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CAT HEAD UPDATE NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2026 EDITION
"Thanks for 250 years of Cat Head
store in Clarksdale, Mississippi!"
Okay. It's "only" 24 years. But some days it feels like 250.....
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Thanks for 24 epic years of music and mayhem at CAT HEAD — Mississippi's blues store in Clarksdale
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Yesterday was the anniversary of my store's first sale—a $12 CD that a lady paid for with a $10 bill, a $2 bill and change. (I'm too cheap to frame a 2. Hence, the quarter.)
Thanks to all y'all, CAT HEAD has survived nearly two and a half decades of glitches in the Matrix—from war to recession, from pandemic to inflation. And so far, I've not had to pry that first quarter off the wall. Ha(ish). Thanks to the extraordinary friends I've met along the way, I've also been lucky enough to make memories from Memphis to Melbourne, from Chulahoma to Cognac. And beyond. It's been busy. And mostly positive.
In fact, as a tourism-based, small business in today's downtown Clarksdale, it is easy (even for me) to forget how far we've come by working together—locally, domestically and globally. My buddy (and current tourism director) Bubba O'Keefe and I sometimes reminisce about our downtown of 20-odd years ago when I could work a little late at CAT HEAD, step out to my parked car, look both ways down Delta Avenue and see I was the last man standing. Seriously. There were 5:30s where mine was the only car parked on Delta for three blocks. (Delta Avenue was also a one-way street back then, by the way.) If I wanted a good cup of coffee, I had to make it. (Ha... I used to make it for the Musselwhites before there was Yazoo Pass or Meraki.). And if I wanted a microbrew beer, I had to ask a visiting friend to bring it. Worst of all back then was how quiet the music scene was: Just two nights a week on average, but honestly, not every week. (Now? We're 365.)
Another way to think about it? Well, here is a sampling of the downtown businesses that did NOT exist 24 years ago (in random order): Meraki Coffee, Yazoo Pass, Stone Pony, Levon's, Dutch Oven, Matchbox, Blue Cotton Bakery, Wing Stop, Josey's, Hambone Gallery, Collective, Bluesberry Cafe, Bad Apple Blues Club, New Roxy, Blue Room, Ooze Bar, Holy Moly, Josey's, Travelers Hotel, Auberge Hostel, Red Panther Brewing Co., Deak's harmonicas, Griot Arts, Delta Creations, Lofts at the Five & Dime, High Cotton Condos, Handy Suites, Sunflower Lofts, Squeezebox/Delta Digs/Hooker Hotel, Wild Bill's II, some ladies stores, a kids store, a yoga studio, some new hair places, etc. Not to mention all of the downtown apartments and living spaces that many of us now call home.
Plus, NONE of these festivals existed 24 years ago: Juke Joint, Cat Head, Clarksdale Film, Clarksdale Caravan, Tater Superbad, Bad Apple, B.A.M., Son House, Bluesberry Back Alley, Hambone, Cruzn the Crossroads, etc.—around 20 in total. The Delta Blues Museum was (literally) smaller back then, Ground Zero Blues Club was a year old but only offering music two nights a week, and Red's Lounge was open but only offering sporadic blues shows (usually decided on the day of... ha). There was no Clarksdale Walk of Fame. There were no Mississippi Blues Trail markers. Also, outside of downtown, there was no Hampton Inn, and the Shack Up Inn offered only 6 shacks for nightly rental.
TODAY, we have all of the great places above and boast "live" blues music 365 night a year plus around 20 festival events per year. There are several renovation projects in the works downtown, including new lodging being built upstairs (with a huge balcony) across from Cat Head and two other new businesses coming soon behind my store on Yazoo Ave. The new riverwalk by the Sunflower River is close to completion (more on that below), and there's a weekly downtown Farmers Market. Originally a 1-day event, this past April's 23rd annual Juke Joint Festival expanded to 5 amazing days of events. And this year, even more new folks have already moved here with others in the talking or planning stages. There are also still rumblings of a downtown-adjacent campground in our future, so fingers (and toes) crossed on that.
