JACKSON - A bill to create a blues commission to market Mississippi as a tourist destination and preserve its blues heritage has strong support in the Senate.
Nearly every member of the chamber has signed the legislation filed by Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood.
The commission's members would include lawmakers and representatives from various agencies, including the Department of Archives and History. Members wouldn't be paid for their services.
Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove signed an executive order last year creating a blues commission. However, Jordan said the commission's creation through legislation adds "to its legitimacy."
"You put it in a position so when grants come available, you'll be able to get resources. That's what this does," said Jordan, D-Greenwood.
If the bill is adopted, the commission would be required to report to the governor and Legislature by Jan. 1, 2005, on the best method to market and foster the appreciation of the blues. The commission also would be required to establish a structured tour of blues sites.
Blues music originated on Delta plantations, where slaves labored in cotton fields long days under the hot sun, Jordan said.
"The significant thing about it is that the art really is ours. It was created because of certain adverse conditions," Jordan said.
Jordan said attracting tourists to the Delta could only improve the economy in one of the nation's poorest regions. Louisiana and Alabama have similar organizations, he said.
"Frankly, I've wondered why Mississippi hasn't done it before," said Jan Ramsey, publisher of OffBeat, a magazine that focuses on musicians in New Orleans and Louisiana.
"We have subscribers all over the world. To me, that's evidence that there is real interest in music," Ramsey said. "That's something we're trying to capitalize on."
The city of New Orleans has a music office that sponsors festivals, Ramsey said.
Mississippi is the home of such blues pioneers as John Lee Hooker of Clarksdale, Son House from Coahoma County, Muddy Waters from Rolling Fork and Howlin' Wolf from West Point.
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