By Billy Watkins, USA TODAYINDIANOLA, Miss. — B.B. King didn't seem too thrilled about his hometown wanting to build a museum in his honor.
"He didn't get back to us right away," says Jim Abbott, retired editor of Indianola's weekly newspaper, The Enterprise-Tocsin. "So we sort of thought he wasn't interested."
King had warmed to the idea by the time he returned over the weekend for the opening of the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center.
It was quite a birthday present: The blues musician turns 83 on Tuesday.
"My goodness," King said, his voice cracking, when he saw his name on the front of the museum. "I didn't go to school long enough to be able to tell you how I feel. But I have heard that heaven is beautiful. If heaven is more beautiful than the way I feel today, I'm ready to go tomorrow."
The $15 million, state-of-the-art museum is housed in a 20,000-square-foot brick building where King ginned cotton as a teenager.
"It puts my feet back on the ground where they should be — the last place I worked around here," King says.
Though the museum is in an isolated area — two hours from the casinos of Tunica, 90 minutes from the state capital of Jackson — organizers are certain fans will come.
"We view this as an anchor to the Mississippi Blues Trail," which places markers at historic blues sites, says marketing director Allan Hammons.
The building team raised $1.7 million in economically strapped Indianola (pop. 12,066) — $140.89 a person. The rest came from private donations, grants and a state bond.
"B.B. gave us the key to his house (in Las Vegas) and basically told us to take what we wanted," says executive director Connie Gibbons.
When King walked in from the road, there were yellow Post-it notes all over his home, signifying items the museum wanted. "We even stuck one on him," Gibbons says with a laugh.
One treasure: King's home studio, with all the instruments and recording equipment as it was the day the curators arrived, down to a paper clip.
King's pride in the museum is apparent, but he hopes visitors will see a deeper meaning.
"To young people who don't think education is important, tell them this: I wonder what would've come of me if I hadn't chosen my profession."
The $15 million, state-of-the-art museum is housed in a 20,000-square-foot brick building where King ginned cotton as a teenager.
"It puts my feet back on the ground where they should be — the last place I worked around here," King says.
Though the museum is in an isolated area — two hours from the casinos of Tunica, 90 minutes from the state capital of Jackson — organizers are certain fans will come.
"We view this as an anchor to the Mississippi Blues Trail," which places markers at historic blues sites, says marketing director Allan Hammons.
The building team raised $1.7 million in economically strapped Indianola (pop. 12,066) — $140.89 a person. The rest came from private donations, grants and a state bond.
"B.B. gave us the key to his house (in Las Vegas) and basically told us to take what we wanted," says executive director Connie Gibbons.
When King walked in from the road, there were yellow Post-it notes all over his home, signifying items the museum wanted. "We even stuck one on him," Gibbons says with a laugh.
One treasure: King's home studio, with all the instruments and recording equipment as it was the day the curators arrived, down to a paper clip.
King's pride in the museum is apparent, but he hopes visitors will see a deeper meaning.
"To young people who don't think education is important, tell them this: I wonder what would've come of me if I hadn't chosen my profession."
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