While the Killer Blues Headstone Project Fundraiser at Unruly Brewing Company in Muskegon, had a strong Michigan connection, this organization’s reach extends well beyond the Wolverine State.
In a recent phone interview from his home in Whitehall, Michigan, Killer Blues Founder and President Steven Salter said that they have now placed 175 headstones in 17 different states as the Killer Blues Project continues with its mission to give dearly departed blues people the respect that they deserve.
Although Salter has deep roots in Michigan it was a trip to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1997 that led him on the path to recognizing the many forgotten blues artists. As he plotted out his trip to the Crescent City, he opted to stop in Chicago to visit the graves of late blues musicians that he admired. He found Muddy Waters’ grave but was dismayed to discover that Otis Spann was buried in an unmarked, grass covered plot.
This visit to Spann’s final resting place was the impetus for Salter’s quest to “preserve the legacy and history” for those who gave so much to the blues. And so began his mission to preserve the artists’ legacy while “paying it forward to the families that deserve it.”
Salter often bemoans the fact that once these artists have passed, they are forgotten by the record labels and the many blues superstars who made millions on “the backs of these artists.” He added that, “I’m in the business that I’m in because the industry hasn’t supported it right.”
Although Salter hasn’t gotten the big bucks from world-famous blues artists, he was gratified to have the support of a long list of local sponsors who “pretty much covered the cost” of the recent fundraiser in Muskegon. Salter added that due to the success of this show, the Killer Blues Headstone Project Board is now exploring additional ways to raise funds for 2026 and beyond.
But that’s not to say that Salter will be on hiatus until then. He is continually researching and reaching out to folks for more details on deceased blues artists. He contacts cemeteries, talks to family members, oversees the creation of the headstones, and myriad other behind-the-scenes machinations.
Salter recently received a call from Roger Stolle, who is the driving force behind Clarksdale, Mississippi’s blues renaissance and “a good friend of the headstone project.” Stolle told Salter that Cadillac John Nolden, who passed away at the age of 98 in July, needed a headstone. Nolden was long recognized as the oldest, still-performing bluesman in the world, so Salter has begun the process to honor Nolden’s legacy. After receiving the go-ahead from Nolden’s family, Salter has been in contact with a stone cutter in Cleveland, Mississippi and is targeting spring of 2026 for installation in Cadillac John’s final resting place in Cleveland.
Since many headstones aren’t placed until years after an artist’s death, Salter has been gratified to have conversations with Nolden’s daughter who gave Salter additional insights on Nolden’s life. Salter added that, “It’s not often that we get the opportunity to speak with family members so that makes it much more rewarding to have a living connection” with the deceased blues artist. Salter also has seven headstones in the Chicago area that “are ready to go” but due to Chicago’s capricious weather patterns, they are on hold until May of 2026.
Yet, during the dark winter months, you can rest assured that Steve Salter will continue with his mission to shine a light on these artists and give them “the respect that they deserve” as he works to “let the blues world know who these people are, and that they won’t be forgotten.”
For more details on the Killer Blues Headstone Project or to donate any amount of money, please head here.
