The Finger Dance & Diner: Finger, Tennessee
The Finger Dance at the height of its popularity, December 1971. Photo courtesy of the Jackson Sun.
Beginning in the early 1960s, the Finger Dance was one of the most popular entertainment events in the area. The Dance was initiated and anchored for almost 30 years by 2015 Hall of Fame fiddler, Ernest "Pap" Whitten, attracting eager dancers from around the region.
Former McNairy County Historian, Bill Wagoner, credited Whitten and the popular Finger gathering with preserving square dance calls, old-time fiddle tunes, and dance steps into the 1980s and 90s, well past the heyday of those art forms. It’s no exaggeration to say that the long-running dance was one of McNairy County’s richest cultural traditions. It was also a prime source of revenue for Finger, keeping the town afloat financially during lean years.
In the early 1970s, at the height of the Finger Dance's popularity, American expatriates, Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, found themselves roaming the streets of London in search of a decent hamburger. When they predictably came up empty, the young entrepreneurs decided to open their own restaurant in a rented Hyde Park storefront. The idea was to serve up authentic American diner fare in an atmosphere that invoked the rebellious spirit of rock ’n’ roll.
What does any of that have to do with Finger, Tennessee? Tigrett, a native of Jackson, Tennessee, turned to the musical roots and classic American diner experiences of his West Tennessee upbringing for inspiration, and the most authentic thing he could bring to mind was a juicy burger at the Finger Diner.
The combination of simple, working-class food and rock 'n' roll culture was an immediate sensation with Londoners and tourists alike. Overwhelmed by the success of his own venture, Tigrett told Newsweek in 1971, ”The Hard Rock Cafe is copied after the Finger Diner in Finger, Tennessee. Finger is so small that it hasn't got any traffic lights.” Despite those humble origins, rock ’n’ roll royalty started showing up at the London Hard Rock almost immediately for burgers, fries, and impromptu jam sessions. To reserve their seats, legends like Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend, donated autographed guitars to be displayed at their favorite tables, and other rock stars followed suit, giving the cafe its now familiar, eclectic charm.
The Hard Rock’s unique blend of hospitality and pop culture has been enjoyed by hungry music fans in 74 countries around the world for almost half a century now, and all because one West Tennesseean had a nostalgic longing for a juicy burger at the Finger Diner.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame inducts Finger, Tennessee as a site of significant music history, June 14, 2025.
Former McNairy County Historian, Bill Wagoner, credited Whitten and the popular Finger gathering with preserving square dance calls, old-time fiddle tunes, and dance steps into the 1980s and 90s, well past the heyday of those art forms. It’s no exaggeration to say that the long-running dance was one of McNairy County’s richest cultural traditions. It was also a prime source of revenue for Finger, keeping the town afloat financially during lean years.
In the early 1970s, at the height of the Finger Dance's popularity, American expatriates, Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, found themselves roaming the streets of London in search of a decent hamburger. When they predictably came up empty, the young entrepreneurs decided to open their own restaurant in a rented Hyde Park storefront. The idea was to serve up authentic American diner fare in an atmosphere that invoked the rebellious spirit of rock ’n’ roll.
What does any of that have to do with Finger, Tennessee? Tigrett, a native of Jackson, Tennessee, turned to the musical roots and classic American diner experiences of his West Tennessee upbringing for inspiration, and the most authentic thing he could bring to mind was a juicy burger at the Finger Diner.
The combination of simple, working-class food and rock 'n' roll culture was an immediate sensation with Londoners and tourists alike. Overwhelmed by the success of his own venture, Tigrett told Newsweek in 1971, ”The Hard Rock Cafe is copied after the Finger Diner in Finger, Tennessee. Finger is so small that it hasn't got any traffic lights.” Despite those humble origins, rock ’n’ roll royalty started showing up at the London Hard Rock almost immediately for burgers, fries, and impromptu jam sessions. To reserve their seats, legends like Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend, donated autographed guitars to be displayed at their favorite tables, and other rock stars followed suit, giving the cafe its now familiar, eclectic charm.
The Hard Rock’s unique blend of hospitality and pop culture has been enjoyed by hungry music fans in 74 countries around the world for almost half a century now, and all because one West Tennesseean had a nostalgic longing for a juicy burger at the Finger Diner.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame inducts Finger, Tennessee as a site of significant music history, June 14, 2025.
