memphis jug baimi - Planungsbüro Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Wirz

Memphis Minnie Steve LaVere
Memphis Minnie laid to rest Photo courtesy Steve LaVere
I had been there before. I was there around 6 o’clock to take the photograph shown
here, so I knew about where I was. As I sat down next to Furry Lewis, I was soberly
unaware that the two of us were the entire representation of the Memphis Music community.
Not even Mrs. Van Hunt, who claimed to have known her so well and only lived
a few blocks from the church where the services were held, was there. And of course, no
record company people were there; that could have been expected . . . but it won’ t be
forgotten. Neither will Memphis Minnie — she died on August 6th, 1973 in Memphis,
Tennessee and it was an honour to be among the crowd of people who thought enough of
the most popular female country blues singer of all time to attend her last rites.
The brief services were held on August 9th at 8 o’ clock in the evening at the Mt.
Vernon Baptist Church, the Rev. J. L. Netters officiating. A small choir sang a few
familiar old hymns and Rev. Netters spoke emotionally of the misery and suffering she
withstood the last thirteen years of her life; and of the first sixty-four for which she will
be remembered.
Minnie Douglas was born on June 3rd, 18% in Algiers, Louisiana, the eldest of
thirteen children, whose parents nicknamed her ‘ Kid’ because she was such a frisky
youngster. The family moved to Walls, Mississippi, just fifteen miles south of Memphis,
when she was seven years old, and eventually to Memphis.
Her father bought her a banjo when she was still quite young and within two weeks
she was playing for neighbourhood parties. By the time she was fifteen, she had purchased
a guitar and was entertaining on Memphis street corners and in Handy Park.
People were beginning to know who Kid Douglas was.
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