All of that said, we do face some major challenges. Currently, tourism (and especially international tourism) is down due to high gas prices and sticky inflation, complicated by international turmoils and political rhetoric. The historic "blues-fan demographic" (i.e. fans who were introduced to the blues via the 1960s-80s rock acts that were fueled by real-deal blues) is a "graying" one—myself included. Business overheads are up. Wholesale prices and shipping are up, and some orders include fuel surcharges. Retail sales and club attendance are both generally down. There is also the long-term threat (my words) of a data center coming to Clarksdale, which is a bit more than I can get into in this newsletter (though you can read the City's take on it at https://www.cityofclarksdale.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/City-of-Clarksdale-Data-Center-Frequently-Asked-Questions-_FAQ_.pdf); and hit the Google for more on the potential benefits and pitfalls of the whole AI thing.
Do I think Clarksdale (and CAT HEAD and Juke Fest and our venues/lodging/etc.) will continue to survive and grow? Yes, I do. Will it happen naturally on its own? No. We have to make things happen. Again. And continually. Rinse and repeat.
The really good news? If I had told you 24 years ago to go to downtown Clarksdale for a latte, microbrew and hand-tossed pizza AND then spend the night in a nice loft condo or award-winning hostel AND then hear "live" blues music no matter what the night of the week...... you would have laughed me out of the room. Maybe out of the building. Think about that.
Anyway, that's all a long-winded way of saying, "Thanks, y'all!" CAT HEAD and Clarksdale appreciate your support. Now please #visitclarksdale early and often. Rinse and repeat.
Plan your PILGRIMAGE now:
MUSIC CALENDAR: www.cathead.biz/music-calendar.
TOURISM/LODGING: VisitClarksdale.com.
CROSSROADS DELTA BLUES HOUR (my radio show): jazz88.org.
Shop CAT HEAD—Mississippi's blues store in Clarksdale since 2002—7 days a week! Mon-Fri 11-5, Sat 10-5 & Sun 10-3. WEB STORE open 24/7 at www.cathead.biz
All the best,
Roger Stolle
(and Ayler Pug)
Recent photos:
- Cat Head store signs (the street vandal known as "Dollar Bill" recently destroyed most of my sidewalk sign, but my blues drummer buddy Kemp is building me a new one; "Bill" is now in a facility).
- Juke Joint Fest with my bro-in-law Vince, yours truly, mayor/Red's owner Orlando and my sis Karen; a fab time had by all!
- Ayler Pug (11-ish years old), requesting a walk.
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CLARKSDALE'S EPIC "SOUNDS AROUND TOWN" CALENDAR AND SAMPLE OF ANNUAL FESTIVALS
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Clarksdale, Mississippi, may well be the only town in the world that really and truly has live blues 365 nights a year (plus many days) and around 20 annual festival events. Below is a snapshot of this week, but check out the whole month online at https://www.cathead.biz/music-calendar. I've also included our latest festivals ad via Visit Clarksdale.
 
 
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CAT HEAD T-SHIRTS MAKE SUMMER SEEM A WHOLE LOT COOLER, Y'ALL...
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Many exclusive styles... in most sizes... and plenty of popular color choices! CAT HEAD has the summer tees that blues and Clarksdale fans love. Shop every day in-store or online now at https://www.cathead.biz/cat-head-logo-gear.
        
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RECAP OF APRIL'S JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL & BONUS EVENTS—EXPANDED TO 5 DAYS!
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This April’s Juke Joint Festival & Bonus Events proved to be one of the biggest blues weeks on the planet. Sure, our international visitors were down a bit (just turn on the news), but we still boasted attendees from at least 16 international countries and nearly all 50 U.S. states. And the smiles were wall to wall for all five days.
Check out this year's lineup and more at www.jukejointfestival.com.
Our new Wednesday evening Juke Joint Festival Kickoff event (which used to be on Thursday) starred the 27-year-old, Clarksdale-born, global blues hero known to most as “Kingfish,” still known locally as Christone Ingram. His free performance on the Red Panther Brewing Company’s street stage was epic. Travelers booked an extra night of hotel just to be there for it. Regional folks drove in just to be there, even if they had to drive back home an hour or two afterwards. To experience “the future of the blues” live at a homecoming like this, is truly a special event not to be missed. Christone lives in Los Angeles, California, these days, and tours constantly playing sold-out, mostly-ticketed shows around the blues universe. Our show was free and totally accessible for all who wanted to welcome him home.
