Jessie Mae Hemphill Funeral Arrangements

Hello everyone

We finally have the arrangements for Jessie made, with a viewing and funeral this weekend, July 29th and 30th in Senatobia MS.

Viewing and Reflections 5-8pm
Sat. July 29
Felix Cauthen Funeral Home
13653 Hwy 4 West
Senatobia MS 38668
662 562 4773

Service for Jessie Mae Hemphill at 2pm
Sun. July 30
Church of Christ
401. West Gilmore St.
Senatobia

There is a real need to raise money to pay for the expense of the funeral, burial, and tombstone. We are in the process of setting up a bank account to accept funds and I will send out another email later today with that information. This information will also be available at www.jmhemphill.org

If you can make a contribution, please email me back with the pledge amount so that we can keep track of where we are.

Jessie Mae is truly blessed to have many friends out there who love her and are fans of her music. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your love and respect for Miss Jessie Mae.

Jessie Mae Hemphill Passes, July 22

Yesterday, I played at the farmers market in Memphis. When I finished, I noticed I had four missed calls form a strange number. When I tried to return the calls, I got the recording that the number was not a working number. It dawned on me that I need to call the hospital. When I did, they told me Jessie was in critical condition and that I could see her but only for the next 20 minutes. I went to the hospital and sat with her for the remainder of visiting time. She was worse than the day before and I new she would not make it through the night. I prayed with her, sang to her and told her how glad I was to have been able to know her and share many a times with her...how much I would miss her, but that I knew she was looking forward to going home...to being with her family again, who she had been missing terribly for so long.

Jessie Mae Hemphill passed away yesterday evening, sometime around 7pm. I am so happy that she is at peace now, but so sad cause I will miss her. She knows as do I, that she will always be with me...with us...in our hearts.

Jessie Mae Hemphill Hospitalized

Jessie Mae was addmited to The Med hospital in Memphis and is in the critical care unit. I went by to see her this morning and she was unconscious and in "guarded" condition. The nurses would not divulge any further information to me about what had happned (as I am not a relative), but, it looked pretty grave to me. I tried to talk to her but she was unrepsonsive. She is hooked up to a bunch of machines and I do fear the worst.

If you are a fan or friend of Jessie Mae, please send her your well wishes and prayers.

The Med Hospital
Critical Care Waiting Room:
Jessie Mae Brooks
877 Jefferson
Memphis, TN 38103

North MS Hillcountry Picnic July 3rd

So, we are STILL rather slow around here, after Monday. What was that all about, you ask? Oh, just a little throwdown Kenny Brown and Miss Sarah organzied in Potts Camp, MS that involved a virtual who's who of north MS music and the little scene we got going on up here. First of all, it was HOT AS HELL LITERALLY LIKE I AM NOT KIDDING HOT swealtering heat, oh Lordy. Mix in beer, water, BBQ and gatorade and it's the makings of something serious. I shot film for the first time in 2 years cause I knew most of the folks there, and knew they would not have a problem with my camera in their face taking pictures. I forgot how much I enjoy that! And I got some great, great pics that will definately go down in history for us (now, I need to save up the moolah to print 'em up! well, 5 rolls of black and white is 'spensive).

But anyhow, here's who played (and I know I'm forgetting...)

John Barnett, Lil Joe Ayers, Rev John Wilkins,Rising Star Fife & Drum Band, Bobby Rush, Carey Hudson, Jocco Rushing & the Heatseekers, Robert Belfour, T Model Ford, Burnside Exploration, Cody DIckinson, David Kimbrough, Jimbo Mathus & Knockdown South, Olga, Luther Dickinson,Duwayne Burnside & the Mississippi Mafia Kenny Brown & Hill Country Jam
Fireworks,

Melvin and Cody Burnside provided security, and I learned in the process they were both bounty hunters! Cedric had bought his young kids with him, which was nice to meet them at last. Jim Dees was the emcee for the day/night and Amos and Colter Harvey, Lynn Drury, Necha Dickinson, Amelda Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, John Beifuss, Tom Speed, Bill Steeber and a slew of other characters were in the mix. To tell the truth, this was one of those events where maybe we could've benefitted from "Hello my name is..." tags....NAH!

I ate a bunch of rib tips that were to die for, made by a local father-son team from Bedford, MS. We did miss a few friends who could not attend, but most importantly, the spirit of the late great RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough were definately felt that night. Heck, Mr Belfour hung out till way after late, he was clearly having a ball. Somewhere along the line, I lost the bug spray, so my feet itch from skeet bites...(sigh)...well, the white lightnin' helped make me forget about that, though! Actually, it's probably what made me not feel the bites happening in the first place...

The great thing is, the event will most likely happen again next year. It will most definately be the same line-up with maybe a few additonal MS musicians, but they want it to be a real north MS thing. As Amos said, "Well, it's about time! What took so long??"