The Last Picnic of RL Boyce

By Corey Crowder

Amy Verdon is a native New Yorker who often travels to Mississippi from her home in New York City. She takes great interest in the musical heritage of both places, and she has done an excellent job of coordinating and promoting the RL Boyce Big Blues Mane Picnics in Como, Mississippi. The blues seemed anything except sad for me when I attended the RL Boyce Big Blues Mane Picnic on Saturday, September 2, 2023. I rode over from Oxford with Wendy Jean Garrison, a longtime friend and talented guitarist who generously shares her musical gifts at the events. Upon arriving I received my official RL Boyce Picnic lapel button and was greeted by Greg Ayers, the owner of Greg’s Guest Room and emcee for the afternoon, as well as Picnic director Amy Verdon.

I then met The Big Blues Mane himself, R.L. Boyce.

It was only the beginning of a delightful and inspiring day. Little did I know that it would also be the last time that I would have the honor of spending time with Mr. Boyce.

The RL Boyce Picnic Button [Photo © Corey Crowder 2023]

Background

Enthusiasts of Mississippi’s musical heritage often think of U.S. Highway 61 as the “blues highway.” U. S. Highway 51, however, which parallels Hwy 61 to the east, has its own legacy in connection with African American history and culture. Many African Americans utilized Highway 51 during the Great Migration from Mississippi to other parts of the United States.

Blues pianist Curtis Jones wrote and recorded “Highway 51 Blues” in 1938. In 1961 the tune was recorded again by Bob Dylan, including lyrics from Tommy McClennan’s 1939 recording of “New Highway No.51.”

RL Boyce on stage

The highway from Wisconsin to Louisiana bisects the North Mississippi hill country, famous for its special brand of traditional blues music. Artists such as Junior Kimbrough and Othar Turner lived and performed in communities a short distance away. Farther south, the highway passes through Carroll County, birthplace of Mississippi John Hurt, as well as the towns of Terry, the birthplace of Tommy Johnson, and Hazlehurst, the birthplace of Robert Johnson. In northwestern Mississippi, U.S. Highway 51 passes through Como, the home of world-famous North Mississippi hill country blues artist R.L. Boyce, who began a series of annual educational and cultural events showcasing fellow hill country blues artists. These annual events became known as the RL Boyce Big Blues Mane Picnics.

RL Boyce plays guitar at Otha Turner’s farm in Gravel Springs, MS [Photo © Bill Steber]

R.L.’s rise to fame

R.L. Boyce became a drummer with the Rising Stars band led by his uncle, Othar Turner, in his teens, and was later inspired to become a guitarist by Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars. He has recorded and performed hill country blues at numerous events worldwide and was honored as a 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellow.

R.L. Boyce is one of nine American artists chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts to be recognized for excellence in Traditional Arts, which are skills learned through oral tradition and passed on to new generations. Traditional American artists are the keepers of the flame, continuing a tradition of a lost art. The NEA National Heritage Fellowship the highest honor any American Traditional artist can achieve in their lifetime.

Recent Headshot of RL Boyce

Wendy Garrison with several workshop particpants in 2023 [Photo © Amy Verdon 2023]

Beyond the Mission

The 2023 RL Boyce Big Blues Mane Picnic went beyond fulfilling the purpose of its founder. Indeed, it provided a truly unique and enjoyable cultural experience for a diverse group of participants from Mississippi and places far beyond its borders. Greg Ayers performed his emcee duties with swagger, announcing and playing his collection of classic R&B music as attendees listened and danced outside.

Inside Greg’s Guest Room, Wendy Garrison and guitarist Garry Burnside conducted the traditional blues workshop where aspiring guitarists as young as age 13 received one-on-one instruction in the unique art of performing blues music. Vendors provided food and souvenirs for participants, but most significant of all was the shared experience of traditional country blues music and learning from The Big Blues Mane, R.L. Boyce, and others in this special atmosphere of Greg’s Guest Room beside Highway 51 just outside Como.

Gary Burnside and RL Boyce with workshop participants at the RL Boyce Picnic in 2023 [Photo © Amy Verdon 2023]

End of an Era

The RL Boyce Big Blues Mane Picnic series continues to annually showcase traditional North Mississippi hill country blues artists and provide attendees with a truly unique participatory experience in the traditional blues subgenre. The event’s organizers have worked tirelessly to make all participants feel welcome and ensure a most enjoyable experience. A film crew from the National Endowment for the Arts documented the Picnic. Co-sponsors include the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund for Blues, Music, and Justice through a grant from Visit Mississippi; the Mississippi Arts Council, Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, National Jazz Foundation of America, and FANCY! WoodB Records.

Amy Verdon’s article on R.L. Boyce is available at https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/rl-boyce.

Shortly after the RL Boyce Big Blues Mane Picnic, we learned that Mr. Boyce was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was unable to travel to Washington, D.C. to accept his award from the N.E.A. Heritage Fellowship, and he passed away only a couple of months later on November 9. To read his official obituary, please click HERE