The Mississippi Juke Joint Keeping the Blues Alive

Robert “Bilbo” Walker has been playing blues music for over 60 years. Hailing from the same area of the Mississippi Delta as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, B.B. King and others, Walker has become a legend of the genre in his own right. And for the past seven years, he’s been working on opening his own live music venue, known locally as a “juke joint.” Juke joints-or quasi-legal drinking establishments with live music-are a relic of blues music that were popular until about 50 years ago. Today, they’re nearly extinct. But Walker just celebrated the grand opening of Wonderlight City-a classic-style juke joint located in a remote rural area 20 miles from Clarksdale, Mississippi. With nothing but fields surrounding the establishment, this is one venue you’ll really have to go out of your way to find. But when you happen upon it, you’re in for a real treat.
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[@edrickjeffersonsej1395]

I miss him dearly, I’ll do my best to keep my uncles legacy alive

[@waxman9550]

Damn man please do - make sure your playing that Fiddle homie.

[@pbmartinfencing]

It’s very important you keep his memory alive

[@RRL110]

Is this place still there? Doing a blues highway trip in the fall.

[@carlospayan5638]

I love the Blues and I wish I could visit an original Juke Joint in Mississippi, to feel the soul of the Blues.

[@carterwilliamson8504]

Sad that most people don't enjoy the blues and jazz anymore... would love to hear some soul

[@Mikey-sd1cp]

im just here waiting for the 2060s so i can see jazz make a comeback

[@faggotsmoker9588]

For similar reasons that monochrome movies and bit-games are out of business. Get over it already. Doesn't make you any better.

[@carlospayan5638]

I agree. Those new generations don’t understand that all modern music came from the Blues. That beautiful music with a lot of soul and passion influence rock n roll, country, heavy metal, disco, pop, even house music. The Blues is the father of all modern music.

[@Gabe-1997]

@@carlospayan5638 Blues will never die out so long as there are people taking up instruments, it's just too foundational to too many styles as well as paramount in its own right. With that being said, I don't think it'll have much reach beyond musicians studying the roots of their music, but that still means blues will be alive in some capacity. This is hard for me to accept as a young guy in my 20s with a passionate love of this incredible music but I have no interest in kidding myself

[@carlospayan5638]

@@Gabe-1997 I’m glad to find a youngster that likes the Blues, you can be one of the less, that I have heard. How can a tree grow without it’s roots? Every plate is different but we still have to eat with a fork or a spoon. That’s how music works, if it has the blues it will sound good.

[@drewbeasley6453]

As a Mississippian, it's a really awesome thing to see a great story come out of my state. There's a lot of bad shit here and that's usually what the media covers, so I love seeing videos like this. Really makes me proud of where I come from.

[@ShinyFlakesShinyFlakes]

Cool what part of MS?

[@1776dawg]

L Jackson, born & raised

[@agrippa.the.cosmonaut-wiz]

Shit. Rest in the sweet blues, Bilbo. Your music will live on in many souls.

[@wallywutsizface6346]

The Blues and people like him are some of the few things I'm proud of my state for.

[@MENFUSSMIKE]

The last time i saw Bilbo play was at WONDERLIGHT...about six months before he left us. He told me about his dreams he had for it. I Drove by WONDERLIGHT a couple weeks ago. I sat still on that dirt road and LISTENED...Soul of THE Man

[@noahhenderson3164]

Keeping up music that feels/is significant to the area and culture. Not to mention full of originality, love for the music, and meaning. Great music dude; keep it up.

[@gavinodorito]

Beautiful story & beautiful music.

[@shannonmcdowell336]

I seek out these joints like a sailor whos been at sea for six months and gets shore leave in Singapore. Rush street in Chicago is a favorite of mine. Met Buddy Guy before he was really famous. That Chicago blues scene ia my favorite. These joints here are too hard to find!

[@kittyroselevine2992]

it's an hour or so away from me ! I should go !! 😄😄😄😄😄

[@samahita-vca]

You definitely should! I wanna go there at least for one night but the only thing keeps me not doing it is the distance.

[@SandeepSharmakhatiwada]

I have been at Red's and seen Bilbo Walker!

[@bmjv77]

People always make fun of Mississippi, but without Mississippi, most music today wouldn't exist.

[@sehgalsuneet88]

Long live Blues!

[@saralechin]

This is real music.

[@FirstLast-cf4mi]

Only Clapton plays the blues properly.

[@Conundroy]

Sara Johansson *Insert EDM fanboy's tantrum*

[@legoblockbrecher]

Sara Johansson i am not a Pop Fan either but it is also music an just because you dont like it doesn't mean there is something wrong with it.

