Mississippi Blues Commission receives check for $10,000

Dr. Luther Brown, director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, was on stage with the King of the Blues, B. B. King, on Tuesday, August 21, when representatives of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Mississippi Blues Marathon presented members of the Mississippi Blues Commission with a check for $10,000 to be used by the Benevolence Committee in support of ailing Bluesmen and women.  Brown has been a member of the Blues Commission since its founding by Governor Ronnie Musgrove and is a member of the Benevolence Committee.  The presentation preceded the unveiling of the 159th stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail, in Kilmichael where B. B. King spent much of his early youth.  The Mississippi Blues Trail now has stops across the State, in several other states, and one stop in Europe.  More stops are planned, telling the stories of the Blues and drawing visitors to Mississippi.  PHOTO:  From left, Blues Commissioner and Senator Willie Simmons, Blues Commissioner Luther Brown, The King of the Blues B. B. King, Chris Chapman of the Mississippi Development Authority, Tony Huffman of the BCBS Blues Marathon, Blues Commissioner and Chair of the Benevolence Committee Dr. Edgar Smith, John Noble of the BCBS Blues Marathon, and Alex Thomas, Mississippi Tourism Authority.  Photo by Lee Aylward