The 49th Annual Mississippi Blues & Heritage Festival

By Brinda F. Willis, Ph.D.

JA Contributing Writer

On September 19, as we came out of the Red Hills into the Flats of the Delta Land, the harvest crop combines were rolling on both sides of Highway 82.  

The weather was hot, and so was the blues music that bellowed out of the speakers around the stage in the heart of the Birthplace of the Blues…the Mississippi Delta. 

The Mississippi Action for Community Education (M.A.C.E.) brought the blues home to Greenville, Mississippi, for an estimated audience of approximately 8,000 blues fans at the 49th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival, billed as the oldest continually running blues festival in the world.

Blues fans descended upon the Delta from around the world in cars, buses, and RVs to hear the music that has become synonymous with the best blues festival in the United States.  At noon, the music started on the main stage with the Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Big “A” & The Allstars, Mike & Jerry Kattawar, Eddie Cotton, Ji & K Morris, Nathan Kimble, Bobby Rush, OB Buchana, LJ Echols, Leela James, and Eden Brent,.

Mississippi Delta Blues native Eden Brent, known as “Little Boogaloo,” rocked the main stage with her brand of piano stylings that got the crowd stirred up with tunes from her long list of songs that the fans knew. Eden is also the 2026 KOKO Taylor Award winner as the Best Traditional Blues Female. 

Eddie Cotton led the traditional blues lineup with his hard-hitting licks on guitar combined with sharp gospel-tinged vocals that are his trademark.  The crowd got involved with a light-hearted sing-along and didn’t mind the hot sun that was beaming down for Cotton’s entire show.

Fan favorite Nathaniel Kimble created a lot of excitement singing “Can U Bagg It Up” and “Clap Your Hands.” Kimble is from Benoit, a small Delta town not far from Greenville, and always encourages his audience to become a part of his show by singing with him during his on-stage performance.

Next came Bobby Rush, “King of the Chitlin Circuit” and three-time GRAMMY winner who has attended the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival for 46 years. Rush always brings his dancing girls with him, inspiring the fans to get up and dance and take pictures. Rush also gave a lengthy monologue explaining he sings blues songs and also sung Funk and Rap music back in the day. Rush entertained the audience by playing bits of familiar harmonica songs, showing the comedic side of his personality and causing the crowd to erupt into laughter. In a surprise move, Rush came off the stage and mingled with the fans, including taking photos with them. This electrified his audience – rarely he ventures into the crowd. At 92 years of age, fans were truly enthralled by his physicality throughout his performance.

Due to the unexpected death of Benjamin “Benny” Latimore, a special tribute to Latimore was given by OB Buchana. Latimore was a staple on the festival for several years. Known for hits like “Take Me To The Mountain Top” and crowd pleasers “Sunshine Lady” and “Let’s Straighten It Out,” Latimore was surely missed. OB Buchana brought the audience to a standstill and into an almost silent period as he paid tribute to Latimore, singing familiar signature blues ballads and other songs having been on the charts for decades.

LJ Echols brought the dance spirit all the way from Texas by way of Bassfield, Mississippi. “LJ”, as fans lovingly call him, is treated like a next-door neighbor. His Southern Soul music caused fans to get up and dance throughout his show. 

Ms. Leela James was the headliner for the 49th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival. James is an R&B powerhouse soul singer with chart-topping hits such as “Set Me Free” and “Say That You Love Me.” Her high energy performance closed out the festival.

In addition to the Main Stage, the smaller Jukehouse Stage provided a more intimate setting. It featured a mix of acoustic and electric blues by Mississippi artists, including Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Delta Express, The Party Band, Big A & The Allstars, James McElroy Band, Lady Trucker, Stud Ford, Lawrence LL Wilson, Jessie Clay, Skeeter Provis, Mike & Jerry Kattawar, and Jake & The Pearl Street Jumpers.

The sponsors for the 49th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival were Greenville Washington County Mississippi, Harlow’s Casino & Resort & Spa, APAC, Mississippi Action for Community Education, MAC, Southern Spirit, City of Greenville, and Visit Mississippi.