Famed blues label will be the focus of multimedia project funded by Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area
Next year, Delta Blues Museum will produce a new traveling exhibit and interactive web feature, “Crowing About the Blues: The Return of Rooster Blues Records.” The project is being funded by an FY26 grant received from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA).
“The Return of Rooster Blues Records” will explore the impact the famed record label had on the blues scene in Chicago as well as Clarksdale, Mississippi. The Rooster label was founded in Chicago by Jim O’Neal and Amy van Singel–founders of Living Blues magazine)–along with Mick and Cilla Huggins before being relocated to Clarksdale in 1988.
In the new exhibit, the Museum will work with founder Jim O’Neal to tell the story of the label and the musicians it recorded. The project will also feature an interactive Explore and Learn educational program as well as a student lesson plan and teachers’ workshop led by veteran educator and University of Mississippi Training Specialist, Jennifer Lynn Ringo.
Expanding educational programming is a priority for Museum Director Shelley Ritter, who hopes the exhibit and interactive feature will be of interest to other interpretive centers and to educators.
“Support from MDNHA allows us to preserve blues history and share it in person, online, and in the classroom,” Ritter offers. “The Museum’s educational aim is to provide blues fans and those curious about blues history and heritage with a myriad of ways to learn more about this important art form.”
Additionally, all of Delta Blues Museum’s online programming is free to the public–user donations are suggested and appreciated. Online access is available at https://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/explore-learn.aspx
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