Ground Zero (blues club)
Encyclopedia
Ground Zero is a blues
club in Clarksdale
, Mississippi
that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman
, attorney Bill Luckett
, and Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall. It got its name from the fact that Clarksdale has been historically referred to as "Ground Zero" for the blues. It opened in May 2001 and is located right next to the Delta Blues Museum
. With its mismatched chairs and fraying sofa on the porch, it has a décor described as "manufactured authenticity." Blues fans in Clarksdale welcome it as a place where local musicians have a chance to work regularly.
The menu consists of traditional southern foods, and the restaurant has live blues music playing Wednesday through Saturday. Super Chikan
and Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry, not to be confused with the deceased Bill Perry
, are two of the most frequent and well-known performers. In addition to the food and music, there are seven upstairs apartments that can be rented out to customers who would like to live the blues experience 24 hours a day.
Ground Zero has appeared in many television shows and publications, including:
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
club in Clarksdale
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
, attorney Bill Luckett
Bill Luckett (businessman)
William Oliver “Bill” Luckett is a Clarksdale, MS businessman, attorney, and candidate in the Mississippi gubernatorial election, 2011...
, and Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall. It got its name from the fact that Clarksdale has been historically referred to as "Ground Zero" for the blues. It opened in May 2001 and is located right next to the Delta Blues Museum
Delta Blues Museum
The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale exists to collect, preserve, and provide public access to and awareness of the blues. Along with holdings of significant blues-related memorabilia, the museum also exhibits and collects art portraying the blues tradition, including works by sculptor Floyd...
. With its mismatched chairs and fraying sofa on the porch, it has a décor described as "manufactured authenticity." Blues fans in Clarksdale welcome it as a place where local musicians have a chance to work regularly.
The menu consists of traditional southern foods, and the restaurant has live blues music playing Wednesday through Saturday. Super Chikan
Super Chikan
James "Super Chikan" Johnson is an American blues musician, based in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He is the nephew of fellow blues musician Big Jack Johnson....
and Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry, not to be confused with the deceased Bill Perry
Bill Perry (New York musician)
William Sanford Perry, born in Goshen, New York, was an American blues musician. The guitarist, songwriter and singer toured throughout the U.S. and Europe. In the 1980s, he was the main guitarist for Richie Havens...
, are two of the most frequent and well-known performers. In addition to the food and music, there are seven upstairs apartments that can be rented out to customers who would like to live the blues experience 24 hours a day.
Ground Zero has appeared in many television shows and publications, including:
- 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
- Stephen Fry in AmericaStephen Fry in AmericaStephen Fry in America is a six part BBC television series in which Stephen Fry travels across America to reveal a country in which he was almost born. Just before Fry was born, his father was offered a job at Princeton University, in New Jersey, but chose to turn it down in favour of Hampstead. In...
(BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Documentary)