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32-472: Booker T. Washington White was born on a farm south of Houston in northeastern Mississippi on November 12, 1906. Bukka is a phonetic spelling of White's first name; he was named after the African-American educator and civil rights activist Booker T. Washington . White was a first cousin of B.B. King 's mother (White's mother and King's maternal grandmother were sisters). His father John White

64-570: A burst appendix. White moved from the hill country to work on a farm at Swan Lake in the Mississippi Delta . He was a fan of Charley Patton , telling friends, "I wants to come to be a great man like Charlie Patton". He said he never met Patton, though he also claimed to have done so, although this is doubted. White was approached by Ralph Lembo, a white store owner and talent scout, who saw him walking past his store in Itta Bena with

96-504: A guitar. Lembo took him and his friend Napoleon Hairiston to Memphis, Tennessee , in May 1930 for White's first recording session, with Victor Records . Like those of many other bluesmen, the recordings comprised country blues and gospel music . The gospel songs were done in the style of Blind Willie Johnson , with a female backing singer accentuating the last phrase of each line. From fourteen songs recorded, Victor released two records under

128-581: A laborer at the Memphis Defense Depot , and then started a job in manufacturing storage tanks at the Newberry Equipment Company, where he remained for 20 years. He continued part-time with professional music, playing small gigs with Frank Stokes for several years, and also playing with Memphis Willie B. (Willie Borum). In the second half of the 1940s his younger cousin B.B. King moved to Memphis and lived with White for

160-507: A letter to White and addressed it to "Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi", assuming from White's song "Aberdeen, Mississippi", that White still lived there. The postcard was forwarded to Memphis. Fahey and Denson traveled there to meet him, and White and Fahey remained friends for the rest of White's life. White went to California later in 1963, where he played at university folklore classes and club gigs. He made new recordings of many of his early songs for

192-604: A matching program for libraries. Also in 1909, an African American man, Robbie Daskin, was lynched for allegedly killing a preacher. Houston hosts the Mississippi Flywheel Festival in April and September of every year. Houston is located west of the center of Chickasaw County. Mississippi Highway 8 passes through the city, leading east 29 miles (47 km) to Aberdeen and west 18 miles (29 km) to Calhoun City . Mississippi Highway 15 bypasses

224-479: A number of months. White helped introduce King to the Memphis music community and got him a job at Newberry Equipment. The 1950s were lean years for White musically, as new styles of music had largely supplanted the country blues he played. In 1959, White's recording of "Fixin' to Die Blues" was included on the album The Country Blues , compiled by Samuel Charters for Folkways Records to accompany his book of

256-520: Is considered definitive. The folklorist John Lomax visited Parchman Farm in 1939 to record White. As a professional musician who had recorded commercially, White was reluctant to be recorded for free and allowed Lomax to record just two songs, " Po' Boy " and "Sic 'Em Dogs On". "Shake 'Em On Down" and "Po' Boy" became his most well known songs. White was released from Parchman Farm after serving two years. Soon after, in early 1940, he went to Chicago to record for Melrose again. He arrived with transcripts of

288-502: Is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km ), or 0.25%, is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Houston has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 3,797 people, 1,404 households, and 917 families residing in

320-508: Is the community's high school. The Houston School District and the old Chickasaw County district merged into a new district on July 1, 2021. The Houston Public Schools system is home to 11-time National Dell-Winston Solar Car Challenge Championships. Houston was once served by both the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Okolona, Houston and Calhoun City Railway . In the early 21st century, both of these rail lines were abandoned. Sections of

352-498: The Mississippi Blues: Bukka White album, which Denson and Fahey released on their own Takoma Records . He also recorded new material for two LPs, Bukka White: Sky Songs Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 , released on Chris Strachwitz 's Arhoolie Records . Denson became his manager. White was at one time also managed by Arne Brogger, an experienced manager of blues musicians. White toured North America and Europe for

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384-599: The 1992 album Bloodline . The song was reworked and re-released on the 2000 EP Jezebel . In 1995, White's "Aberdeen, Mississippi" was covered as "Aberdeen" by guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd on his debut album, Ledbetter Heights . It reached number 23 on the Billboard (North America) Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1996. On January 26, 2010, Eric Bibb released Booker's Guitar (TEL 31756 02) through Telarc International Corporation , after being inspired by playing White's National steel guitar. White's "Parchman Farm Blues"

416-684: The Mississippi hill country east of Houston. He probably first went to Chicago in 1935, travelling from St. Louis with Peetie Wheatstraw , where he made friends with Big Bill Broonzy , Washboard Sam , Memphis Slim and Tampa Red . He was in Chicago again for a recording session with producer Lester Melrose in early September 1937, where he recorded two songs, "Pinebluff Arkansas" and " Shake 'Em On Down ". Back home in Aberdeen in October, he

448-591: The addition of "Fixin' to Die Blues" to its 2012 list of Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients. In 2011, White was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Houston, Mississippi. The Bukka White Blues Festival is an annual music festival on Columbus Day Weekend in Aberdeen, Mississippi. The Led Zeppelin song " Hats Off to (Roy) Harper ", on the band's 1970 album Led Zeppelin III ,

480-404: The average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the city

512-624: The city to the west, crossing Highway 8 within a western extension of the city limits. Highway 15 leads north 26 miles (42 km) to Pontotoc and south 27 miles (43 km) to Mathiston . The Natchez Trace Parkway passes about 3 miles (5 km) east of the city center; the Trace followed an ancient Native American trail. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 7.39 square miles (19.15 km ), of which 7.38 square miles (19.11 km )