A special THANKS to all of JJF's volunteers, attendees, musicians and—especially—incredible supporters including Visit Clarksdale, Walton Family Foundation, Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, Visit Mississippi, Southern Bancorp, Cathead Vodka, Crossroads Economic Partnership and others.
Thursday and Friday had similar “Bonus Events”—including panel discussions (from “The Clarksdale Comeback: A Report Card” and “Clarksdale Immigrants in the New World” to blues musician round tables of personal stories and blues history) as well as free live daytime performances and free early evening headliner events like a John Primer All-star Revue and a public Thacker Mountain Radio Show taping (with Bobby Rush). Hear the JJF radio broadcast online for a very limited time at https://wyxr.org/programs/thacker-mountain-radio-hour/ (plus check out more info on the show at https://thackermountain.com/upcoming-shows/juke-joint-festival-with-bobby-rush/).
Saturday is still the main Juke Joint Festival day, of course. This year featured an almost unfathomable (for a little Delta town of 13,000 souls) 18 free daytime stages (with just over 100 performances) and 25 nighttime wristband-required venues (with around 45 acts). Oh, and yes… We still have monkeys-riding-dogs-herding-sheep, pig races, 100 street vendors, Southern food sellers, educational events, a kids’ zone, a car show and more. It’s insane, really. Something for everyone, and way to much for anyone person to do! Part of the beauty is that you can either race around trying to do and hear as much as possible, or you can just pick a stage or venue and settle in for a relaxed blues experience.
Standout Juke Joint Fest performers this year ranged from 19-year-old Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport to 78-year-old Jimmy “Duck Holmes.” Other favorites included The Parchman Prison Band, “Little Willie” Farmer, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Australia “Honey Bee” Jones, Terry “Big T” Williams, Lucious Spiller, Anthony “Big A” Sherrod, “Lady Trucker,” Keith Johnson, Duwayne & Garry Burnside, Kent Burnside, Cameron Kimbrough, Robert Kimbrough Sr., Kenny Brown, Lightnin’ Malcolm, Sean “Bad” Apple, Lala Craig, Tinsley Ellis, James “Super Chikan” Johnson, Ghalia Volt, Edna Nicole & Reverend Slim, T-Model Ford’s grandson Stud Ford, Earl “Guitar” Williams, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band and many many more.
Plenty of old-school. And plenty of up-and-coming—including some sons and granddaughters.
Sunday? Well, it wasn’t over till it’s over. On Sunday, I held my first Cat Head Mini Blues Fest of the year. Other events/venues that day/night include Bluesberry Café Back Alley Fest, Ground Zero Blues Club’s music brunch, Red’s Juke Joint Jam and much more.
Plan now for next spring’s Juke Fest week: Wednesday to Sunday, April 14 to 18, 2027. Information at www.jukejointfestival.com. Clarksdale visitor info at www.visitclarksdale.com. Questions? Feel free to email roger@cathead.biz.
A few fab photos from fest, below. Pro pics by Michael Lepek. Kingfish crowd shot by Howard Stovall. The rest of the snapshots by yours truly...
   
            
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WEAR SHADE ON YOUR HEAD WITH EXCLUSIVE CAT HEAD BALL CAPS... HATS OFF TO SUMMER!
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FUTURE MEETS PAST: DEBUT CD RELEASE BY 19-YEAR-OLD YOUNG RELL. BUY NOW AT CAT HEAD!
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Mississippi's next blues star—Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport—played two excellent CD release shows in Clarksdale last month. A solo show at CAT HEAD. A band show at Red's juke joint. He also signed a few of his fab new CD for me, so buy now (while I still have signed copies) at https://www.cathead.biz/cds-dvds
 
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RELIVE CLARKSDALE'S EPIC JUKE FEST WEEK ON SPECIAL THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO SHOW
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Were you here for JJF's 5 days of special events back in April? Or not? Well, you can relive or freshly experience our JJF-edition of Thacker Mountain Radio Hour. We were thrilled to have Thacker return again this year with all 92-years of Bobby Bobby Bobby Rush!! Plus, our author friend Ralph Eubanks and Mississippi musician Twurt Chamberlain. Thanks to VisitMississippi.org and our other supporters (and volunteers) who made the show possible. Enjoy the show, y'all! Hear the JJF radio broadcast online for a very limited time at https://wyxr.org/programs/thacker-mountain-radio-hour/
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CLARKSDALE'S NEW SUNFLOWER RIVERWALK NEARING COMPLETION... WALK IT TODAY, Y'ALL!
