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Blue Front Cafe - Mississippi Blues Trail

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Blue Front Cafe was opened in 1948 by Carey and Mary Holmes and is still in operation today. Now owned and operated by their son, blues musician Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, the cafe has become a popular tourist destination, drawing visitors from all over the world. In its earlier years, the cafe served as a gathering spot for workers from the Yazoo County cotton fields.

Images

Blue Front Café has been in operation since 1948.

Sky, Cloud, Window, Door

Blue Front Café is featured on the Mississippi Blues Trail.

Motor vehicle, Font, Commemorative plaque, Signage

Visitors from all over the world come to experience Blue Front Café.

Tire, Vehicle, Sky, Plant

At one time, due to segregation laws, Blue Front was not legally allowed to sell Coca-Cola products.

Property, Green, Door, Blue

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes has operated Blue Front Café since 1970.

White, Black, Black-and-white, Hat

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Carey and Mary Holmes opened Blue Front Café in 1945, in addition to their eighty-acre farm. The couple raised their ten children and three nephews to help around both the café and the farm. By the time he was a teenager, their son Jimmy "Duck" Holmes was managing the day-to-day business of the cafe; When Carey died in 1970, Jimmy officially took over the business.

Though Blue Front Café is known as a music venue (a "juke joint"), there is no stage in the café. Live music at the Blue Front was historically an impromptu performance. The musicians stand level with the diners, and today instruments are left around, free to anyone who wants to "pick the guitar" while they're visiting.

Over the years, several popular blues artists have come through Blue Front Café, including Skip James, Jack Owens, and Henry Stuckey. Musicians would also perform on special occasions on the Holmes farm, which has now evolved into the Bentonia Blues Festival.

Sources

Blue Front Cafe, Mississippi Blues Trail. Accessed April 15th 2021. http://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/blue-front-cafe.

Wirt, John. Bentonia Blues at the Blue Front, Country Roads Magazine. August 27th 2017. Accessed April 15th 2021. https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/visual-performing-arts/bentonia-blues-at-the-blue-front/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://thesouthlandmusicline.com/photos-and-music-art/photos/the-legendary-blue-front-cafe-in-bentonia-ms/

https://thesouthlandmusicline.com/photos-and-music-art/photos/the-legendary-blue-front-cafe-in-bentonia-ms/

https://thesouthlandmusicline.com/photos-and-music-art/photos/the-legendary-blue-front-cafe-in-bentonia-ms/

https://thesouthlandmusicline.com/photos-and-music-art/photos/the-legendary-blue-front-cafe-in-bentonia-ms/

https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/visual-performing-arts/bentonia-blues-at-the-blue-front/

Additional Information