortened to “B.B.”
The 15-time Grammy winner became one of the best-known Blues performers and musicians from the Magnolia State and across the world.
The Canton Spirituals
The original quartet was founded in Canton in 1943 by Harvey Lee “Pop” Watkins, Sr. The group received Grammy nominations in 1993 and 2002 for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. Singers have changed over the decades, but the group is still singing and people are still listening faithfully.