{"id":158983,"date":"2026-05-13T12:04:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=158983"},"modified":"2026-05-13T12:05:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:05:15","slug":"the-second-annual-son-house-tribute-festival-returns-to-clarksdale-mississippi-from-may-28-2026-to-may-30-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/the-second-annual-son-house-tribute-festival-returns-to-clarksdale-mississippi-from-may-28-2026-to-may-30-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The Second Annual Son House Tribute Festival returns to Clarksdale, Mississippi from May 28, 2026 to May 30, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Born in the <strong>Clarksdale<\/strong> area in 1903, <strong>Son House<\/strong> was a Delta blues legend whose influence still shapes music today. He mentored icons like <strong>Muddy Waters<\/strong> and <strong>Robert Johnson<\/strong>, and his sound can be heard in artists such as <strong>Bonnie Raitt<\/strong>, <strong>Jack White<\/strong>, and <strong>Taj Mahal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner-1024x576.webp?resize=640%2C360&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158991\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.7780964330525184;width:738px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?resize=2048%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SonHouseBanner.webp?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>House was recorded by <strong>Alan Lomax<\/strong> and <strong>Paramount Records<\/strong> in the 1930s. He was a complicated man with a complicated life, torn between the life of a preacher and the life of an alcoholic musician who spent time in jail for murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After stepping away from music in the 1940s, Son House was rediscovered in 1964, leading to a powerful late-career revival. That story is captured in the documentary <strong><em>Two Trains Runnin&#8217;<\/em><\/strong>, which will return to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonhousetributefestival.com\/page\">this year\u2019s festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s lineup celebrates both legacy and the future of the blues, featuring:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jontavious Willis<\/strong> is a Grammy-nominated blues artist from rural Georgia, whose music is deeply rooted in tradition while bringing a fresh, modern energy to the genre.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Erin Harpe<\/strong> is an award-winning blues artist, educator, and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston. Deeply influenced by legends like Mississippi John Hurt, her fingerstyle guitar work blends traditional country blues with a modern, soulful feel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Jontavious-Willis.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"831\" data-id=\"158985\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Jontavious-Willis-789x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C831&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Jontavious-Willis.jpg?resize=789%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 789w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Jontavious-Willis.jpg?resize=231%2C300&amp;ssl=1 231w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Jontavious-Willis.jpg?resize=768%2C997&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Jontavious-Willis.jpg?w=1139&amp;ssl=1 1139w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/artist-erin-harpe-and-the-delta-swingers.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"334\" data-id=\"158986\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/artist-erin-harpe-and-the-delta-swingers-1024x534.jpg?resize=640%2C334&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/artist-erin-harpe-and-the-delta-swingers.jpg?resize=1024%2C534&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/artist-erin-harpe-and-the-delta-swingers.jpg?resize=300%2C157&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/artist-erin-harpe-and-the-delta-swingers.jpg?resize=768%2C401&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/artist-erin-harpe-and-the-delta-swingers.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Angel \u201cCash\u201d Ocasio<\/strong>, Jr., a standout from the Macon, Georgia music scene, is the founder and driving force behind <strong>Cash\u2019s Juke Joint.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cash-Juke-Joint-1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cash-Juke-Joint-1.jpg?resize=640%2C641&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158990\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9989594172736732;width:640px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cash-Juke-Joint-1.jpg?w=959&amp;ssl=1 959w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cash-Juke-Joint-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cash-Juke-Joint-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cash-Juke-Joint-1.jpg?resize=768%2C769&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Watermelon Slim<\/strong> (Bill Homans) is known for his raw, powerful blues and unmistakable voice. Blending slide guitar, gritty harmonica, and deeply personal storytelling, his music captures the spirit of workingman blues like few others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deak Harp<\/strong> has been playing harmonica since the age of 12, inspired by blues legend James Cotton. After following Cotton\u2019s band along the East Coast, Deak joined the James Cotton Blues Band, touring for six years and sharing the stage with the \u201cSuperharp\u201d himself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Watermelon-Slim.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" data-id=\"158988\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Watermelon-Slim.jpg?resize=600%2C338&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Watermelon-Slim.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Watermelon-Slim.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" data-id=\"158989\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp-768x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C853&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Deak-Harp.jpg?w=1280 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these artists represent the next generation of blues while staying deeply rooted in the tradition Son House helped define.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The festival will also highlight incredible local Delta talent, with more artists to be announced soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Schedule<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thursday, May 28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3 pm:\u00a0 Live performances by Bear Ryan, Ray Cashman, Lucious Spiller, Chris Mullins, Kwan Kash, and some more great local legends! TBA!<br>Location: The Blue Room (216 3rd St.) \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <br>Admission: $10<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Friday, May 29<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3 pm: <em>Two Trains Runnin\u2019 <\/em> documentary screening, Son House performance screening, and panel discussion. Location: The Blue Room (216 3rd St.) <br>FREE.<br>7 pm: Live performance by Cash\u2019s Juke Joint,\u00a0 Deak Harp, and Watermelon Slim<br>Location: Hambone Art Gallery (111 E 2nd St.) <br>Admission $20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saturday, May 30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8 pm: Live performance by Jontavious Willis and Erin Harpe<br>Location: The Holy Moly (218 3rd St.) <br>Admission $25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Born in the Clarksdale area in 1903, Son House was a Delta blues legend whose influence still shapes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":158984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20919,6539,3220,4934,25295,321,17316,52,16469],"tags":[2460,34682,27786,34683,3470,15088,34681,34678,34680,4001,34679,1962,5819,14437,11525,6332],"class_list":["post-158983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blues","category-current-events","category-delta-2","category-events","category-festivals","category-localfestivals","category-mississippi","category-music-shows","category-state-news","tag-alan-lomax","tag-angel-cash-ocasio","tag-bonnie-raitt","tag-cashs-juke-joint","tag-clarksdale","tag-deak-harp","tag-erin-harpe","tag-jack-white","tag-jontavious-willis","tag-muddy-waters","tag-paramount-records","tag-robert-johnson","tag-son-house","tag-taj-mahal","tag-two-trains-runnin","tag-watermelon-slim"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Son-House-Fest-2026-feature.jpg?fit=1024%2C559&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158983"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":158993,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158983\/revisions\/158993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}