Washtub bass in apartment

This project is completed! Will Shade now has a gravestone, and we hope we've brought him some new recognition as well. You can visit our Events page to see what we've done.

Will Shade

Shelby County Cemetery opened as a pauper's cemetery in October, 1965, and Will Shade was buried in the oldest section when he died in September, 1966. [view map]

Earl McDonald

A generation older than Will Shade, it was Earl McDonald's Louisville groups that inspired him to start the Memphis Jug Band. The National Jug Band Jubilee raised the money to buy him a gravestone in 2009. [view map]

Gus Cannon

A friendly competitor of the Memphis Jug Band, Gus Cannon admired Will Shade and recorded with him several times in the 1960's. Del Goldfarb located his grave on Highway 51, a short drive south of Graceland, and organized a concert to raise funds for a new gravestone. [view map]

Furry Lewis

Another longtime friend, Furry Lewis was part of the Memphis Jug Band for a time, and, like Will Shade, lived near Beale Street for the rest of his life. [view map]

Memphis Minnie

Although her career took her to Chicago and much greater fame, Memphis Minnie played with the Memphis Jug Band, and even married Will Weldon, one of its early members. She is buried among cotton fields a couple hours south of Memphis. [view map]

Noah Lewis

Harmonica player Noah Lewis's burial location is unknown, but you can still visit the relics of the Menglewood box factory that he immortalized in his "Minglewood Blues" series of songs. If you go, watch out for poison oak! [view map]

Sleepy John Estes

Singer and guitarist Sleepy John Estes had his own jug band, the Three J's, along with Yank Rachell on mandolin and Jab Jones (who provided two of the band's three J's) on jug. His cabin has been moved to an improbable location just off Interstate 40, behind the Dairy Queen. [view map]

Mississippi John Hurt

John Hurt had no direct relationship with Will Shade, but the Jim Kweskin Jug Band recorded a version of his "Richland Woman Blues." He is buried in a family cemetery in the beautiful hill country of northern Mississippi, and the intimate Mississippi John Hurt Museum is well worth the trip. [view map]

Have you visited other blues gravesites? If you can create a Google map with location markers like the ones above, send us the link and we'll post it here!