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Thanks to the efforts of Chuck Rutledge and Clarksdale Collective with the support of the City, County and major grant funding... most of a very cool new riverwalk is completed on both sides of the Sunflower River, downtown. I've walked it a couple times now and love it. Basically, it runs from behind City Hall (on the downtown side of the river) and Soldiers Field (on the other side) to the MLK Bridge/Park. It is sturdily and impressively built. And will eventually include a crossover bridge point near Soldiers Field (behind where the old jail used to be). 560 posts hold up the beautiful, treated-lumber walkway, along with thousands of dollars in stainless steel screws. It is definitely built to last. The walkway provides a bit of mostly shaded (depending on the time of day) exercise as well as stunning views of the river, kudzu, an old train trestle, assorted wildlife and more. Best of all? It's free and open to the public dawn till dusk. Here are a few pics...   
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FIND OUR NEXT EAR WORM! NEW (SOME EVEN SIGNED) MUSIC IN THE CAT HEAD STORE...
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Here are a few new releases—including signed copies by Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport and Charlie Musselwhite—in the CAT HEAD web store at www.cathead.biz. Check out our full selection of CDs, vinyl and even a few cassettes here in-store, in-person at 252 Delta Avenue in Clarksdale.
   
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ASSORTED NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE WORLDS OF BLUES, MISSISSIPPI... AND MORE
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- The Blues Music Award Submission Process is open now at https://blues.awardsplatform.com (details online). Submit now!
- "Postcards for Rosetta" is Jimbo Mathus' tribute to Charley Patton (with the support of Visit Clarksdale and Shared Experiences); we debuted this at the Clarksdale Film & Music Festival, btw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY_4pxP91oA
- Clarksdale travel piece in The Independent,
- Feature on Clarksdale and Juke Joint Festival at https://www.wildmercuryrhythm.com/p/appearing-live-nightly-in-clarksdale
- Short blues travel piece in El Mundo, https://www.elmundo.es/viajes/america/2026/06/01/6a02b92e21efa0042d8b457b.html
- 2026 Juke Joint Festival photo recap at https://www.americanbluesscene.com/.../review-gallery.../
- BBC covers festival tent fire at The Rustic Stomp - Home of Muddy Roots UK; story at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8kv4v0mg4o and video at https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c8xnpk57p1xo
- The Blues Foundation in nearby Memphis... newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/blues.org/2024-welcome-to-memphis-5066106?e=c136b88de7
- There are easier ways to get into a blues band, but... we're please that the Parchman Prison music program has returned. (They were a hit at Juke Joint Fest in April!) Read more at https://deltamagazine.com/rebirth-of-the-parchman-band/ . More on Parchman (incl. photos) via Music Maker Foundation at https://www.musicmaker.org/stories/redemption-in-real-time-tims-week-inside-parchman-prison/ and https://www.musicmaker.org/stories/slideshow-parchman-portraits/
- Bruce "Dr. B" Weintraub moved to Clarksdale as a doctor and pianist... and also became a music venue owner and blues festival organizer. Article at https://gazettenet.com/2026/07/08/from-stethoscopes-to-soul-a-longtime-northampton-doctors-new-chapter-in-the-mississippi-delta/
- Fundraising updates for the historic Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale at https://www.gofundme.com/f/cmmhd-save-black-familyowned-historic-blues-hotel
- N MS Hill Country blues drum legend Kinney Kimbrough's residence burned, but his GoFundMe has him back on his feet... https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kinney-rebuild-after-house-fire
- Jazz music icon Sonny Rollins, RIP - https://downbeat.com/news/detail/sonny-rollins-dies-at-95. (And here are three of my fav Rollins' performances:
- The Way You Look Tonight - https://youtu.be/xgP0eru5NQ8?si=XkGYEh1hbRqVLwc5
- Blue 7 - https://youtu.be/-hHXhnKEmpM?si=LRl0-KQ7IIsWC2dH
- East Broadway Run Down - https://youtu.be/-hHXhnKEmpM?si=LRl0-KQ7IIsWC2dH
