Lillian McMurry

Lillian Shedd McMurry (December 30, 1921 – March 18, 1999) was one of the earliest American female record producers and owner of Trumpet Records. She was influential in the development of blues music, particularly through her recordings of Sonny Boy Williamson II and her discovery of the guitarist Elmore James.

She married furniture-store owner Willard McMurry in 1945. They met when Lillian found a piano in his furniture store and was interested in selling her old piano. They settled in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1949, she was helping her husband clear out a shop he had bought (a hardware store located at 309 Farish Street that was being converted to a furniture store). Workers came upon a pile of old shellac 78 rpm phonograph discs. The workers were playing records and Lillian was so inspired by hearing Wynonie Harris' "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" she wanted to sell records. She said: "It was the most unusual, sincere and solid sound I'd ever heard. I'd never heard a black record before. I'd never heard anything with such rhythm and freedom." and its parent company, Diamond Record Company. The first releases were of gospel music, but she soon auditioned and recorded both slide guitarist Elmore James, on his original recording of "Dust My Broom", and Sonny Boy Williamson II (Aleck "Rice" Miller). Initially, McMurry apparently thought that "Williamson" was the original musician of that name. His song "Pontiac Blues" was a tribute to McMurry's car.

On November 17, 2007, Lillian and Willard McMurry (who died in 1996) were posthumously honored with a historical marker on their former recording studio in Jackson, Mississippi. Her daughter, Vitrice, her son-in-law, and her granddaughter attended along with Dr. Woody Sistrunk and Trumpet musician Jerry McCain. The McMurry family was awarded a plaque to go along with the historical marker.