The Hard Rock Cafe at Old Hickory Mall, Jackson, Tennessee, 1983. The original Hard Rock Cafe in London was patterned on the Finger Diner, in Finger, Tennessee.
|
Pap Whitten and the Chickasaw Ramblers at the Finger Dance about 1970. Left to Right: Ray Whitten, Ronnie Whitten, Tom McCormack, Ernest "Pap" Whitten (kneeling), and Bobby Jerrolds.
|
The Murray Hill Jamboree
The Murray Boys making music at the Murray Hill Jamboree about 1980.
By the 1980s, many people were ready to pronounce the old-time, community music jam a thing of the past. But one local family had a better idea.
Murray Hill might seem an unlikely place for a music revival, but from the late 1970s into the 80s, that's exactly what happened in the unincorporated community between Bethel Springs and Purdy, Tennessee. But Murray Hill had one thing going for it that other places did not: The Murray Boys. The 2019 Hall of Fame bluegrass pickers turned a regular family jam into one of the most popular music events of the era, attracting hundreds of music fans from around the region to a makeshift stage in an old shirt factory. It wasn't fancy, but the music was second to none. Murray Hill Jamboree tapped into a sense of community and a strong appetite for live, local music that many had written off.
Naturally, the Murray Boys anchored the Murray Hill Jamboree, but audiences were treated to many great pickers including, The Whitten Brothers Band, Wayne Jerrolds Band, and the Gunner Lee Band, among others. The spectacular level of talent wasn’t lost on local music fans, and Murray Hill offered something for everyone, in a family-friendly atmosphere. On any given show night, you might enjoy some of the hottest bluegrass pickin’ you ever heard, or the rowdy sounds of outlaw country and Southern rock. It was always a blast, and those shows, and the community that developed around them, are still fondly remember by many today.
The Murray Hill Jamboree was both a throwback to McNairy County’s roots, and a nod to its constant musical evolution. It bridged the gap between the traditional repertoires of old-time pickers and the styles preferred by the younger generation to create a unique and culturally authentic experience for local music lovers.
And that's how a wide spot in the road becomes the site of one of the most beloved music revivals in McNairy County history.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame proudly inducts Murray Hill and the Murray Hill Jamboree as a site of historic significance in the class of 2025.
Murray Hill might seem an unlikely place for a music revival, but from the late 1970s into the 80s, that's exactly what happened in the unincorporated community between Bethel Springs and Purdy, Tennessee. But Murray Hill had one thing going for it that other places did not: The Murray Boys. The 2019 Hall of Fame bluegrass pickers turned a regular family jam into one of the most popular music events of the era, attracting hundreds of music fans from around the region to a makeshift stage in an old shirt factory. It wasn't fancy, but the music was second to none. Murray Hill Jamboree tapped into a sense of community and a strong appetite for live, local music that many had written off.
Naturally, the Murray Boys anchored the Murray Hill Jamboree, but audiences were treated to many great pickers including, The Whitten Brothers Band, Wayne Jerrolds Band, and the Gunner Lee Band, among others. The spectacular level of talent wasn’t lost on local music fans, and Murray Hill offered something for everyone, in a family-friendly atmosphere. On any given show night, you might enjoy some of the hottest bluegrass pickin’ you ever heard, or the rowdy sounds of outlaw country and Southern rock. It was always a blast, and those shows, and the community that developed around them, are still fondly remember by many today.
The Murray Hill Jamboree was both a throwback to McNairy County’s roots, and a nod to its constant musical evolution. It bridged the gap between the traditional repertoires of old-time pickers and the styles preferred by the younger generation to create a unique and culturally authentic experience for local music lovers.
And that's how a wide spot in the road becomes the site of one of the most beloved music revivals in McNairy County history.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame proudly inducts Murray Hill and the Murray Hill Jamboree as a site of historic significance in the class of 2025.
A typical Murray Hill Jamboree audience about 1980.
Latta Ford Motors: Selmer, Tennessee
1943 photo of Latta Ford Motor Company, around the time the legendary Latta jams were gaining popularity.
There are many historic music venues in McNairy County, but the Hall of Fame's parent organization, Arts in McNairy, is especially proud to have played a pivotal role in the restoration of the Latta. The Latta is now known as a regional hub for art, music, and entertainment, as well as the trailhead for hte Trail of Music Legends, but the Latta's history as a music venue is almost as old as the building itself.
In the mid 20th Century, Latta Ford Motor Company was the site of one of the post popular regular music jams in Southwest Tennessee. As one old-timer put it, "Everybody who was anybody played for Earl Latta." That's no exaggeration. Popular Hall of Fame radio performers like Waldo Davis, Arnold English, Con Crotts, and Kay Bain were regulars at the Latta jamborees, and the list of quality pickers who frequented the Latta jams is far too long to mention. A young Carl Perkins even got in on the act from time to time.
