STATE OF TENNESSEE AND CITY OF BARTLETT TO KICK OFF BLACK MUSIC MONTH WITH UNVEILING OF “TENNESSEE MUSIC PATHWAYS” MARKER FOR BLUES SINGER KOKO TAYLOR
BARTLETT, Tenn. (May 20, 2022) - In commemoration of Black Music Month, the state of Tennessee and City of Bartlett will honor the “Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor with the installation of a Tennessee Music Pathways marker on Friday, June 3 at 10 AM at the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center. At the marker reveal, hear from local and state officials about the importance of this commemoration.
Koko Taylor was born Cora Walton on September 28, 1928 on a farm in Bartlett, TN. Her parents worked hard as sharecroppers. Koko, the youngest of six siblings, grew up listening to Memphis’s R&B and gospel station WDIA, where she was exposed to musicians like Bessie Smith, Big Maybelle, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf. In 1952, Koko Taylor and future husband Robert “Pops” Taylor moved to Chicago, where she was able to experience Chicago blues musicians in lounges on the South Side. After her first club appearance in 1961, Koko Taylor was signed to Chess Records where she recorded her radio hit “Wang Dang Doodle,” later a blues standard. Koko Taylor continued making music until her death in 2009, garnering 29 Blues Music Awards, 11 Grammy nominations, a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. Koko’s music influenced many prominent musicians like Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt.
ABOUT TENNESSEE MUSIC PATHWAYS
Launched by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development in 2018, Tennessee Music Pathways is an online planning guide that connects visitors to the state’s rich musical heritage at tnmusicpathways.com. From the largest cities to the smallest communities, Tennessee Music Pathways stretches across all 95 counties and features hundreds of landmarks from the seven genres of music that call Tennessee home.
The Koko Taylor Tennessee Music Pathways Marker Dedication will be held Friday, June 3 at 10 AM.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
