On April 23, 1940 the Rhythm Night Club sometimes referred to as The Rhythm Club special event in Natchez, Mississippi erased the lives of over two hundred
souls. The fire was started near the front door, which was also the only
exit from the building. The windows in the building had been boarded to
prevent unauthorized entrance. When the fire started,
Walter Barnes and the Sophisticated Swing Orchestra were
playing the song "Marie". Many of the
Rhythm Night Club
fire victims died as a result of burns and others were
suffocated or trampled. The Rhythm Night Club
victims included educators, children, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters,
husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc.
Visual Poetry Image
No' Mo' Rhythm's Beat, The Rhythm Night Club
Visual Poem
Monument
Numerous songs were written to honor the victims of the
Rhythm Club
fire; Mississippi Fire Blues,
Natchez Mississippi Blues 1940 - Lewis Bronzeville Five,
The Natchez Fire 1940
- Gene Gilmore,
The Death Of Walter Barnes 1940 - Leonard
Baby Doo Caston, The Natchez Burnin
1957 - Howlin' Wolf, Natchez Fire 1959
- John Lee Hooker, etc.
The author, Deborah Young is the
first and only writer to honor victims of the Rhythm Night Club fire with
a riveting poem No' Mo' Rhythm's Beat, The Rhythm Night
Club and a screenplay Rhythm, The Rhythm
Night Club Story.
...Jitterbuggers, fly chicks, and ace lanes, with their hats
Handsome studs truck'd 'bout, in snazzy zoot suits
Chicks swirled 'round, togged to the bricks
Even school children, took in the scene...
Copyright 2004 by Deborah Young
An Excerpt from
No' Mo' Rhythm's Beat, The Rhythm Night Club
Rhythm Night Club Victims
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Janie Bishop Adams
Inez Adams St. F. Lmo Adams
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Majorie Alexander
Susie Alexander Juanita Avery |
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Bessie Lee Mont.
Banks Joe Barnes Walter J. Barnes |
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Ida Mae Woods Bernard
John Bernard, Jr. Cloveland Leon Booker
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Birdie L.H. Boyd Elbert Briggs, Jr. Elijah V. Briscoe
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Hortense Brooks Robert Brooks Fannie Dorsey Brown |
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Odelle Brown Ruth Reedy Brown Clarice Buckner |
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Ethel Burnes Willie Campbell Nollie Carr |
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Meletta Travis
Carroll Annie Laurel Carter
Alma Cheeke |
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Mary Christmas James Cole Polly Louise Coleman |
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Geneva Collins Samuel James Collins Sam Colston
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Albert Confer Nance Crockett, Jr. Samuel Crockett |
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Eleanor Dacus Dorothy B. Dance Henrietta Davis |
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John Davis Johnny Davis Bennetter Dennis |
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Alonza Elijah
Dickerson
Agnes Dorsey Corinthia Dorsey |
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Warren Dorsey Norah Elliot, Jr.
Annabelle Ellis |
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James M. Ellis Henry Farr Marcus Farr |
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Leonard Franklin
Ed Frazier Katie Adams Freeman |
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Helen Gaulden Carrie Woods
Willie Gibson |
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Juanita Gilbert Andrew Glasper Jessie Edna Green |
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Rosalie Grey Johnny H. Guy Harriet Hacket |
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Jos Hagan, Jr. Marie Hall Richard V. Hall |
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Oliver Handy Oliver Handy
Alberta Harden |
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Joseph Lorenzo Harris
Katherine Haymond Dorothy Haywood |
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Charles Higdon
Everett Hogatt
Dora Holliday |
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Beatrice Holmes Roy Hudson Ernest Hunt |
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Florida Lee Ivy Florine Jackson Henry Jackson, Jr. |
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Josephine Cain
Jackson Lucille Jackson Marie Jackson |
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Mary Jackson Pearl E. Jackson
Willie Mae Jackson |
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Eloise Johnson
James Johnson Josh Johnson |
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Leola Johnson
Lloyd Johnson Marie Johnson |
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R. L. Johnson
Tom Johnson, Jr.
Wilbert Ernest Johnson |
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Beatrice Jones James Jordan, Jr.
Louise Kates |
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Wendell Kates Delia Kelly McKinley Kingsberry |
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Annabelle Fisher
Knight Ben Lewis Marshall Eddie Lewis |
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Thelma Lewis
Charley Light, Jr.
Gladys Light |
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Willie Lindsey
Bernetta Lloyd
Frances Lloyd |
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Thelma Lloyd
Willie Lloyd Johnnie Boy Logan |
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Mary E. Logan
Ethel Lyons
Marshall Mason |
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German Matthews
Katie Louise Matthews
Clarence Peter Mazique |
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Norman McFarland
Wm. Woodrich McGuire Charles McKinney |
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Vernon McMillian Abraham McNeil Frances McNeil |
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Willie McShane Alfred Minor George Minor, Jr. |
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Elizabeth Mitchell
Leonard Moore Mose Nelson |
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David Nicholson
Edward Oten Camille Oten |
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Edward Lawrence
Parker Nelson Phillips Serena Pollard |
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Clarence Porter
Corinne Powell Della Ardella Quinn |
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John Reed Vera Rhone Lucille Flisby |
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Willie Beatrice Roach Calvin Roberts Annie Mae Robinson |
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Sarah Banks Robinson
Marion Roderick Pearcy Rowan |
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Mary Gladys Odom
Russell Mildred Russell Robert Lee Russell |
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Clarence Scott, Jr. Charlie Scott Emma Scott |
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Ethel Scott Fred Scott Freddie Scott |
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George Scott, Jr. Junius Scott Lee Edgar Scott |
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Willie Scott Willie Scott Emma Shaw |
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Willie Simon Eva Simpson Beatrice Sims |
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Leola Sims Marie Louise Sloan Arthur Smith |
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Green Smith, Jr. T. J. Smith Alma Springs |
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Mildred Squalls Mildred Stanton Lucille Stewart |
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Paul Stott Edna James Taylor Evelyn Thomas |
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Frank Toles Geraldine Toncked Casiana White Turnipseed |
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Harry Walker Samuel Wallace Bige Ware |
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Alice Washington
Cora Mae Dennis Washington Dan Washington |
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Jesse Washington
Jessie O. Washington Margaret Washington |
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Robert Washington
Lillie Mae Weather Mable Etta Anderson White |
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Ella Blanton Williams
Johnny Williams Lenola Williams |
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Zealie Bossika
Williams
Bernice Wilson Julia Wilson |
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David Wimberly Lee Woods Matilda Woods |
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Katherine Wright
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