Memphis Minnie, born Lizzie Douglass, ran away from her home many times growing up, eventually making a permanent move to Beale Street at the age of thirteen. The life she made for herself was not easy: she spent her teenage years homeless, earning what she could by performing. In the early 1900s, Beale Street was not a reputable entertainment district. It had a reputation for debauchery, violence, and prostitution. Because of this rough environment, Douglass developed a thick skin that would shape her into the strong-willed and determined musician she was known as.

In 1929, Douglass married and moved to Chicago. There, she performed, booked shows, and created a vaudeville troupe. In addition, she began studying music more formally, which would add technicality and precision to her future work. Memphis Minnie took advantage of being one of the only women in the blues scene, and she was known for her ability to own her femininity and sexuality during her performances. She would compete in and win guitar contests often, even beating well known musicians such as Muddy Waters for the coveted prize of a handle of liquor. It was in Chicago that Douglass began playing an electric guitar, combining her roots in Delta blues with a more modern electric sound. This fusion of genres, the country blues with the city soul, was innovative and influential on many musicians who came after her. She recorded some of her best known work in the 30s, such as “Bumble Bee” and “When The Levee Breaks,” which was later covered by Led Zeppelin.

Unfortunately, Memphis Minnie’s health began failing as her work gained traction due to a resurgence of popularity for country blues in the 50s. In the 1960s, she returned to Memphis and suffered a series of strokes. She passed away on August 6, 1973 and is buried back home in Walls. Her gravestone was erected twenty years after her death by those she inspired through the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund and is featured as a stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail.