BLUES LEGENDS, JUKES, BLUES FESTIVALS.............And paintings by Blues Artist Helen Thomas!!!

Primarily PAINTINGS, PHOTOS and SKETCHES of BLUES RELATED SUBJECTS ...also dozens of other paintings which are in no way related to the BLUES, some available for purchase (or contact the ARTIST HELEN THOMAS for details concerning commissioned work).

LOVIN' THE BLUES
HOUSE PARTY LOS ANGELES
BLUES LEGENDS PORTRAITS
BLUES FESTIVALS
NEW ORLEANS
MARKETING VENUES
MISC PAINTINGS
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
ORIGINAL BLUES LYRICS
THE ARTISTS JOURNAL
PEGGY SUE'S CAFE
This page is work in progress. Hmmm(the whole site is a work in progress)!
 
                     
               You'll undoubtedly agree that a dance with Morgan Freeman does rate top of the page posting...???
                                                        Ground Zero Blues Club     Clarksdale, Mississippi
                                                                                 Juke Joint Festival 2005 (?) 
 
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                    Mississippi Delta festivals and Blues Clubs
                                            
 
  This is "Rat"(Mr. Ratcliff)...he's owned and operated this Riverside Hotel since it was converted from a hospital ...THE hospital in which the legendary Bessis Smith spent her final days after a being fatally injured in an automobile crash on a highway nearby. A few years ago one of my portraits of Bessie Smith was installed in the room which is named for her.
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        ...this is why the painting shown below hangs in MADIDI restaurant
        instead of here 
 
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       Cade with Howlin' Mad Bill Perry @ Ground Zero Blues Club
 
 
 
 
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     Harold Cagler at "The Blues Berry Cafe Super Chikan's Place"
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These next few were taken at The Blues Berry Cafe (Super Chikan's Place) on Yazoo Ave.
in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The kid in the black T is Micky, (not part of Harolds group, just wanted to play along...and he is very good!!!
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This is the day I met Harold, he was trying to get a new CD marketed
outa some of the places in Clarksdale...he wasn't having much luck and was feelin' pretty low. He had driven all night after working the day before and wasn't nobody interested. I didn't do very much to help him, but all I could.
 We became good friends and I even wrote a few songs for him to record. Well, actually I wrote a few lines of verse...I know nothing about writing songs.
 
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        This is the portrait that I painted for Harold to use as cover art...
 
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...for this CD   (the phone # is wrong by the way & shouldn't have been shown)
 
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It was open "mic" night, Harold was looking for harp man...I really must apologize, I've forgotten this guy's name.
 
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 Same place, same night. This is Joe Galicic, the one that was picked to play with Harold. (My guy "Tom" in frame far left, all in black).)
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Joe actually came back down to where harold lives and they made a new CD...Harold was planning to go to Maryland where Joe lives and do another (all original this time) but to my knowledge it hasn't happened.
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          I've also forgotten this players name...think it was Connie...?
 
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Van Durham here...he has a blues band of his own, and calls Clarksdale home.
 
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  This is "THE HOME MADE JAMZ BLUES BAND"...The Perry Kids!!!
                           ( I did a portrait of these kids too).
 
 
       Doing the "CAT HEAD MINI FESTIVAL" on Delta Ave. Clarksdale, Ms.
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This was after the International Competition in Memphis...had actually just returned from a gig in the VIRGIN ISLANDS...I believe it was. If I'm in error here I'll hear about it...
 
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          This was the first time that we saw these kids...THE GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB in                           Clarksdale,Ms. (Morgan Freeman's blues club 2004(?)
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Memphis, International Blues Competition...and the guitars presented to them by B.B. KING in person!!!
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      Really posted these all out of order...most have the dates on them though
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                     These are some VERY talanted kids!!!
         See them on myspace, too, of course and lotsa other sites
 
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           Clarksdale, Ms......a few of my friends (more captions later)
                                          
 
    I think that everyone in the world probably recognizes this fine man..............MORGAN FREEMAN
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 Christie... acting bartender in Madidi restaurant lounge...2008
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   This is Amber, when she was managing "Madidi Restaurant" I felt good about recommending that folks
go there for a wonderful dining experience...not so much since Amber is no longer there. It seemed to me that she was a great asset to the place.
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                    Waiting for breakfast at Sarah's Kitchen..."artist helen Thomas" and John of   jetcity blues
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...and my  favorite delta blues artist "Stan Street" in his Ham Bone Art Gallery  in Clarksdale, Ms. (2007)
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    Sarah and her son at Sarah's Kitchen taking time to stand for a photo with me...(2008)
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 Clarksdale's local "sportsmans " bar on Delta Ave. practically across the street from Ground Zero Blues Club
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                      Amber works her magic now at "Miss Del's General Store"  on Delta Ave.
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                                           This is my guy Tom and a friend,  with Amber and her guy in the background
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                                           This is Wendy (SOUTHERN EXPRESSIONS) and husband Jim...Thanks Wendy
                                           
 
                        T-Model Ford
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       Studio 61 Recording Studio on Delta Ave
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                          Super Chikan
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                     Home Made Jamz Blues Band
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