1994: Local Blues Singer Dies

This story was selected by the Country Roads magazine editorial team as the representative piece for 1994 in the archival project "40 Stories From 40 Years"—celebrating the magazine's 40th anniversary on stands. Click here to read more stories from the project.

Scott Dunbar, 90-year-old blues singer and guitarist, died on October 1, 1994, ending a legacy for this area. The lifelong resident of Wilkinson County was well-known throughout southwest Mississippi as a fishing guide on Lake Mary and for his accomplishments as a blues singer. He had stated that he made his first guitar at age eight from a cigar box, broom handle and wire, and played it like a violin. He later progressed to a store-bought, wooden guitar and finally an electric instrument. In the early 1970s, he produced a record entitled Scott Dunbar: From Lake Mary containing many of his favorite tunes. His antics as a singer entertained listeners, both young and old for several generations. One of his trademarks was the stomping of his foot to the beat of his tune, known to wear through the paint in just one night of entertaining. Scott is fondly remembered and will be missed by all who knew him. 

[Read John Wirt's 2021 story about the current generation of Baton Rouge blues musicians, here.]