“The Last of the Mississippi Jukes”—will debut on the Black STARZ! cable network Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.
Back in 1939, when the old Summers Hotel was built, the building that houses the Subway wasn’t even thought of. The old Summers Hotel wasn’t even called the Summers Hotel, and it wasn’t a hotel. It was called The Maples, and it was a rooming house with four units. But when W.J. Summers bought the place in ’44, he turned it into a hotel, and 20 years later in 1964, he started building the addition that is now the Subway as an extra downstairs dining room and kitchen.
At the time, Summers was the “exalted ruler” of the local Elks Lodge, which still exists on Lynch Street. Jimmy King was the entertainment chairman. When Summers left his post as exalted ruler, King left with him. It seems the downstairs dining at the hotel just wasn’t panning out—people were used to eating upstairs, and that’s where they stayed—and so Summers was looking for something else to do with the addition.
King suggested making the place into a lounge. It was supposed to be called the Summers Lounge, but King thought it would be more aptly named the Subway. “I’d spent some time the summer before in New York, and the place sort of reminded me of going down into the subway and catching the train,” King says. And so it was named. First day of operation was Dec. 16, 1966.
It seems fitting somehow that the documentary director Robert Mugge (“Deep Blues,” “Gospel According to Al Green” and more) made back a year ago—”The Last of the Mississippi Jukes”—will air on the Black STARZ! cable network on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.
Part of the proceeds from the the film, which features blues artists Vasti Jackson, Patrice Moncell, Bobby Rush, the King Edward Blues Band, Greg “Fingers” Taylor, Chris Thomas King and more, will go to help save the Subway, whose fate is unclear. The old hotel has already fallen, and King’s not positive the Subway’s foundation hasn’t folded.
King, who STARZ flew out to Hollywood’s Knitting Factory in January for a screening of the film, thinks it’s pretty good.
“It captures the bands and the feeling you get when you’re here,” he says.
— Lori Herring
Previous Comments
Please give me an update on the fate of the subway lounge and an article on its fate.
#63885 | Author: cbt | Date: Sep 23 2003
Last I heard through the grapevine was the all efforts of restoring the old hotel eventually fell through, not enough money, interest, etc…. And the owner of the Subway Lounge was/had purchased a building on Farish Street with the purpose of opening the Subway Lounge there … part of the Farish Street Historic Distric efforts.
#63886 | Author: Herman Snell | Date: Sep 23 2003
Where did you hear this?
#63887 | Author: Re DuBois | Date: Nov 18 2003
I heard what Herman said, too. I heard it from a Jackson musician (can’t remember his name right now) that I met at another kind of meetingabout 6 weeks ago. I’ve never been to the Subway (don’t get to Jackson much), but I have heard tons about it.
#63888 | Author: C.W. | Date: Nov 18 2003
Recent Immigration Stories
The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
