The Mississippi Blues Trail marker commemorating Nelson Street is on Nelson Street, near the railroad tracks, in Greenville, Mississippi.

The GPS location of this marker is: N33° 24.786′ W 91° 03.114′

Mississippi Blues Trail marker for Nelson Street, Greenville, Mississippi
Mississippi Blues Trail marker for Nelson Street, Greenville, Mississippi

The marker reads:

“NELSON STREET – Nelson Street was once the epicenter of African-American business and entertainment in the Delta. Nightclubs, cafes, churches, groceries, fish markets, laundries, record shops, and other enterprises did a bustling trade. Famous blues clubs on the street included the Casablanca, the Flowing Fountain and the Playboy Club. Willie Love saluted the street in his 1951 recording ‘Nelson Street Blues.'”

James “Son” Thomas also released a song about Nelson Street, simply entitled, Nelson Street.

Nelson Street has declined from its former heyday as the “epicenter of African-American business and entertainment in the Delta.” The following photos show Nelson Street as it now appears, viewed in both directions from the Mississippi Blues Trail marker.

Nelson Street, Greenville, Mississippi, as seen from the Mississippi Blues Trail marker
Nelson Street, Greenville, Mississippi, as seen from the Mississippi Blues Trail marker
Nelson Street, Greenville, Mississippi, as seen from the Mississippi Blues Trail marker
Nelson Street, Greenville, Mississippi, as seen from the Mississippi Blues Trail marker

Some Recommended Recordings

To get the Willie Love, Nelson Street Blues recording mentioned on the Mississippi Blues Trail marker for Nelson Street, we recommend Cool, Cool Blues, a 4 CD box set from JSP Records. Although it’s marketed as a Sonny Boy Williamson II collection, it’s actually a compilation of Trumpet Records recordings made between 1951 and 1954, including all the Willie Love recordings on Trumpet Records.

CD cover, Sonny Boy Williamson - Cool, Cool Blues, a 4CD compilation of Trumpet Records releases from JSP Records
CD cover, Sonny Boy Williamson – Cool, Cool Blues, a 4CD compilation of Trumpet Records releases from JSP Records

Hard Times by James “Son” Thomas contains his recording of Nelson Street

CD cover, James "Son" Thomas, Hard Times, recorded in 1986
CD cover, James “Son” Thomas, Hard Times, recorded in 1986

 

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