By Candice Ludlow
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-890314.mp3
Nesbit, MS –
The Mississippi Blues Trail Marker honoring guitar player Joe Callicott was unveiled Thursday in Nesbit, Mississippi. Candice Ludlow has more.
That's the music of Joe Callicott, recorded in 1967. Joe Callicott was born in DeSoto County at the turn of the century. Although he lived in Nesbit for most of his life, his style was more country or delta blues unlike others from the hill country of North Mississippi.
Two dozen people gathered outside Mt. Olive CME Church on Getwell Road in Nesbit, and the sun decided to shine as if to cast light on the Mississippi bluesman.
In many ways, Callicott is obscure, although he played most of his life. The Mississippi Blues Trail researchers didn't find out about Callicott until they sat down one day with hill country bluesman Kenny Brown.
"I was 11 years old when I met Joe. I knew how to make cords. When I started playing, people were trying to teach me to read music and I just about quit," Brown said.
That's when he met Mister Joe who had just moved in next door.
When I met Joe, went over to his house and he said, hit it like this, boy.' Then went to play and we'd end the song, he'd hit me on the knee. Yeah, there ya go, boy.' He died when I was 15. He was 72. But everyday that's where I went. Morning, before I went to school. The afternoon when I got out of school, that's where I went, Joe's house. If they couldn't find me, that's where they went.
Callicott was laid to rest in the church cemetery.
"Of the stuff I play on my shows is more hill country kinda rockin' blues, but I always do some of Joe's songs in my set, too," Brown said.
Joe Callicott's Blues Marker is number 103. Eventually, there will be 150 Blues Trail Markers throughout Mississippi and in states connected with the blues from Mississippi.