Explore the
Greenwood has a special relationship with the blues – a music born of field hollers used in the days when cotton was picked by hand. Come to the City of Greenwood to explore the Mississippi Blues Trail or to visit one of blues musician Robert Johnson’s gravesites.
DELTA BLUES
Blues music, now admired around the world, first rolled out of the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, a plaintive, rhythmic shout from the deepest souls of field hands and sharecroppers. Over the past few years, the Mississippi Blues Commission has marked significant Blues history sites all over the state, and many of those distinctive markers dot Leflore County. From B.B. King’s birthplace to Robert Johnson’s grave, the Greenwood area is a Blues fan’s ultimate destination and the perfect starting point for a statewide Mississippi Blues Trail adventure.
BLUES TRAIL MARKERS
The Blues Trail consists of more than 200 historical markers throughout the state noting significant places and faces in the story of America’s music.
To learn more about the 7 Mississippi Blues Trail markers in Greenwood, visit the official Mississippi Blues Trail website. You will find a list of Blues Trail markers, a calendar of events, museums, films, and contact information.
REMEMBERING ROBERT JOHNSON
Robert Johnson was a foundational figure in the Delta blues whose haunting songs and mysterious life shaped the future of American music. He blended raw emotion, intricate guitar work, and evocative lyrics that explored love, loss, and the supernatural. Legends surrounding his supposed deal with the devil at a Mississippi crossroads only deepened his myth, but his real legacy lies in his influence on generations of musicians. Despite his short life, Johnson’s music remains a powerful touchstone for the blues and rock traditions.
TALLAHATCHIE FLATS
Tallahatchie Flats is a historically significant area along the Tallahatchie River, long tied to the region’s Delta heritage and working-class life. Once a low-lying settlement shaped by farming, river traffic, and the rhythms of the Mississippi Delta, the Flats reflected both the hardship and resilience of its residents. Its story is intertwined with the broader history of the Delta—floods, labor, music, and migration—making Tallahatchie Flats a small but meaningful piece of Greenwood’s cultural and historical landscape.