544-547: The city. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,079 people, 1,589 households, and 1,088 families residing in the city. The population density was 537.4 inhabitants per square mile (207.5/km ). There were 1,721 housing units at an average density of 226.8 per square mile (87.6/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 59.89% White , 36.58% African American , 0.27% Native American , 0.17% Asian , 0.12% Pacific Islander , 2.70% from other races , and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.12% of

576-508: The future Chickasaw County for millennia before the coming of European adventurers. Eventually the natives were essentially forced out of the area. An 1832 treaty finally made the area secure for settlement, and emigrants rapidly moved in. The formation of Chickasaw County was authorized on February 9, 1836, and a few days later a committee was authorized to determine the location of the county seat. Judge Joel Pinson offered to donate land for development of this seat, and on July 8, 1836, his offer

608-445: The latter was incorporated one month later, on June 5, 1837. The Civil War brought widespread ruin and loss to the county, including an incident when Union troops burned nearly all the county's records as workers tried to move them out for safekeeping. During the following decade, the nearly-moribund economy slowly recovered, but poor roads across the area continued to hamper commerce and daily life. To address this shortcoming, in 1866

640-411: The name Washington White, two gospel songs on one released in 1930 and two country blues on the other, released in 1931. Victor published his photograph in 1930. White's mother died in 1933 and in 1934 he married Susie Simpson, a niece of George 'Bullet' Williams, a harmonica player who White had started playing with at Glendora in 1932. White and his second wife started farming near Aberdeen , back in

672-409: The population. There were 1,589 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and

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704-510: The rest of the 1960s up to 1975. He was friends with musician Furry Lewis , and the two were recorded (mostly in Lewis's Memphis apartment) by Bob West in 1968 for an album, Furry Lewis, Bukka White & Friends: Party! At Home , released on the Arcola label. White recorded two more albums in the 1970s. White played National resonator guitars , typically with a slide , in an open tuning . He

736-507: The same name and a key element in the American folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Bob Dylan included a cover version of the song on his first album , released in March of 1962. Dylan's cover aided a rediscovery of White in 1963 by guitarist John Fahey and his friend Ed Denson which propelled him into the folk music revival. Fahey and Denson found White when Fahey wrote

768-678: The songs he intended to record, but Melrose dismissed them as they were songs that others had recorded, so there would be little money in them. Melrose put him up in a hotel and told him to produce some original songs. White returned to Melrose with twelve songs, and recorded them on 7 March. They included two relating to his experience in prison – " Parchman Farm Blues " and " Fixin' to Die Blues " along with "When Can I Change My Clothes". After returning to Mississippi, where he and his wife decided to permanently separate, he went back to Chicago, playing in small clubs with his own four-piece band. In 1942, he settled in Memphis, where he worked for two years as

800-502: The state authorized a second judicial district to be based in Okolona, while allowing the existing facilities in Houston to continue. Thus, the county became one of the few in the nation to host two bases for its court system. In 1909, Houston became home to the first Carnegie library in the state, after local school superintendent L. B. Reid's request for a public library was approved by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie , who had created

832-514: Was $ 23,709, and the median income for a family was $ 31,979. Males had a median income of $ 27,214 versus $ 22,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 12,482. About 22.6% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 28.0% of those age 65 or over. The city of Houston is served by the Chickasaw County School District . Houston High School

864-417: Was a railroad worker, and also a musician who performed locally, primarily playing the fiddle , but also mandolin, guitar and piano. He gave Booker a guitar for his ninth birthday. White started his career playing the fiddle at square dances . He got married at 16 years old, with his father giving him a new Stella guitar as a wedding present. He and his wife lived at Houston, but after a few years she died of

896-408: Was accepted. Pinson named the settlement Houston in honor of Sam Houston , a childhood friend. Construction began that year on a brick courthouse on the village square, and a jail one block north. The city of Houston was incorporated on May 9, 1837, and its first post office was authorized on December 5 of that same year. This means that Houston, Mississippi actually predates Houston, Texas , because

928-488: Was arrested and charged with murder over shooting a man in the thigh. He was tried on 8 November, convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, to be served in Mississippi State Penitentiary , commonly known as Parchman Farm. His Chicago recordings were released on a 78 record by Vocalion while he was serving time and "Shake 'Em on Down" became a hit. His version of the oft-recorded song

960-424: Was based in large part on White's " Shake 'Em on Down ". " Custard Pie ", a song on their 1975 album Physical Graffiti , also references "Shake 'Em on Down." White's 1963 recordings of "Shake 'Em on Down" and spoken-word piece "Remembrance of Charlie Patton" were both sampled by electronic artist Recoil (mostly a one-man effort by Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode ) for the track "Electro Blues for Bukka White" on

992-544: Was one of the few, along with Skip James , to use a crossnote tuning in E minor , which he may have learned, as James did, from Henry Stuckey . He also played piano, but less adeptly. He died of cancer in Memphis on 26 February 1977. In 1990, White was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (along with Blind Blake and Lonnie Johnson ). On November 21, 2011, the Recording Academy announced

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1024-399: Was recorded by Jeff Buckley , and was released posthumously on the bonus disc of Buckley's album Grace: Legacy Edition . Citations Works cited Houston, Mississippi Houston is a city and one of two county seats of Chickasaw County , in northeastern Mississippi , United States. The population was 3,623 at the 2010 census . Native American groups had long used

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