Rabbit Foot Minstrels .... During the first half of the 20th century, the African American entertainers of
the Rabbit Foot Minstrels played a major role in spreading the blues [via tours
across the South]. Founded in 1900, the ‘Foots’ were
headquartered in Port Gibson between 1918 and 1950
under the ownership of F.S. Wolcott.
Notable members
at that time included Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey, Ida Cox,
Louis Jordan, and Rufus Thomas.
By the mid-1910s entertainers in tent shows were
spreading the blues across the South, and one of most
popular groups was the Port Gibson-based Rabbit Foot
Minstrels. Minstrel shows presented a wide range of
comedy routines, skits, and song-and-dance numbers, and always featured a
marching band