Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon conjured up their musical magic back in 1954, but it’s no less powerful today, luring 65 percent of the votes cast ahead of I Wanna be Down by Brandy, 17 percent, July in Mississippi by Charlie Worsham, 14 percent, and Misery Business by Paramore, 4 percent, in the latest round of voting.
The Playlist salutes the significance of Mississippi music during our state’s bicentennial celebration. Songs selected in previous rounds of voting include Mississippi River by Paul Davis, Misty Blue by Dorothy Moore, Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley, Hello Darlin’ by Conway Twitty, Stand by Your Man by Tammy Wynette, Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis, Come Monday by Jimmy Buffett, Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry, The Thrill is Gone by B.B. King and Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson.
Next up, four new nominees: Chain Gang by Sam Cooke, Down in the Delta by the Cedric Burnside Project, Mississippi Turnpike by Shelly Fairchild and Mississippi, You’re on my Mind by Jesse Winchester.
You can listen to the new entries and vote for your favorite on mississippitoday.org. You also can vote on our Twitter account. Every two weeks through the fall, a fresh ballot of four new nominees will be published.
To be nominated, songs must be about Mississippi or performed by Mississippi artists. All of the contenders were selected by Mississippi music experts, Mississippi Today and The ‘Sip magazine.
Contenders in Round 12
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