The Incomparable Smokie Norful
Pine Bluff native Smokie Norful is a world-renowned recording artist, musician, composer, pastor, and entrepreneur who has launched the...
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May 224 min read
Leroy Alfred Johnston
Pine Bluff native and World War I veteran, Leroy Alfred Johnston, was a member of the Harlem Hell Fighters military band that introduced...
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May 152 min read
Queen Sylvia Embry
Hailing from Arkansas, Queen Sylvia Embry was among Chicago’s few professional female blues singers and bass players, recording albums,...
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May 85 min read
Bobby Rush
With over six decades in the music industry, racking up awards and playing alongside greats like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Etta James,...
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May 13 min read
Carl McVoy, Jerry Lee Lewis, & Boogie-Woogie Music
Pine Bluff resident Carl McVoy, a rockabilly musician, was instrumental in introducing his younger cousin Jerry Lee Lewis to the...
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Apr 243 min read
Bootlegging in Pine Bluff
During Prohibition, bootlegging was popular along Pine Bluff’s bayou. Many poor African Americans were arrested on bootlegging charges...
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Apr 174 min read
William Froug
Arkansas native, William Froug, spent his life cultivating his two passions, producing popular television series like The Twilight Zone,...
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Apr 103 min read
James “Taildragger” Jones
After decades spent performing the Blues, James “Tail Dragger” Jones is best remembered for his magnetic performances and his decorated...
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Mar 273 min read
Edward H. Wilson & Harlem’s Hotel Olga
Pine Bluff native, Edward H. Wilson opened the Hotel Olga in Harlem in 1920. From the 1920s and 30s, Hotel Olga became the unofficial...
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Mar 134 min read
Richard Berry Harrison
Richard Berry Harrison was an actor and teacher of the dramatic arts and elocution at several colleges including Branch Normal College,...
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Mar 63 min read
George W. Thomas & Boogie-Woogie Music
George W. Thomas was the first to publish boogie-woogie songs, which were key in the development of Country Music, Rhythm and Blues, and...
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Feb 145 min read
Miles Davis and his Jefferson County Roots
Miles Davis, one of the most influential musicians in the development of jazz music, got his early love for music while spending time at...
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Feb 75 min read
John Brown’s Allies & the Battle of Pine Bluff
John Brown, an abolitionist, led the American abolitionist movement in the years preceding the Civil War. Among his allies were August...
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Feb 14 min read
Sam Cooke & the Launch of his Career in Pine Bluff
Legendary soul artist Sam Cooke got his start performing with the Soul Stirrers in Pine Bluff. Image Credit: www.Biography.com Samuel...
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Jan 243 min read
Joseph Merrill
Joseph Merrill was a successful businessman and philanthropist who aided in the creation of Merrill School, one of Pine Bluff’s early...
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Dec 13, 20232 min read
Shop Local. Eat Local. Spend Local. Enjoy Local.
With the holidays quickly approaching you might want to look around town for some one-of-a-kind gifts. Shopping locally is a great way to...
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Dec 6, 20233 min read
Pine Bluff’s Connection to Rosa Parks Day
In 1944, an incident on a Missouri Pacific bus in Pine Bluff would preview the actions of Rosa Parks that served as a catalyst for the...
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Nov 29, 20232 min read
Pine Bluff High School’s Winning Football Legacy
The Pine Bluff High School Fighting Zebras boast one of the richest history of high school football state championship wins in Arkansas...
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Nov 22, 20232 min read
Happy Thanksgiving!
We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with memories of a wonderful time spent with family and friends as you find ways to express your...
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Nov 15, 20233 min read
Julius Rosenwald & Arkansas AM&N College
Julius Rosenwald designed the Rosenwald Fund to create more equitable opportunities for African Americans in the South. The Fund...
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