Early Wright

Early Wright (February 10, 1915 – December 10, 1999) was the first black disc jockey in Mississippi. His "Soul Man" broadcast on WROX in Clarksdale spanned over 50 years. Musicians Wright hosted on WROX included Elvis Presley, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Little Milton, Ike & Tina Turner, Pinetop Perkins and Charley Pride.

Biography Wright was born on a plantation in Jefferson, Mississippi on February 10, 1915. He was an auto mechanic by trade, he worked as a train engineer. In 1937, he moved to Clarksdale and opened an auto repair business. That year he underwent multiple heart bypass surgeries and . Wright suffered a heart attack in November 1999, he died at the age of 84 in Memphis on December 10, 1999. He was survived by his wife, Ella, two sisters, seven grandchildren and two brothers.

Legacy In 1988, the Center for Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi honored Wright with a scholarship in his name. There was also an annual lecture at the university on his distinguished career.

Annually, the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival in Clarksdale gives the Early Wright Blues Heritage Award to non-musicians who have helped "preserve, promote, perpetuate, and document blues in the Mississippi Delta."

The city of Clarksdale named the road that went past his house, Early Wright Drive.