Nashville based bluegrass band, Tennessee Warblers, will release their version of “Louis Collins” on all streaming platforms to commemorate Mississippi John Hurt’s birthday on March 8th. Mississippi John Hurt’s mournfully beautiful murder ballad, “Louis Collins,” has long been a John Beck (Vocals & Mandolin) staple in the band's set.
First recorded in 1928, the tune has become one of Hurt’s most popular and enduring numbers. The Tennessee Warblers cut their version during sessions for their album Small Town Songs, with plans to release it as a single on John Hurt’s birthday, March 8th.
In 2012, Adam Dalton (Guitar) went on a road trip with photographer, Michael Rooney, to trace the Mississippi Blues Trail. They recently regrouped to pore over the images in search of one to represent Louis’ grave to which the “angels laid him away.” Unfortunately, not long after they settled on the photograph did they receive news that Mississippi John Hurt's home and museum in Avalon, MS had burned down.
Overseen by his granddaughter, Mary, the cabin home had long been a destination for fans and students of John Hurt’s music. The Tennessee Warblers urge folks to donate to the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation so that they may rebuild a museum celebrating John Hurt’s kind presence, songs and one of a kind guitar style that continues to entertain and inspire all these years later.
DONATE TO MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT FOUNDATION:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mississippi-john-hurts-legacy-will-rise
