The Clarksdale Drummers Association has been awarding top drummers for the past 11 years, but 2018 broke new ground in two ways.
Bill Harlow won the Clarksdale Drummer’s Award this year. He was the first white person to win the award and has been playing the drums for more than 50 years, which is a longevity the previous winners did not have.
“It was hard to find somebody that’s been playing over 50 years,” said Derick Kemp, president of the Clarksdale Drummers Association. “If I went everywhere in Clarksdale, I wouldn’t have found anybody else that put in the years. Most of the people that played 50-some years, they’re already gone.”
Harlow started playing the drums as a little boy when his father, the late Billy Harlow, bought him a snare drum for Christmas.
“I’m thrilled. I’ve been playing drums here for 50 years,” Harlow said. “It’s the first time I’ve been recognized pretty much publicly besides playing in a band and playing.
“From there, he bought me a set of drums. I started picking around on them and then we’ve got some more boys that play guitar and stuff. We got together and got us a little band.”
Harlow started playing at around 7 years old. One of his first groups was called The Gents in his early teens. Then, he and some of his young musician friends formed a group called The Backstreet 6 and later he was in a group called The Fugitives.
Harlow was also with a group called the Iron Butterfly. They signed a contract with Atlantic Records. They were sent out to Los Angeles where he used to help set up for the band Black Oak Arkansas. He was with the Mike Ellis Band from 1988 to 2008 and has recently been playing with the group Ronnie & The Remnants.
Harlow has played at events such as Juke Joint Festival and at the Ground Zero Blues Club.
“We don’t play blues, but we play rock ‘n’ roll and that’s why we can’t really get into this groove in town,” Harlow said. “Because there’s no rock ‘n’ roll club for us to play. We just like that type of music. We love blues, but we don’t play it.”
Harlow said the music in Clarksdale helps bring tourists and money in the community.
“We’re proud of our heritage and we like to share it with people,” he said.
Kemp said, in 2019, the award will be expanded and musicians such as base players, lead guitarists and vocalists will have an opportunity to win.
