Here in downtown Chattanooga, what today is ML King Boulevard was once known as Ninth St. – the “Big 9.”
Singer Bessie Smith, born in Chattanooga, began her reign as the “Empress of the Blues” in the clubs on Ninth St.
From the late 1800’s and into the 1970’s, the “Big 9” at its height was more than a hub for African-American singers and musicians…