- Civil rights veteran Ed King obituary (that mention's Clarksdale's Aaron Henry), https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/us/ed-king-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yVA.tLzx.zF8ibmaUu4bH&smid=url-share
- "Music Export Memphis marks a decade of success with a Birthday Bash at W.C. Handy Park..." - https://www.memphisflyer.com/mem-at-10/
- "Stalled" downtown tourism in Memphis, TN - https://www.memphisflyer.com/the-downtown-project-tourism
- Rosedale, Mississippi, now has a distillery - https://rosedaledistilling.com/
- Update on LV Hull (folk art) project in Kosciusko, MS at https://mailchi.mp/2ed5c42e92ab/grant-news-hahs-6428556?e=1d393e20fe
- New news on The Beatles rooftop in London - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/arts/music/beatles-museum-london.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jFA.1K-7.m9EDRhGvl7SI&smid=url-share
- Clarksdale's Juke Joint Festival extends its sympathies to the family and many friends of our long-time JJF exhibitor and friend R.P. Funderburk. We will miss seeing your wonderful smile and fabulous bird houses next year. (Here's a tribute from Memphis Farmer's Market: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1457386573083553&set=a.564261202396099)
- Finally... our friend and neighbor Charlie Musselwhite played the Chicago Blues Fest recently. My fav pic is the second one, below. "I [heart] Clarksdale"!
 
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NEW BOBBY RUSH DOCUMENTARY COMING TO MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC BROADCASTING (MPB)! BUT FIRST A REQUEST FOR SUPPORT............
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Hey y'all, it's me, Roger. I love MPB. They support Mississippi—including towns like Clarksdale—by spreading the word and introducing folks the what makes this area so important—its music, its literature, its art, its history, its people. Maybe you saw the Walt Grayson Mississippi Roads episode a few years ago that highlighted Clarksdale (Kingfish/Delta Bohemian Tours/Cat Head)? Maybe you heard the Juke Joint Festival Thacker Mountain Radio Hour's Juke Joint Festival episode last weekend? Maybe you met Felder Rushing from the Gestault Gardner or the fine folks from Next Stop Mississippi at one of our "live" broadcast events here in Clarksdale? I could go on and on. The filmings and broadcasts they've brought to town have absolutely boosted our tourism and downtown revitalization efforts.
Since the elimination of all Federal support for the public TV and radio stations, public fundraising has become more and more important. It is crazy expensive to run TV/radio stations—to license content, pay employees, maintain offices/transmitters, etc. Fortunately, A) we all can be part of the solution, and B) it is still a "donate what you can if you" situation. If you can't spare the dollars, then don't. Take care of your family's bills first. The broadcast programming will still be free. But if you can, please consider donating at MPBonline.org today. As a special thank-you to supporters, your donation will get you early online access to this amazing new Bobby Rush documentary. Details below from MPB:
Mississippi Public Broadcasting will premiere its new original documentary, King of the Chitlin' Circuit, on broadcast television August 10, 2026, celebrating the life and legacy of Grammy Award-winning Mississippi blues artist Bobby Rush.
MPB donors and PBS Passport subscribers will have early access to stream starting on July 30.
For more than seven decades, Rush has traveled the country performing blues music, building a career that began in Delta juke joints and expanded to stages around the world. Told through Rush's own reflections, King of the Chitlin' Circuit explores a life shaped by music, perseverance, and a deep connection to Mississippi's blues heritage.
Visit mpbonline.org/bobbyrush for more information.
 
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TWO ETERNALLY INFLUENTIAL JAZZ GREATS TURN 100: MILES DAVIS AND JOHN COLTRANE
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From Charley Patton and Django Reinhardt to Howlin' Wolf and Led Zeppelin, there are plenty of musical acts that I wish I could have seen "live." Two others who absolutely make the list? Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Both would have turned 100 this year if they hadn't died in 1967 and 1991, respectively.