The Latta Jamborees were so integral to McNairy County’s midcentury music culture that almost everyone connected to them has been inducted in the the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame. Founder, and local Ford dealership owner, Earl Latta was inducted in 2021 for his role in staging the event; house band, the Latta Ramblers, were honored in 2020; and numerous musicians who made the events a success have been inducted as individual artists.
As Earl Latta’s Hall of Fame induction bio rightly noted, the Latta concerts were an “incredibly rich environment that bred fruitful musical collaborations, preserved locally treasured repertoires for another generation, and kept music at the forefront of social life in McNairy County at time when corporate media encroachment threatened to push it away for good…it’s hard to know what the traditional music of the region, as we’ve come to know it, would sound like without [the Latta Jamborees].”
A thorough history of the Latta building as a music venue is available on this site, but regular patrons of the facility say they can sense the history seeping through the walls of the Latta theater. That’s something everyone should experience for themselves.
The Latta Center is inducted to the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame as a site of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025
In the mid 20th Century, Latta Ford Motor Company was the site of one of the post popular regular music jams in Southwest Tennessee. As one old-timer put it, "Everybody who was anybody played for Earl Latta." That's no exaggeration. Popular Hall of Fame radio performers like Waldo Davis, Arnold English, Con Crotts, and Kay Bain were regulars at the Latta jamborees, and the list of quality pickers who frequented the Latta jams is far too long to mention. A young Carl Perkins even got in on the act from time to time.
The Latta Jamborees were so integral to McNairy County’s midcentury music culture that almost everyone connected to them has been inducted in the the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame. Founder, and local Ford dealership owner, Earl Latta was inducted in 2021 for his role in staging the event; house band, the Latta Ramblers, were honored in 2020; and numerous musicians who made the events a success have been inducted as individual artists.
As Earl Latta’s Hall of Fame induction bio rightly noted, the Latta concerts were an “incredibly rich environment that bred fruitful musical collaborations, preserved locally treasured repertoires for another generation, and kept music at the forefront of social life in McNairy County at time when corporate media encroachment threatened to push it away for good…it’s hard to know what the traditional music of the region, as we’ve come to know it, would sound like without [the Latta Jamborees].”
A thorough history of the Latta building as a music venue is available on this site, but regular patrons of the facility say they can sense the history seeping through the walls of the Latta theater. That’s something everyone should experience for themselves.
The Latta Center is inducted to the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame as a site of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025
A typical jam at the Latta Ford Motor Company, circa 1949. Numerous Hall of Fame musicians are shown including, Tom McCormack, Paul Taylor, Stanton Littlejohn, Arnold English, Elvis Black, Rob Richards, Waldo Davis, Benny Cauley, Bo English, Carl Perkins, and Peck Boggs,
Bethel Springs School
Period photo of Bethel Springs School, as it would have appeared when Elvis Presley performed there in 1954.
Everyone knows that Elvis Presley was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th Century. But the fact that the first road performance of his illustrious career took place in McNairy County, Tennessee may be less familiar to music fans.
In 2023 Arts in McNairy's cultural survey team interviewed audience members and compiled all the available data on Elvis's historic concert at Bethel Springs School. The performance occurred on September 17, 1954 and it is, without question, Presley's first documented live show outside of Memphis. It came shortly after the release of his first Sun single, just as the future King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s star was on the rise .
Presley's new sound captured the imagination of youthful audiences, including another ascendent young artist named, Carl Perkins, who heard echoes of his own music in Presley's version of Blue Moon of Kentucky–a tune Perkins had been playing in a similar style. When he learned that Presley would be performing at Bethel Springs, the curious Perkins turned up to see and hear the "Hillbilly Cat" for himself, and the rest is history. The survey team's full report can be read on the Arts in McNairy websites, and it’s an eye-opener for those who don’t know the whole story.
Long before the King arrived to make his mark, Bethel Springs had a long history of music making. Numerous Hall of Fame musicians and vocalist hailed from the town or surrounding countryside. Notably, the Cauley family, who lived a short distance from the school, frequently hosted musical house parties that included the Perkins Brothers Band, who reportedly had dinner at the Cauley home the evening of the Presley's Bethel Springs show.
Bethel Springs School was inducted to the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame as a site of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025.
In 2023 Arts in McNairy's cultural survey team interviewed audience members and compiled all the available data on Elvis's historic concert at Bethel Springs School. The performance occurred on September 17, 1954 and it is, without question, Presley's first documented live show outside of Memphis. It came shortly after the release of his first Sun single, just as the future King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s star was on the rise .
