Ground Zero Blues Club


Ground Zero is a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman, attorney Bill Luckett, and Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall. It got its name from the fact that Clarksdale has been historically referred to as "Ground Zero" for the blues. It opened in May 2001 and is located near the Delta Blues Museum. In the style of juke joints, it is in a repurposed, un-remodeled building, vacant for 30 years, that had housed the wholesale Delta Grocery and Cotton Co. There is no decor, mismatched chairs, Christmas-tree lights, and graffiti everywhere. Blues fans in Clarksdale welcomed it as a place where local musicians have a chance to work regularly.
The menu consists of traditional Southern foods, and the restaurant has live blues music playing Wednesday through Saturday. Super Chikan and Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry, not to be confused with the deceased Bill Perry, are two of the most frequent and well-known performers. In addition to the food and music, there are seven upstairs apartments that can be rented out to customers who would like to live the blues experience 24 hours a day.
Ground Zero has appeared in many television shows and publications, including:
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