Plenty of public radio stations are celebrating the centennials this year with special shows. Since I've spent a lot more time on Coltrane's recorded output in past year's, this summer I've been deep-diving into some Miles Davis bands/eras I was less familiar with.
Anyway, if you're already a big Miles fan or just getting introduced to his many sounds, here are some great radio show podcasts to check out:
ONEJAZZ.NET is a global online station that did a weekend of Miles Davis shows for his birthday this year:
- Really great episode that starts with a John Lee Hooker/Miles Davis collaboration (you read that right): https://www.onejazz.net/listen-again/miles-100-james-hussein-catchpole-presents-ekaya-miles-davis-special/
- Two friends enjoy fun conversation and interesting music from Miles' "Electric" era: https://www.onejazz.net/listen-again/miles-100-jon-greenbaum-rick-petrie-present-north-star-sounds-miles-davis-special/
- And the rest of the Miles tribute shows are at https://www.onejazz.net/?swp_form%5Bform_id%5D=1&s=miles+100
KSDS is broadcasting "100 Days of Miles" radio show special (This is the excellent San Diego jazz station that I do my weekly blues radio show on, btw.); scroll down Miles 100 page for the playable podcasts: https://www.jazz88.org/miles100/
NPR covers the Miles centennial; story with various links: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/26/nx-s1-5829716/miles-davis-100-years-centennial
As for the JOHN COLTRANE centennial, I think most of the major radio specials will be broadcast around his birthday on September 23rd, so keep an eye/ear out for them. In the meantime, some classic sounds from the Village Vanguard in 1961 might hold you over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3w35yvUFPU&list=PLyqAz2idXOaXJNjpQhXpyuMuAj8R0vU7E
PS - Two of my favorite things: Music and cars.
It's the Miles Davis centennial year. Good time to relive this 2023 article from R&T: 'Miles Davis Was a Secret Car Enthusiast Superhero':
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a42745697/miles-davis-was-a-secret-car-enthusiast-superhero/
Oh, and yes, there are lessons to be learned from the rockstar life the jazzman lived. (Hint: It's not always the pedal on the right.): https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/a24896/when-miles-davis-crashed-his-lamborghini-i-was-there/
And finally, since my fav Miles car was his Miura that he crashed, here's a well-caffeinated Jerry Seinfeld/Chris Rock piece featuring "the most beautiful car ever designed": https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6t7ngb
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THE BLACK KEYS (AND GUESTS) PLAYED "SECRET SHOW" AT RED'S IN CLARKSDALE
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Red's blues joint got the rockstar treatment back in late April when Akron, Ohio's greatest garage band brought their latest tour—with some very special blues guests like Charlie Musselwhite, Jimbo Mathus, Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton—to Clarksdale for a "secret" (mostly invite-only) show. The Keys (with help from Visit Clarksdale and Visit Mississippi) also facilitated a free-and-open-to-the-public outdoor opening event on Sunflower Avenue near the juke joint that featured the Delta-Kream-of-the-crop in Clarksdale: Edna Nicole & Rev Slim, Terry "Harmonica" Bean and Anthony "Big A" Sherrod & Allstars (along with a bit of soulful food served by the Red's crew).
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NEW ARTICLE ON CLARKSDALE'S HYPER-HISTORIC RIVERSIDE HOTEL IN DELTA MAGAZINE
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"HELLO WALLS!" HANG UP SOME CLARKSDALE WITH PRINTS AND POSTERS FROM CAT HEAD...
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'What is this place?" "What kind of store is this?" For 24 years, we CAT HEADers have heard these (and similar) questions from the uninitiated upon entering "the store I always wanted to walk into but could never find." The answer? Well, I usually call CAT HEAD "Mississippi's blues store in Clarksdale since 2002," but I'll let all y'all supply your own labels. All I can say is that in addition to ensuring our town maintains a 365 live music scene... in addition to all of the film, recording and book projects... in addition to organizing or faciltating many of our festivals... in addition to selling our visitors on an overnight stay in Clarksdale (or turning one into two or three nights), etc., we sell some awfully cool stuff. Sure, we've got music and books, T-shirts and ball caps. But we've also got original artwork and (in this case) plenty of gorgeous and affordable posters and prints. Here is a sampling. See the full selection 7 days a week in-store, or choose from our online WEB STORE collection at https://www.cathead.biz/prints-posters-art.
