Slick Ballinger entertains Delta Fair crowd
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Sacha Champion

While many may say that he hasn't suffered enough at the tender age of 20 years old to be truly able to sing the blues, those who turned out to the Delta Fair Friday night to see Slick Ballinger perform know that the boy can sing.
"I couldn't hardly stay in my seat," said Mary Jones of Cardwell. "I just wanted to get up there and dance with him.

"He is so talented. This is the first time I have ever seen him perform, but I definitely would like to see him again."

Ballinger, a North Carolina native, has been singing the blues for several years. He received his first guitar as a Christmas gift and at the age of 15, he was on his way to stardom.

"I started out playing old 50s rock music like Jerry Lee Lewis," Ballinger said. "Then I moved down to Mississippi and there I really got into the old gospel singing and blues.

"Now, I love to sing the blues."

He has sung with blues greats such as Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Othar Turner, "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones and Big Bill Morganfield.

Ballinger travels all over the nation, offering over 100 performances a year. This is his sixth performance in Kennett and his second at the Delta Fair.

"I love Kennett -- its cool," said Ballinger with his heavy southern drawl. "It reminds me of Mississippi with all the cotton. It's definitely like the Delta region in Mississippi."

However, singing isn't Ballinger's only talent. He plays the guitar and has dance moves that would make Chubby Checker stand up and take notice.

Cynthia Gray of Portageville saw Ballinger perform at last year's fair as well as Friday night.

"I think he is great," Gray said. "I really like his dancing. He does a great job."

Even those who weren't part of the ever increasing crowd found themselves stopping to listen or perhaps just moving along to the beat of the music. Children and adults like wore smiles and clapped their hands or snapped their fingers as Ballinger strutted his stuff across the stage.

"Boy, if they'd let me, I'd be right up there on stage dancing with him," said Mary Jones.