Robert Johnson's Cenotaph in Morgan City Saved a Church, Memorialized a Musician, and Never Claimed to Mark a Grave

In 1991, a bank in Greenwood, Mississippi had a lien against the Mt. Zion MB Church in Morgan City, because some deacons used the deed to get a loan to purchase several ornate benches, or pews. At the same time, Mt. Zion Memorial Fund founder Skip Henderson was trying to locate the grave of Robert Johnson, and he learned that it very well might have been at Mt. Zion MB Church in Morgan City. He managed to get Columbia Records to donate $17,000 to save the church from foreclosure, and get Hartley Peavey to donate brand new PA systems to 3 churches, Mt. Zion, another potential grave location at Payne Chapel, and New Jerusalem Church in Holly Ridge, where the grave of Charley Patton was located. He knew that Johnson's remains probably weren't at the gravesite, so he erected a cenotaph (memorial to someone buried elsewhere) instead of a headstone. It contains no birth/death dates, but the stone obelisk was a nice memorial. (Click her to view it)

Greenwood Commonwealth, Jan 1991. 

Despite all the gifts showering down on the black churches, Steve LaVere urged Skip to abandon this endeavor and not memorialize Johnson in case some future evidence came up that pinpointed his exact gravesite of Johnson. He did not abandon the cenotaph or the churches, however. LaVere then then sued him so he changed our name from Mt. Zion/Robert Johnson Memorial Fund to simply the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund. The lawsuit, therefore, was moot and abandoned. Skip erected nine more memorials and saved several; abandoned cemeteries over the next ten years.

Evidence did arise a decade later that Johnson was most likely buried in a cemetery north of Greenwood. A marker was erected at the church despite the protests of several members of the congregation, which received no maintenance fees, a standard practice on almost all cemeteries.. Our namesake church , however, did not fall into the hands of the bank, and it still sits at the corner of a massive cotton field outside Morgan City. Rev. Ratliff, who worked with Skip on the project, recently celebrated his 33rd year at the church in November. 

Yet, folks tell me all the time how the cenotaph in Morgan City is wrong. A cenotaph (memorial to someone buried elsewhere) can't be wrong. Considering all the good it did for the historic church and its congregation, erecting that monument is indeed one of the most clever and "rightest" campaigns all-time in blues commemoration. Robert Johnson never had three headstones. But, hey, some folks will keep telling us we're wrong. We will continue to do what's right.

Greenwood Commonwealth, Sep 2005, p.1 of 3.

'Evil' Man's Family Gives Him the Obit He Deserved

There’s a widespread misconception that everyone who dies is entitled to a flattering postmortem; that their lives must necessarily be cast in a stage-ready glow that buffs away negatives and politely misremembers bad people as good. “Don’t speak ill of the dead,” our grandmothers chide—but what if the dead deserve it?

Leslie Ray Charping passed away in Galveston, Texas, last month at the age of 74, succumbing finally to a years-long battle with cancer. According to an obituary written by his family, which received so much attention that it crashed the Carnes Funeral Home website, Charping was a father, husband and enormous dick.

“Leslie’s life served no other obvious purpose, he did not contribute to society or serve his community and he possessed no redeeming qualities besides quick whited [sic] sarcasm which was amusing during his sober days,” it reads. “With Leslie’s passing he will be missed only for what he never did; being a loving husband, father and good friend.” 

Fair enough! The Houston Chronicle reports that Charping was convicted of a raft of ugly offenses over the years, including an assault in 1979 and another in 2008, when he poured hot liquid on his wife. In 2009, he violated a restraining order when he threatened to kill a female relative. The obit goes on:

“At a young age, Leslie quickly became a model example of bad parenting combined with mental illness and a complete commitment to drinking, drugs, womanizing and being generally offensive. 

“He leaves behind 2 relieved children; a son Leslie Roy Charping and daughter, Shiela Smith along with six grandchildren and countless other victims including an ex-wife, relatives, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses and random strangers.”

His family adds that they have no intention of holding a funeral. Instead, they wrote that they plan to have him cremated, with his remains kept in their barn until the donkey’s wood shavings run out.

“Leslie’s passing proves that evil does in fact die,” the obituary said, “and hopefully marks a time of healing and safety for all.”

Congratulations to Leslie’s family for their loss.

The initial version of the story failed to include a response from Leslie’s daughter.  Here it is:

“I wrote my father’s obituary. I loved my father because he was my father and his passing would not have been any less difficult had he been a good father. As someone that ‘hated a liar’, I believe even he would have appreciated the honesty. I apologize to anyone that my father hurt and I felt it would have been offensive to portray him as anything other than who he was. This obituary was intended to help bring closure because not talking about domestic violence doesn’t make it go away! 

“Thank you to those that have offered sincere condolences, understanding and prayers for our family, your words bring comfort. I am happy for those that simply do not understand, this means you had good parent(s) — please treasure what you have. 

“Although I appreciate everyone’s concern, it would have been much more appreciated at any time during my childhood. For those being cruel, please remember that you now resemble my father and I would be more than happy to pen your obituary as well.”

By Lauren Evans - lauren.evans@jezebel.com
Weekend writer at Jezebel

Richard Waterman and Son House: Two Remarkable Men and the Two of the Best Friends that Blues Lovers Ever Had

Joe Atkins, "Born-and-Bred Yankee in Oxford Best Friend
Bluesman Ever Had," (Jackson, MS) Clarion Ledger, Oct 16, 1994. 

Dennis Wilen "Pushing the Blues is Paying the Dues," 
Philadelphia (PA) Daily News, May 27, 1971.

Jason Patterson, "Skip James Blues Trail Marker Dedicated,"

The Yazoo (MS) Herald, Sep 20, 2008.

(NY) Democrat and Chronicle, Oct 6, 1968.

(NY) Democrat and Chronicle, Apr 1, 1973.

Democrat_and_Chronicle_Mon__Oct_24__1988_

Headstone Dedication for Billy Smiley Sr.

At 3 o'clock p.m. 

on March 15, 2018, 

in the Legends section 

of Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Greenville, Mississippi, 

the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund, Mortimer Funeral Home, 

and Jamal Smiley and his family invite the public to help us dedicate the headstone of jazz and blues musician Billy Smiley Sr. More details soon...

Smiley was the band director  at West Tallahatchie High School in the early 1990s

Smiley played on the regular at Sarah's Kitchen in Clarksdale in the late 1990s

Smiley played keyboards for Jerry Fair's Cultural Blues Band in the mid-2000s, during
which time he was the band director for Coleman Junior High School in Greenville

Billy Smiley Sr., of Smiley & the Young Guns, was the victim of a stabbing that occurred around midnight on February 7 in the 1300 block of Garden Drive in Greenville. He succumbed to his injuries and ascended on February 9, 2017.

Billy Smiley & the Young Guns - "The Blues is Alright"

Billy Smiley & the Young Guns "This is How We Do It"