Club Ebony was once a hopping juke joint, a place where blues masters BB King, Little Milton and Howlin’ Wolf performed for residents of a humble farming community looking to spice up their Saturday nights with dinner, dancing and maybe some drinks.
On Friday night, the historic club in Indianola became a meeting place for friends and fans of King, who died on Thursday in Las Vegas at the age of 89.
Fans talked about his music, his friendly personality and his effect on the town where he used to live. King returned every year to perform as Indianola’s own personal guitar hero.
Annise Strong James, 67, used to get into the club as an underage teenager, and was able to see Bobby “Blue” Bland and Little Milton perform.
“It would get packed. We had a ball,” said James, who enjoyed a drink with a friend as others sat around tables and chatted, with King’s music playing in the background. “This was a spot for us to enjoy life.”