Presley's new sound captured the imagination of youthful audiences, including another ascendent young artist named, Carl Perkins, who heard echoes of his own music in Presley's version of Blue Moon of Kentucky–a tune Perkins had been playing in a similar style. When he learned that Presley would be performing at Bethel Springs, the curious Perkins turned up to see and hear the "Hillbilly Cat" for himself, and the rest is history. The survey team's full report can be read on the Arts in McNairy websites, and it’s an eye-opener for those who don’t know the whole story.
Long before the King arrived to make his mark, Bethel Springs had a long history of music making. Numerous Hall of Fame musicians and vocalist hailed from the town or surrounding countryside. Notably, the Cauley family, who lived a short distance from the school, frequently hosted musical house parties that included the Perkins Brothers Band, who reportedly had dinner at the Cauley home the evening of the Presley's Bethel Springs show.
Bethel Springs School was inducted to the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame as a site of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025.
Five individuals who attended the 1954 Elvis Presley concert at Bethel Springs School
gathered in 2023 to reminisce and share memories with Arts in
McNairy’s survey team. Left to Right: Vernon Hickman, Ann Ellis, Billie Teague, Don Smith, Jackie Miller. Photo by Deon Strickland
Littlejohn & Prentis Jams: Eastview, Tennessee
Period photo of the Stanton and Minnie Bell Littlejohn home in Eastview, Tennessee, as it would have appeared when the Littlejohn recording sessions were in full swing.
Love's Travel Stop keeps Eastview, Tennessee buzzing nowadays, but the town has always been abuzz with music. Harried travelers topping off the fuel tank or locals looking for a good meal at JR's Steakhouse probably never suspect that music history was made at the crossroads of Highways 45 and 57, but three places nearby were the sites of legendary music jams.
Long before there was a Love’s, JR’s, or Dollar General, Fred Prentis's general store offered almost everything one needed to get by in Eastview, along with a side order of old-time music. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Fred was an instrument maker, repairman and musician. Through the 1960s, neighborhood pickers flocked to Prentis Store for Friday night jam sessions, complete with a hot meal cooked up by the Prentis family. It goes without saying that the food and music also attracted appreciative audiences.
A mile or so down the road, Stanton and Minnie Bell Littlejohn also hosted regular jams in their home. The live music quickly evolved into recordings sessions, as Stanton acquired the ability to make lacquer discs in the late 1940s. Some of the best musicians of the era, including numerous Hall of Famers, wound up at Littlejohn home, and at least one of them went on to superstardom. Littlejohn was the first to capture the raucous new sound of Rockabilly music, when a young guitarist named Carl Perkins showed up looking to make a demo record. Perkins's Littlejohn sessions are widely acknowledged as the first of the rock 'n' roll icon's career.
By the 1980s and 90s most of Eastview's music history had largely faded, but that didn't keep the town from paying homage to its music heritage by hosting the Eastview Jammin' Jamboree. The popular annual music festival held on the grounds of the Eastview Civic Center was hailed as one of the most authentic old-time music and dance events in the region.
So, the next time you stop by the Eastview Love's, or sit down for a ribeye at JR's Steakhouse, raise a glass to the town's incredible music legacy.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame inducted Eastview Tennessee, as a site of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025.
Long before there was a Love’s, JR’s, or Dollar General, Fred Prentis's general store offered almost everything one needed to get by in Eastview, along with a side order of old-time music. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Fred was an instrument maker, repairman and musician. Through the 1960s, neighborhood pickers flocked to Prentis Store for Friday night jam sessions, complete with a hot meal cooked up by the Prentis family. It goes without saying that the food and music also attracted appreciative audiences.
A mile or so down the road, Stanton and Minnie Bell Littlejohn also hosted regular jams in their home. The live music quickly evolved into recordings sessions, as Stanton acquired the ability to make lacquer discs in the late 1940s. Some of the best musicians of the era, including numerous Hall of Famers, wound up at Littlejohn home, and at least one of them went on to superstardom. Littlejohn was the first to capture the raucous new sound of Rockabilly music, when a young guitarist named Carl Perkins showed up looking to make a demo record. Perkins's Littlejohn sessions are widely acknowledged as the first of the rock 'n' roll icon's career.
By the 1980s and 90s most of Eastview's music history had largely faded, but that didn't keep the town from paying homage to its music heritage by hosting the Eastview Jammin' Jamboree. The popular annual music festival held on the grounds of the Eastview Civic Center was hailed as one of the most authentic old-time music and dance events in the region.
