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Jimmy "Duck" Holmes

"I’ve been around blues my whole life."

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes has lived a life steeped in blues. Today he is the last living practitioner of the celebrated style of Bentonia blues made famous by Nehemiah "Skip" James and Jack Owens. In addition, Holmes operates what is arguably the oldest juke joint left in Mississippi and is the organizer of one of the longest-running festivals in the state. Born to sharecroppers Carey and Mary Holmes in the summer of 1947, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes has lived his entire life in and around the small Mississippi town of Bentonia, home to one of the most unusual and beloved strains of Delta blues. The town was first placed on the musical map in 1931 when one of its residents, Nehemiah "Skip" James, recorded nearly two-dozen songs for Paramount Records. These recordings have gone on to become touchstones for several generations of blues fans. Since James' death in 1969, several other blues guitarists from Bentonia emerged including Cornelius Bright, Jacob Stuckey, Henry Stuckey and, most famously, Jack Owens, all of whom have since died. Fortunately for fans of real-deal country blues, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes has emerged as the keeper of the flame for the Bentonia blues. In April 2006, his debut CD Back to Bentonia was released by Broke & Hungry Records to universal praise. BluesMatters Magazine hailed it as an "early contender for Best Traditional Blues Recording of 2006". Blues & Rhythm Magazine wrote, "Down-home and Delta blues fans are in for a treat – this is the real deal. A magnificent debut set from Holmes and Broke & Hungry Records." The CD was awarded three Living Blues Awards including Best Debut CD, Best Traditional/Acoustic CD and Producer of the Year for Broke & Hungry Records owner Jeff Konkel. Holmes' sophomore CD, Done Got Tired of Tryin’, recently was released to similarly rapturous reviews. "I’ve been around blues my whole life," Holmes says. "It’s not really something I chose. I feel like it chose me. I’m just happy that people seem to like what I’m doing." (quoted from Jimmy "Duck" Holmes' myspace page)

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Home → Overview → Blues Artists → Jimmy "Duck" Holmes