This stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail marks the birthplace of Jimmie Lunceford, a great American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the Swing Era. Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton. The 53-acre farm was owned by his parents, James and Idella. Seven months after James Melvin was born, the family moved to Oklahoma City. Lunceford went on to form the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, which recorded such famous songs as “Rhythm is Our Business,” “Wham(ReBop-Boom-Bam),” and “Uptown Blues.” They also performed at the Harlem nightclub and The Cotton Club. Jimmie died at the age of 45 in Seaside, Oregon before a slated performance at The Bungalow Dance Hall.
This stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail marks the birthplace of Jimmie Lunceford, a great American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the Swing Era. Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton. The 53-acre farm was owned by his parents, James and Idella. Seven months after James Melvin was born, the family moved to Oklahoma City. Lunceford went on to form the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, which recorded such famous songs as “Rhythm is Our Business,” “Wham(ReBop-Boom-Bam),” and “Uptown Blues.” They also performed at the Harlem nightclub and The Cotton Club. Jimmie died at the age of 45 in Seaside, Oregon before a slated performance at The Bungalow Dance Hall.