So, the next time you stop by the Eastview Love's, or sit down for a ribeye at JR's Steakhouse, raise a glass to the town's incredible music legacy.
The McNairy County Music Hall of Fame inducted Eastview Tennessee, as a site of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025.
A typical jam at Prentis Store, in the mid 1960s, with Pud Smith (mandolin), Stanton Littlejohn (fiddle), Eunice Littlejohn Smith (piano), Fred Prentis (cello), unknown guitarist.
Bessie Blues Studio: Stantonville, Tennessee
Contemporary image of Bessie Blues Studio.
There is an unassuming, clapboard house at the crossroads in Stantonville, Tennessee. On the outside, it doesn’t look like anything special, just a cute, little, country home with a fragrant magnolia out front, and a welcoming front porch. There is no way a passerby would suspect a state of the art music studio was contained within those walls, or that music industry elites passed through the doors.
Bessie Blues Studio was founded in 2006 in the childhood home of Hall of Fame artists, Sandy Carroll. Sandy never meant to operate a private studio—certainly not in Stantonville, Tennessee—but it was probably inevitable when she met and married Grammy Award winning producer, Jim Gaines.
Shortly after they met in Memphis, Jim began producing Sandy’s music, but when the couple settled in Pickwick, they knew trekking back and forth wasn’t sustainable. So, little by little, they started working out of the Stantonville home Sandy inherited from her mother, naming the studio Bessie Blues in her honor. With Jim at the board, it could only go well, and wasn’t long before they began taking on other projects. Thus, Bessie Blues was born.
Jim's untimely passing in 2024 was the end of an era for Bessie Blues and the recording industry as a whole. Jim engineered or produced some of the most iconic records of the rock 'n' roll era working with artists such as The Steve Miller Band, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis and the News, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and of course, his beloved wife Sandy Carroll. His biography, Thirty Years behind the Glass: From Otis Redding and Stax Records to Santana’s Supernatural, is a must read for any serious music fan.
,
Bessie Blues wasn’t Stantonville’s only brush with musical greatness.
Johnny Cash’s first Sun release, Cry! Cry! Cry!/Hey Porter, made the country & western charts in the summer of 1955. Shortly thereafter, Cash and the Tennessee Two hit the road to promote the new single, landing at Stantonville School that fall. He was not yet The Man in Black, but his talent and irresistible stage persona were already in evidence. It was one of Cash’s first road performances after signing with Sun, and those who attended the show recalled how gracious he was to the fans.
Bessie Blues Studio and Stantonville, Tennessee were inducted to the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame as sites of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025.
Bessie Blues Studio was founded in 2006 in the childhood home of Hall of Fame artists, Sandy Carroll. Sandy never meant to operate a private studio—certainly not in Stantonville, Tennessee—but it was probably inevitable when she met and married Grammy Award winning producer, Jim Gaines.
Shortly after they met in Memphis, Jim began producing Sandy’s music, but when the couple settled in Pickwick, they knew trekking back and forth wasn’t sustainable. So, little by little, they started working out of the Stantonville home Sandy inherited from her mother, naming the studio Bessie Blues in her honor. With Jim at the board, it could only go well, and wasn’t long before they began taking on other projects. Thus, Bessie Blues was born.
Jim's untimely passing in 2024 was the end of an era for Bessie Blues and the recording industry as a whole. Jim engineered or produced some of the most iconic records of the rock 'n' roll era working with artists such as The Steve Miller Band, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis and the News, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and of course, his beloved wife Sandy Carroll. His biography, Thirty Years behind the Glass: From Otis Redding and Stax Records to Santana’s Supernatural, is a must read for any serious music fan.
,
Bessie Blues wasn’t Stantonville’s only brush with musical greatness.
Johnny Cash’s first Sun release, Cry! Cry! Cry!/Hey Porter, made the country & western charts in the summer of 1955. Shortly thereafter, Cash and the Tennessee Two hit the road to promote the new single, landing at Stantonville School that fall. He was not yet The Man in Black, but his talent and irresistible stage persona were already in evidence. It was one of Cash’s first road performances after signing with Sun, and those who attended the show recalled how gracious he was to the fans.
Bessie Blues Studio and Stantonville, Tennessee were inducted to the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame as sites of significant music heritage, June 14, 2025.
Johnny Cash signs autographs at his 1955 performance at Stantonville School. Also pictured in the photo are Kay Garrison Raines, Sarah Smith, Dorothy Stewart, Jerrie Sue Massengill, Larry Tillman, Jean Smith Tillman, and Bobby Tillman. Photo courtesy of Kay Raines.