Riverside Hotel, hotel in Mississippi, United States
The Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale is a historic building originally constructed in 1916 as a hospital serving African Americans and converted into a hotel in 1944. The property contains multiple guest rooms where musicians including Ike Turner, Sam Cooke, and Howlin' Wolf stayed, plus a basement used for band rehearsals and musical practice.
The building was founded in 1916 as a hospital for Black patients and converted into a hotel in 1944 by Mrs. Z. L. Hill to provide safe lodging for Black travelers and musicians during segregation. From the early 1950s, Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm rehearsed in the basement before traveling to Memphis in 1951 to record Rocket 88, widely considered the first rock and roll recording.
The Riverside Hotel served as a gathering place for Black musicians and artists during segregation, becoming central to the birth of blues and rock and roll in America. The space functioned as both sanctuary and creative hub where legendary performers met, collaborated, and developed the sound that would influence generations.
The hotel is located on Sunflower Avenue in Clarksdale and serves as a central point for exploring local blues history, with visitors able to tour the building and associated museum spaces. Check ahead for current opening times and renovation status, as the property recently sustained storm damage and ongoing restoration work may affect access.
Blues legend Bessie Smith died in 1937 at the hospital that later became the hotel, and her room is now preserved as a shrine to her memory. This connection links two pivotal chapters of blues history within a single location.
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