Sam Myers — Jackson, Mississippi

Sam Myers was born on February 19, 1936, in Laurel, Mississippi, and grew up in Jackson, becoming one of the finest harmonica players and blues vocalists to emerge from the state. He was blind from childhood and learned music through church and radio. His partnership with guitarist Anson Funderburgh in the Dallas-based Rockets produced some of the most accomplished Texas-Mississippi blues crossover recordings of the 1980s and 1990s — their Rounder Records albums are considered modern blues classics. Myers's warm, deep baritone and his harmonica virtuosity made him a favourite on the festival circuit.

Myers had deep roots in the Jackson blues scene and knew many of the city's significant musical figures. Jackson was a quieter blues centre than Clarksdale or the Delta proper but had its own vibrant tradition — the Farish Street neighbourhood was the heart of Black cultural life and music in the capital city. Myers's career represented the continuing vitality of Mississippi blues in an era when it had been largely displaced to the festival circuit and specialty record market.

Jackson is the state capital of Mississippi and its largest city. The Farish Street Historic District, which contains the sites of former Black theatres, clubs, and businesses from the Jim Crow era, is being redeveloped. The Mississippi Blues Trail has markers in Jackson acknowledging the city's musical heritage. Sam Myers died in Dallas, Texas, in 2004.