[@saralechin]

Lego BlockBrecher Did I say anything about pop music???

[@saralechin]

jody soebagyo you're right. we're all just an illusion and dust in space

[@fatimaisra9143]

If only people still liked the blues

[@AlexanderBeaton6]

I feel like the blues is too real for people to listen to on a daily basis its so relatable to all of us that it feels better for a lot of people to not appreciate their day to day music genuinely and just enjoy whatevers popular or most nostalgic to them in a light hearted way, i know theres light hearted blues tunes but the genre tends to be so vibrant with emption that its too much for people to handle on a regular basis

[@noahhenderson3164]

"I want to it be something people remember me for." Legacy! What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see...

[@kaoru9888]

Deserves more than a Squier

[@curtbrooks7495]

Great Guy

[@andrewclark2984]

This is why I love my state

[@Conundroy]

*Bilbo Baggins*

[@aidanjames1787]

Saw em in Chicago.

[@cphoover11]

RIP Bilbo

[@Kafoomf]

Rest in the Promise land Brotha ...

[@jwbryaniv]

Oh that show tour, ending in Little Rock at The White Water Tavern, October 22, 2016, with RL Boyce, Leo Bud Welch and Lightnin Malcom-Vince Varnodo dealing with a clogged RV toilet and trying to keep the performers from murdering each other (Bud was packing)-topped only by Carla Robinson’s bass backing Bilbo’s ridiculously out-of-tune Squier Strat, in a key known only to him. Pictures, but alas no sound to document the evening…

[@hiltonmagic7645]

Could of sworn this was the dude from Adventures in Babysitting lol

[@LloydMajor]

Real cool! Can any of this footage be used for my "KZbin VIDEO"? I will give you credit.

[@smaklilu90]

he kinda looks like chuck Berry lol

[@devilsboxcar3925]

Is this place still open and running? Thanks

[@thecarperdiem4766]

The country is where blacks and whites get along in harmony! People know their neighbors and depend on them. That's why in the city there's so much division.

[@Cobbmtngirl]

I searched for it on google maps & the only thing that comes up is Bilbo’s pizza. Hoped it was still on business…

[@gabrielnogoy]

Get this man a Gibson 335 or a fender strat instead of a squier

[@gabrielnogoy]

I'm just sayin he deserves better

[@TribalmonkeyS]

None of these hill country blues guys had or needed expensive guitars. Don’t listen with your eyes .

[@gregvangaasbeek813]

My squire is my favorite guitar. Just saying.

[@buddyvibe9043]

just proves that 90% of the sound is in the fingers and not the guitar

[@labinthapa5957]

... meanwhile the likes of Justin Beiber, Katy Perry etc who doesn't know who wrote their lyrics or composed their music are making millions. Life aint always fair.

[@lily-js9pc]

Labin Thapa that is sadly true.

[@metalram9527]

Labin Thapa In my opinion, you should really just listen to what you like. If it's good and popular, good for them. But if it's bad but still popular just leave it be. Just support what you like.

[@xXLoonoeXx]

Katy Perry actually writes/cowrites most of her songs though.

[@accountunactive8904]

Grease Fire but how do you know for sure😨😨😨

[@xXLoonoeXx]

How do you know for sure she doesn't? Believe it or not, she's actually a pretty good musician.

[@felixy6223]

FIRST Of course no one cares, but lovely video anyway!! (I love the Blues style of music)

[@franklee2683]

lol

[@danmillward3480]

Lol one black person dancing...while all the others gawping....that's not a juke joint cos it ain't craker lacking

[@Yahootie]

Calling yourself a legend doesn't make you a legend.

[@benlogan430]

Unless you’re a legend. I once meet an older dude at a open mic who handed out cards that said rock legend. The whole bar was laughing at him.I went home and did some research are he had a huge record and toured with Christopher Cross in the 70’s. Maybe not a legend but respect was definitely deserved.

[@brianmorrison4330]

Dude, you can only build them up when they have the talent. That guy is awful.

[@barrymccockner3683]

Idk who he is and how are the blues even good, it's just a boring genre...

[@babyboomer2670]

Sergio Buryy Of course you wouldn't be interested. you still have a 12 year olds mentality; especially if you still watch H20 delirious...

[@SummonXD]

Sergio Buryy lol so ignorant without that "boring genre" u talking about there wouldn't be one of those shitty music today

[@blythtism]

Sergio Buryy well the music we have now is just crap. Blues are a fun and sad genre so shut up

[@kylem1112]

Sergio Buryy do you know how many modern music generas today are stemmed from the blues?

[@joeycovington4681]

Sorry, no drum machine. Try some corporate radio. That should work for you.