July 29 – I was introduced to the music of John Hurt by a wonderful guitar teacher named Terry who I studied with between the ages of thirteen to sixteen. He taught me the technique variously known as ‘double thumbing,’ ‘Travis picking,’ or ‘alternating bass,’ and the main lick for “Spike Driver Blues.” I was then able to figure out a number of songs from Hurt’s definitive Today album. When we decided to make the trip down to Memphis, I knew we would visit Avalon, Hurt’s hometown, immortalized in his song, “Avalon Blues.”
I was surprised to find out that there was an actual Mississippi John Hurt Museum in Avalon, which is more or less a ghost town now, about seventy miles southeast of Clarksdale, MS. If you’re thinking about visiting, make sure to view the local map on a regular computer as it is more detailed than the mobile version. Allow ample time to visit other landmarks in the area. I was sorry that we weren’t able to visit John’s grave, which is nearby. We saw a poster at the Shackupinn alerting us to the fact that you have to make an appointment with the museum’s caretaker, Floyd Bailey, to go inside.
We met Floyd by the historical marker on Route 7, and followed him through twisting back roads to get to the museum. The first stop was the abandoned Valley Store (pictured above), where Hurt would play on weekend nights. Eventually, we came upon the museum, which was established by Hurt’s granddaughter.
Floyd opens the door to the museum while Chris and Maria brazenly flout the 'No Picture Taking' sign…
The museum itself is housed in John’s shotgun shack. It was blazing hot and we didn’t have much time, as Floyd had work to do at a church that they are planning to move onto the property. There are a lot of old guitars that Hurt may or may not have played, and pictures of longtime caretaker, Art Browning. Cans of Maxwell House coffee and an old stove are among the basic staples of home that must have characterized much of Hurt’s life, save for his music and poetic vision. The grounds are beautiful and serene.
There are also numerous framed press clippings, and these are very interesting. No photos may be taken inside the museum, which was a little hard to understand, but as a musicologist, it dawns on me now that photos of the press clippings would be quite useful to someone thinking of writing that long overdue biography of John Hurt. It is one of these clippings that provides me with the most evocative memory of our visit.
A murder had taken place in the area, and detectives had descended on the crime scene under full darkness. As they were getting ready to leave, a voice spoke up from the shadows, telling them, ‘you’re going the wrong way – you don’t want to get lost around here – let me show you.’ And with a flashlight, John Hurt led the detectives back to their cars.
Visiting Avalon and the museum rekindled my interest in John’s songs. I never stopped playing them at least occasionally – see my “Mississippi Medley” – but for the first time, I began to try to sing them.
On Practicing Guitar 
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