Mississippi

Slick Watts (1951–2025), beloved Seattle SuperSonics player

Slick Watts was a fan-favorite basketball player of the 1970s best known for his tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, his skills on the court, and his distinctive headbands.

Arthur Blessitt (1940–2025), pastor who traveled with a cross 

Arthur Blessitt was a Christian preacher who went on a record-breaking pilgrimage that saw him carrying a large cross through nearly every nation on Earth.

Billy Shaw (1938–2024), eight-time AFL All-Star football player

Billy Shaw was a star guard for the Buffalo Bills who made the AFL All-Star squad eight times and won back-to-back AFL championships with the team.

Chet Walker (1940–2024), Hall of Fame NBA forward

Chet Walker was a 13-year veteran of the NBA, a Hall of Fame forward, and a seven-time All-Star who played with the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls.

Jerry Savelle (1946–2024), author and televangelist

Jerry Savelle was an author and televangelist who wrote over 70 books, spoke in over 3,000 churches and preached “prosperity gospel,” which says giving to religious causes will bring wealth back to the donor.

Dorie Ladner (1942–2024), Freedom Riders civil rights activist 

Dorie Ladner was a civil rights activist whose efforts included being arrested for attempting to have lunch at a segregated Woolworth lunch counter and jailed for picketing in the 1962 Jackson, Mississippi boycotts.

Richard Truly (1937–2024), former astronaut who led NASA

Richard Truly was an astronaut and vice admiral in the U.S. Navy who became the first former astronaut to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was head of NASA when the famous “Pale Blue Dot” photo was captured.

Ellen Gilchrist (1935–2024), National Book Award-winning author 

Ellen Gilchrist was an author who won a National Book Award in 1984 for her story collection, “Victory Over Japan.” 

David McKnight (1936–2023), actor in J.D.’s Revenge, Under Siege

David McKnight was an actor who starred in the 1976 blaxploitation horror film “J.D.’s Revenge,” along with appearances in dozens of other movies and TV shows, including “Under Siege,” “Superhero Movie,” and others.

C.R. Roberts (1936–2023), football star who defied segregation

C.R. Roberts was a college football star with the USC Trojans who went on to play for Canada's Toronto Argonauts and the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, following a historic college career that included beatingan all-white team in the segregated South.

Johnie Cooks (1958–2023), Super Bowl champ with the Giants 

Johnie Cooks was a Mississippi State University football legend and won Super Bowl XXV as a linebacker with the New York Giants.

Anita Wood Brewer (1938–2023), singer and Elvis Presley’s girlfriend 

Anita Wood Brewer was a singer and TV performer who dated before his marriage.

Donald Triplett (1933–2023), first person diagnosed with autism

Donald Triplett was the first person ever diagnosed with autism.

Bobby Moudy (2023), TikTok dad

Bobby Moudy was a TikTok star known for his funny videos featuring his family.

Mississippi Tornado (2023)

At least 21 people died in Mississippi in an unusually long-lasting tornado that touched down on Friday night, March 24, 2023. Another person died in Alabama storms that same night.

Stella Stevens (1938–2023), Nutty Professor & Poseidon Adventure star

Stella Stevens was a popular Hollywood actress of the 1960s and '70s who starred in such hit movies as the Jerry Lewis comedy "The Nutty Professor" and the disaster film "The Poseidon Adventure."

Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–2022), “Great Balls of Fire” rock 'n' roll pioneer

Jerry Lee Lewis was a singer and pianist who pioneered rock n’ roll with hits including “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin' On” and “Great Balls of Fire.”

Bradford Freeman (1924–2022), last surviving “Band of Brothers” veteran

Bradford Freeman was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and the last surviving member of Easy Company, the battalion made famous by the miniseries “Band of Brothers.”

Hurricane Ida Victims (2021)

At least 34 people have died as a result of Hurricane Ida.

Helen Jones Woods (1923–2020), pioneering female jazz trombonist

Helen Jones Woods was a pioneering jazz trombonist who played with the historic integrated all-female jazz band the International Sweethearts of Rhythm during the 1940s.

Charles Evers (1922–2020), civil rights legend

Charles Evers, the brother of civil rights icon , was the first black elected mayor of a Mississippi city since the Reconstruction era.

Emma Sanders (1928–2020), civil rights activist who fought for voting rights and integrated delegations

Emma Sanders was a Mississippi civil rights and voting rights activist who helped bring an end to segregated delegations at the Democratic National Convention.

Tyson Brummett (1984–2020), former MLB pitcher

Tyson Brummett was a former MLB pitcher who pitched briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Gary Hargrove worked tirelessly to identify Hurricane Katrina victims

Gary Hargrove’s job was a straightforward one. As , home to Biloxi and Gulfport, he was responsible for determining the details of the county’s deaths — time, cause, manner.

Edward Aschoff (1985–2019), ESPN college football reporter

Edward Aschoff was a college football reporter for ESPN, working the sidelines for their TV and radio coverage for the last three seasons. In 2016, he and fellow ESPN reporter Adam Rittenberg won first place for enterprise writing in the Football Writers Association of America's contest for their story on the role of race in college football. He was known at ESPN for his friendly personality and stylish suits. He passed away on his 34th birthday.

