The Blues Highway 61: Missouri’s Gateway to the Blues
- Thomas Smugala
- Mar 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 12
In Missouri, Highway 61 runs along the eastern edge of the state beside the Mississippi River, linking small river towns and historic communities. Cities such as Cape Girardeau, Hannibal, and St. Louis helped connect southern blues traditions with the musical life of the Midwest. As musicians traveled north during the early twentieth century—especially during the Great Migration—Highway 61 became a route for opportunity, performance, and cultural exchange.
U.S. Highway 61, today often called the "Blues Highway" due to its deep ties to blues music history along the Mississippi River corridor, is getting ready for its 100-year birthday party. In Missouri, particularly Southeast Missouri (the Cape Girardeau area), there's been recent attention on its 100th anniversary since its designation as Highway 61 in 1926. But the real story is how the Visit Cape tourism team managed to present a Missouri House resolution recognizing the Blues Highway 61, along with related efforts to promote the event through exhibits, concerts, and other measures to attract tourism in the area.
The Visit Cape Team makes a Blues Double Platinum hit—yes, we decided on a gendre appropriate photo shoot..
St. Louis became one of the most important blues centers in the country. Musicians who passed through or performed there helped shape the St. Louis blues style, known for its strong piano influence and smoother, jazz-like rhythms. Legendary musicians such as W. C. Handy, who helped popularize the genre with “St. Louis Blues,” brought national attention to the city’s music scene.
Missouri’s river towns contributed to the atmosphere that inspired blues music—long railroad lines, steamboat traffic, and hardworking communities along the Mississippi produced many blues musicians. Highway 61 connected these places, carrying stories, struggles, and songs along its path, with Cape Girardeau in the middle of the revolution.
Meet 573 Magazine’s good friend Brenda Newbern and her band of merry tourism folks.
Visit Cape Manager Brenda Newbern—she's a hoot!
My name is Brenda Newbern. I’m a Cape Girardeau native with more than 25 years of hospitality and tourism experience, which includes work with convention and visitors bureaus and hotels. I love everything about showcasing Cape Girardeau’s unique history, river heritage, and cultural experiences to visitors from across the region and beyond. Currently, I am the Visit Cape Manager. The Visit Cape team works to promote the city as a welcoming destination for visitors, events, and tourism experiences.
Cape Girardeau’s location along this iconic route provides an opportunity to attract road travelers, heritage tourists, and music enthusiasts. Getting the Blues Highway resolution is a great thing for Cape Girardeau. We have several events planned and many super displays in work.
Our first event is the Highway 61 Community Mural Project at the Painted Wren Gallery, where visitors can help paint the 6’ x 12’ mural. Everyone is invited to contribute a triangle until it's complete, becoming part of Highway 61's story.
The second event, “Elvis Returns to Highway 61,” will be held on July 20, 2026, and will be free and open to the public. The event commemorates the anniversary of Elvis Presley's performance in Cape Girardeau on July 20, 1955. It will be a super unique tourism experience.
Blues Highway 61 cruises right through Cape—what's that she's holding?
Enjoy a performance by renowned Elvis tribute artist Finley Watkins and his band. Finley has played major stages including Beale Street, the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Fremont Street Experience, and The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. He has also appeared twice on The Ellen Show and on Nickelodeon's Lip Sync Battle Shorties.
With Cape Girardeau on the Mississippi River blues corridor (Memphis → St. Louis → Chicago), so many blues greats passed through and performed on the riverboat circuits, juke joints, and county fairs in Cape Girardeau, but records from the early-mid 20th century are pretty incomplete.
The Blues Highway 61 Resolution signed by Speaker Jonathan Patterson.
Aligning with the Visit Cape strategic plan, promoting Highway 61 as a themed travel experience can increase overnight stays, encourage visitor spending in local businesses, and strengthen Cape Girardeau’s identity as a destination along the Mississippi River. By highlighting the city’s history, arts, dining, and cultural connections to the Blues Highway 61, the initiative has the potential to generate new economic activity while positioning Cape Girardeau as a key stop on this nationally recognized route—so excited!.
Emily Beck, Joshua Robison and Brenda Newbern—the gang of three.
My teammate Joshua Robison, originally from Bloomfield, Missouri, serves as the Experience Development Technician and has two years of tourism experience. He focuses on promoting Cape Girardeau’s sports tourism opportunities, historic attractions, and group experiences, such as bus tours, to help connect visitors with the many activities available throughout the community.
Emily Beck, a Jackson/Cape Girardeau native, serves as Office Coordinator and has been with Visit Cape for one year. She manages office operations, coordinates boat dockings along the Mississippi River, assists with social media communication, and supports visitor services and event coordination.
Special thanks to Scott Ehlers for bringing his cool old car to the photo shoot—she's a beauty!
Get Out There! Take a trip along the Blues Highway 61. Restore an old car. Learn to play the blues. Do something. Do anything. Get out there. That sunken sofa won't miss you.
Pics, words, and other nonsense by t. smugala.
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