      
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ARTICLE ON NEW "ART OF NOISE" MULTIMEDIA EXHIBIT EXAMINES PRE-NAPSTER GEAR & MORE
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This a shared (free for all to read) New York Times piece. "Art of Noise exhibit steps back before streaming: "That distant world is now sampled, convincingly and lovingly, by the 85 phonographs, tube and transistor radios, turntables, jockey decks, boomboxes, Walkmans and more on view at the “Art of Noise” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in Manhattan. Originating at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where half its objects come from, it is a classic educational show, for reasons both intended and not, and its main attraction is a pageant of the ways that, from 1910 to 2024, rooms have filled themselves with recorded sound."
NYT ARTICLE: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/arts/design/art-of-noise-cooper-hewitt-smithsonian-design.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zlA.wKm2.YPiHm0qrAXfg&smid=url-share
MUSEUM WEBSITE: https://www.cooperhewitt.org/channel/art-of-noise/?utm_source=si.edu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=MyVisitSI
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CLARKSDALE'S GROUND ZERO, CAT HEAD AND DEAK'S FEATURED IN NEW PBS TV EPISODE!
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Back in St. Louis in the late 1990s, I had a blues radio show on the same super-cool community radio station as an infinitely cooler cat—"Papa Ray, The Soul Selector." (A handful of evil people in STL ruined and then sold the KDHX radio station that once featured blues/roots music programming every afternoon for drive-time as well as Sunday nights. Ask Papa Ray all about it.—next time you visit his incredible Vintage Vinyl Record Store in the U-City area of STL.)
Anyway, Papa Ray is back on the radio airways elsewhere and, more to this point, he is well into his second (I think?) season of the excellent "Papa Ray's Vintage Vinyl Roadshow" on PBS and the internet.
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BLUES WITH A BUTTERKNIFE! FORTHCOMING CHILDREN'S BOOK THAT ADULTS WILL LOVE, TOO
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So thrilled to be involved in some small way with this beautiful forthcoming children's book (that adults will also love) on the late-great Cedell Davis. It tells the story of a bluesman who simply wouldn't give up, and in the end, inspired all of us to work just a little harder.
Cedell played at my CAT HEAD store twice pre-stroke, when he was still using his butterknife as a slide on his flipped over guitar. Dang. It was breathtaking. And then his big, instantly-recognizable voice came booming over the top. Incredible. Even after his stroke, he refused to give up, singing at Juke Joint Festival until shortly before his passing at 91 in 2017.
Thanks to Jason for asking me to write a blurb for the back cover. I can't wait to carry the book at CAT HEAD (in-store and online) starting in September. PLUS, join us for an in-store author signing with Jason Peterson at CAT HEAD at 11am on Saturday, 10/10, during King Biscuit weekend.
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ENJOY A COOL BEVERAGE FOR SUMMER... WITH CLARKSDALE'S CAT HEAD BY YOUR SIDE...
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On the CAT HEAD website (and in-store, of course), you'll find beer glasses, shotglasses, coffee mugs, huggies/koozies, a 6-pack cooler, absorbent coasters.......... to make summer just a little cooler... https://www.cathead.biz/hats-and-gifts
     
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BOOKS? WE GOT BOOKS. BLUES, MISSISSIPPI, TOUR GUIDES, COFFEE TABLE BOOKS & MORE...
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My home is littered with vinyl records, a few CDs and (yup) stacks of books. (Plus, no fewer than three pug beds.) My CAT HEAD store is similar. Except everything at the store is for sale! Shop today in-person or at https://www.cathead.biz/books-art. Here's just a tiny sample of the awesomeness we got...
     
  
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THANKS FOR READING! AND THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS OF CAT HEAD. TO CALL IT AN ADVENTURE WOULD ONLY BE THE HALF OF IT. ALL Y'ALL ARE THE OTHER HALF. #yourock
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Hope to see y'all soon in-person with a big Clarksdale smile on your face, Roger
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