C.P. Crawford (1907–2019), believed to be the oldest man in the United States

Credited his long life to “treating people right.”

George Chambers (1931–2019), Chambers Brothers bassist

George Chambers  was the bass player for the pioneering psychedelic soul rock band, the Chambers Brothers. George and his brothers Lester, Joe, and Willie started singing in church together as children in Mississippi and formed the band in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s. They started out as a gospel group but later became known in the LA folk music community and were invited by to play at the Newport Folk Festival. The band went electric, adding drummer Brian Keenan, making them one of the first interracial bands. They embraced psychedelic soul music and had a huge hit in 1968 with “Time Has Come Today.” They continued to perform and record as the Chambers Brothers until the mid-1970s. George would go back to gospel music and he would occasionally get back together with his brothers and perform.

Thad Cochran (1937–2019), longtime US senator from Mississippi

Called “The Quiet Persuader” for his low profile consensus building in the Senate.

Unita Blackwell (1933–2019), civil rights activist was advisor to seven presidents

Unita Blackwell was a civil rights activist who rose from an early life as a sharecropper to become an advisor to seven presidents and the first black woman mayor in Mississippi.

Bishop Joseph Howze (1923–2019), pioneering African-American bishop

The first black bishop in the 20th century to head a U.S. diocese.

Vernita Lee (1935–2018), Oprah Winfrey’s mother

Vernita Lee, Oprah Winfrey’s mother, has died at the age of 83, according to multiple news sources. She died on Thanksgiving Day.

Eddy Clearwater (1935–2018), Chicago bluesman known as “The Chief”

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago bluesman Eddy Clearwater, lauded for his guitar playing and flamboyant showmanship, has died of heart failure.

Denise LaSalle (1939–2018), legendary singer was called the “Queen of the Blues”

Known for her hit song “Trapped by a Thing Called Love”…

Raymond Brown (1936–2017), Ole Miss Football star was Sugar Bowl MVP in 1958

Played for the Colts in the NFL and later practiced law…

Simeon Wright (1942–2017), Emmett Till's cousin who witnessed kidnapping

CHICAGO (AP) — Simeon Wright, who was with his cousin Emmett Till when the Chicago boy was kidnapped in 1955 after whistling at a white woman in Mississippi, has died. He was 74.

Kelan Phil Cohran (1927–2017), jazz trumpeter

Influential jazz musician played with Sun Ra and co-founded the Artistic Heritage Ensemble.

Larry Grantham (1938–2017), New York Jets linebacker

Former Jets linebacker who was a five-time AFL All-Star.

James Cotton (1935–2017), blues harmonica player

Grammy Award-winning blues harmonica player James Cotton, aka Mr. Superharp, backed some of the greatest blues artists of his time.

Howard Bingham (1939–2016), Muhammad Ali's personal photographer

Howard Bingham, a longtime personal photographer and friend of Muhammad Ali, died Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, according to The Associated Press. He was 77.

Mark Gray (1952 - 2016), country music singer-songwriter

The country music singer-songwriter co-wrote No. 1 hit songs for group Alabama.

Mose Allison (1927–2016), jazz and blues pianist

Mose Allison was a legendary blues and jazz pianist.

Elijah Pierce | The Book of Wood

Whittled. Carved. Handmade. Self-made. These words describe the remarkable life and art of Elijah Pierce.

Mack Rice (1933 - 2016), Mustang Sally songwriter

Mack Rice, the singer-songwriter who penned “Mustang Sally” and other hits made famous by Wilson Pickett and other big-name artists, died June 27 of Alzheimer’s disease complications at his home in Detroit, Michigan, according to multiple news sources. He was 82.

L.C. Ulmer (1928 - 2016)

L.C. Ulmer, a Mississippi musician who appeared in a documentary film about the birthplace of the blues, has died, according to multiple news sources. He was 87. Ulmer, whom relatives found unconscious at his home in Ellisville, Mississippi, died Sunday of natural causes, though the Jones County medical examiner told the Hattiesburg American that the death remains under investigation.

Century Spotlight: Margaret Walker (1915–1998)

The Harlem Renaissance is well-known—a period of great creative output from a group of Black artists living in New York City in the 1920s. It was a pivotal historical moment for a group of creative people long overdue for recognition. But Harlem wasn't the only place where African-American artists gathered and flourished in the first half of the 20 th century. Something similar took place in Chicago during the 1930s and '40s, led by the likes of Richard Wright and . That Midwestern renaissance yielded the writing of Margaret Walker .

The Bo Diddley Beat

Nearly a decade after Bo Diddley's death, we're still listening to his signature rhythm.

Tammy Wynette and the Sad Truth about Happy Endings

"The sad part about happy endings is there's nothing to write about."

The Best of Muddy Waters

One hundred years of Muddy Waters — that's what we're celebrating today. Waters was born April 4, 1913, and his blues legacy is as deep and wide as the river his name evokes.

Secrets Die and are Buried Forever

We all take secrets to the grave, but let’s face it—some are more far-reaching than others. Some even have a significant impact on history.