• The War brought triumph on the home front for the progressive impulse toward social conformity.  The states High Court upheld the compulsory vaccination of school children, partially justifying the intrusion into private and local affairs by citing the disruptive effect that lack of vaccination might have on the draft.  The federal government set up the National Council of Defense in May 1917 and it helped organize the Arkansas Council of Defense that consisted of 33 citizens appointed by Governor Brough.  Mostly middle-class businessmen, a few of whom were Republicans, the Council interested itself in everything from how a man's cow endangered the war effort through an unfortunate encounter with a train to the enactment of new vagrancy laws.  The Council denounced "loafers and idlers" and closed pool halls as a "menace to the morals of your men and productive of habits of idleness”.  The Council helped mobilize social pressure against slackers and set up a system to reward those who helped catch deserters.

Born: at Franklin County, AREntered Service in the US Army from Los Angeles, CAEarned The Medal of Honor During World War I For heroism September 28, 1918 at Gesnes, FranceDied: September 30, 1918

Major Miller earned the Medal of Honor for heroism near Gesnes, France. After two days of intense physical and mental strain, during which he had led his battalion in the front line of the advance through the forest of Argonne, the enemy was met in a prepared position south of Gesnes. Though almost exhausted, Major Miller energetically reorganized his battalion and ordered an attack. Upon reaching open ground the advancing line began to waver in the face of machinegun fire from the front and flanks and direct artillery fire. Personally leading his command forward between his front-line companies, Major Miller inspired his men by his personal courage, and they again pressed on toward the hostile position. As he led the renewed attack he was shot in the right leg, but he staggered forward at the head of his command. Soon afterwards he was again shot in the right arm, but he continued the charge, personally cheering his troops on through the heavy machinegun fire. Just before the objective was reached he received a wound in the abdomen, which forced him to the ground, but he continued to urge his men on, telling them to push on to the next ridge and leave him where he lay. He died from his wounds a few days later.

• Victrola Music on Cassette and CD Early 1900's Recordings

Source for authentic reproductions of early 1900’s hand cranked Victrola music.

Tall tales, exaggerations, and outright lies make up much of what this musician/singer told about himself. He was born Aleck “Rice” Miller in Tallahatchie county, Mississippi. The date is uncertain. Later in life he adopted the name “Sonny Boy” to capitalize on the fame of a Chicago bluesman of that name, and thereafter claimed to be the original “Sonny Boy Williamson”. Blues fans refer to him as “Sonny Boy the 2nd”.

Some of his better known songs include "Don't Start Me To Talkin'" (his only major hit, it reached the #3 position on the national Billboard R&B charts in 1955),"Fattenin' Frogs for Snakes", "Keep It To Yourself", "Your Funeral and My Trial", "Bye Bye Bird", "Nine Below Zero", and the infamous "Little Village", with dialogue 'unsuitable for airplay' with Leonard Chess. His song "Eyesight to the Blind" was performed by The Who as a key song in their rock opera Tommy (the only song in that opus not written by a band member) and it was later covered on the Aerosmith album Honkin' on Bobo.

In the early 1960’s he toured Europe, recording with the Yardbirds and the Animals, then returned to the US to play on KFFA’s King biscuit Time in Helena, Arkansas. He died in his sleep on May 24, 1965.

William Grant Still, far right

William Grant Still conducting a recording session in 1924. Note the female singer near the “horn” microphone.

Still family and favorite dogs

Still and W.C. Handy1939 World’s Fair

Diary of William Grant Still as he begins work on Afro-American Symphony.

Still with “Troubled Island”cast member Robert Weede

• Toccata for violin and Player Piano -- 1935

Meredith Monk, Philip Glass Conlon Nancarrow

““The Father of the The Father of the Rhythm and Blues”Rhythm and Blues”

• Born July 8, 1908 in Brinkley, Louis Jordan began playing the sax at the age of 7. He came out of the blues world of Brinkley to play in Chick Webb’s swing band from 1932 to 1938, playing alto sax and participating in comedy routines.

• He began recording for Decca in 1938 with his own Tympany Five, remaining on the label until 1953. He had his first million-seller in 1944 with “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t Ma baby?”. Previous recording included “Knock Me A Kiss” and “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town”.

• His second million-seller was “Caldonia (What Makes Your Big Head So Hard?)”, followed in 1946 by two million-sellers, “Beware, Brother, Beware” and “Choo Choo Ch ‘boogie” which was the biggest seller of all.

• In all these he pursued a basic rhythm of Shuffle Boogie, later taken over by early Rock ‘n’ Roll. As he said, he “made the blues jump,” and in so doing, influenced B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and Bill Haley.

• During the 8 year run of his career Jordan had 57 R&B hits, 18 of which hit #1 for a grand total of 113 weeks in #1 slot.

• 1932, marries Ida Fields, 2nd wife. 1942, marries Fleecie More, 3rd wife. 1951, marries Vicky Hayes, 4th wife. 1966, marries Martha Weaver, 5th wife. 1975, dies of heart attack.

• 1987, inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• 2005, inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.

“Take My Love”

LUTHER ALLISON

• Luther Allison was born in Mayflower on August 17, 1939, and lived in Forrest City as a child. After touring in the late 1940s with a family gospel group (the Southern Travelers), he moved with his family to Chicago in 1951. By 1957, he was playing in his brother's Ollie Lee Allison Band, and he spent the next decade sitting in with such Chicago blues stalwarts as Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and (especially) Freddie King. It was King, in fact, who gave him his real start as a professional by installing Allison in his West Side house band slot at Walton's Corner when King went on tour.

In 1969, after contributing two cuts to the Sweet Home Chicago anthology on Chicago's Delmark label, Allison recorded his first solo effort, Love Me Mama (also on Delmark. In 1969, and again in 1970, he drew rave reviews as a headliner at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival and in 1972 signed with Motown's Gordy subsidiary as the label's only blues act. European concert tours generated such enthusiastic responses that by 1980 Allison had more-or-less, permanently relocated to Paris.

In 1994, however, after more than a decade as a superstar on the European blues circuit, Allison launched an American comeback, signing with Chicago's Alligator label and putting out three albums in four years—Soul Fixin' Man (1994), Blue Streak (1995), and Reckless (1997). In 1995, his appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival provoked responses reminiscent of his Ann Arbor shows twenty-five years before. Prizes fell down like rain and included multiple W.C. Handy Awards, two Blues Entertainer of the Year citations and several several Living Blues Awards. It was a glorious return, but it ended suddenly: in July, 1997, Allison was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He died a month later on August 12.