Name a Clarksdale street — vote for a bluesman
Name the street
Nine candidates, one street. One dollar, one point. Voting closes 30 November 2026.
Issaquena Avenue is getting a second name. Nine people are on the ballot, all of them born in Clarksdale, raised in Clarksdale, or bound to it by a decisive moment. Voting is by payment: pay what you want, from $1 to $50, and every dollar is one point.
Recorded at Stovall Farms in 1941, then electrified Chicago.
Bought his first instruments at Levine's, cut Rocket 88 at twenty.
Born on Seventh Street in 1931, and gone too soon.
Preacher turned bluesman, taught Muddy Waters the slide.
Clarksdale born and Clarksdale buried, one of the Jelly Roll Kings.
Born in the Delta, one foot and one chord, forever.
The Empress of the Blues died here in 1937.
The founder, from Dockery Farms up the road.
Heard the future at Tutwiler station and wrote it down.
Ballot
The candidates
- Son House — preacher turned bluesman, and the man who taught Muddy Waters the slide.
- Muddy Waters — recorded by Alan Lomax at Stovall Farms in 1941, then went north and plugged in.
- John Lee Hooker — born in the Delta, one stamping foot and one chord, forever.
- Charley Patton — the founder, from Dockery Farms a few miles up the road.
- Big Jack Johnson — Clarksdale born and Clarksdale buried, one of the Jelly Roll Kings.
- Sam Cooke — born on Seventh Street in 1931, and gone far too soon.
- Ike Turner — bought his first instruments at Levine's, cut « Rocket 88 » at twenty.
- Bessie Smith — the Empress of the Blues died here in 1937.
- W. C. Handy — heard the future at Tutwiler station and wrote it down.
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR BESSIE SMITH
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR BIG JACK JOHNSON
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR CHARLEY PATTON
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR IKE TURNER
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR JOHN LEE HOOKER
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR MUDDY WATERS
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR SAM COOKE
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR SON HOUSE
STREET RENAMING — VOTE FOR W. C. HANDY
Invented example. This vote is fictional, created to demonstrate be-BOP's leaderboard and pay-what-you-want features.
Name a Clarksdale street — vote for a bluesman
Name the street
Nine candidates, one street. One dollar, one point. Voting closes 30 November 2026.
Issaquena Avenue is getting a second name. Nine people are on the ballot, all of them born in Clarksdale, raised in Clarksdale, or bound to it by a decisive moment. Voting is by payment: pay what you want, from $1 to $50, and every dollar is one point.
Recorded at Stovall Farms in 1941, then electrified Chicago.
Bought his first instruments at Levine's, cut Rocket 88 at twenty.
Born on Seventh Street in 1931, and gone too soon.
Preacher turned bluesman, taught Muddy Waters the slide.
Clarksdale born and Clarksdale buried, one of the Jelly Roll Kings.
Born in the Delta, one foot and one chord, forever.
The Empress of the Blues died here in 1937.
The founder, from Dockery Farms up the road.
Heard the future at Tutwiler station and wrote it down.
Ballot
The candidates
- Son House — preacher turned bluesman, and the man who taught Muddy Waters the slide.
- Muddy Waters — recorded by Alan Lomax at Stovall Farms in 1941, then went north and plugged in.
- John Lee Hooker — born in the Delta, one stamping foot and one chord, forever.
- Charley Patton — the founder, from Dockery Farms a few miles up the road.
- Big Jack Johnson — Clarksdale born and Clarksdale buried, one of the Jelly Roll Kings.
- Sam Cooke — born on Seventh Street in 1931, and gone far too soon.
- Ike Turner — bought his first instruments at Levine's, cut « Rocket 88 » at twenty.
- Bessie Smith — the Empress of the Blues died here in 1937.
- W. C. Handy — heard the future at Tutwiler station and wrote it down.
Invented example. This vote is fictional, created to demonstrate be-BOP's leaderboard and pay-what-you-want features.