Muddy Waters‘ gravestone is in the Restvale cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, a small suburb just south of Chicago. (I believe there are more dead residents than live ones, based on the number of cemeteries in that town). I happened to be there last year for a gravestone ceremony for Joe and Charlie McCoy, early jug band/blues musicians. Joe was married to Memphis Minnie for a time. He and his brother died fifty years ago and never had a stone until last year.
Since I was there and knew Muddy was there, I found the gravesite and took the pic. Rather overgrown, Restvale is clearly not as well tended as the wealthier cemetery across the road. There are a number of other bluesmen buried there.
I assume the pennies on the headstone are for good luck, or a remembrance that the grave has been visited. There is a Jewish tradition of leaving pebbles or a bit of grass on a gravestone when you visit, but not pennies. So I don’t really know.
– Michelle Weinberg
Photos property of Michelle Weinberg, all rights reserved.
