Continuing the Legacy of Christine Chatman: The Jazz Foundation Of West Tennessee Installs Historical Marker

Written & photographed by Margee Stanfield 

“Jazz is considered America's classical music and the music embodies the whole idea of freedom and self-expression. And I think as long as there are human beings on the planet, we'll always long for those things. The music is essential, it's life affirming, and it's just forever,” James Cherry, Founder and President of the Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee said. 

Christine Chatman was born in South Jackson in 1920. By the age of three, she was playing the piano. By age 15 she was a professional musician. And at 18, she started a band and hit the road. It was in  Indianapolis that she really made a name for herself, becoming known as “the Queen of Boogie Woogie.” Eventually, she made her way to Vegas, playing with legendary talents like  Lou Rawls, Donald Washington, Sammy Davis, and Frank Sinatra. She returned to Jackson and led a few church choirs around town before passing away in 1979 at the age of 59. 

James grew up hearing stories about Christine, having been born and raised in Jackson. 

“ But I just kind of connected the dots and I think she deserves some wider recognition,” James said. “ I think people knew about her but maybe not as many people. Maybe some of the older generation knew about her. But being the jazz and blues organization we felt that it was imperative that we bring it to the forefront.”

Christine’s contributions to the music world and our community were celebrated at the historical marker dedication on August 1, 2025 at the Soul Collective in Jackson, right across from Institute Street where she grew up. To James, this historical marker symbolizes that Jackson is serious about its music and cultural heritage. He hopes it could be an inspiration to young artists growing up in Jackson who are interested in music. Christine, in his opinion, is the original inspirational figure of her kind.

“When I think about her, going out on the road so young, to me, she's kind of a forerunner to the people who are considered independent, strong female artists today. I see a direct connection between her and people like Taylor Swift and Beyonce.”

It will also serve as a new destination of the Tennessee Historical Commission markers. Now, when people come through Jackson, Christine will be able to expand the legacy of other historical markers like those of Carl Perkins and Gil Scott-Heron. 

“Not only was she an innovator, but she also helped other artists as well,” James said.

He pointed to the fact that Christine had helped another woman who grew up in her neighborhood get her start, Big Maybelle Smith. Big Maybelle already has her own historical marker in Jackson, so it was high time Christine got some recognition of her own. 

I asked him what he wished more people knew about Christine’s life, career, and influence. 

“Number one, what an amazing artist she was. She played 19 instruments,” James said. “Also her independent spirit. I mean, being black and female and to have the courage to wanna be your own person, do your own thing. That's an amazing story.”

Jazz artists like Christine, along with ones like Gil Scott-Harris, had a great impact on the music coming out of the Jackson area in their time, which then spread far wider than just Jackson. 

“All American popular music is blues based. There would be no rhythm and blues. There would be no rock and roll. There would be no soul. So the music … its influence is wide and deep,” James said. 

How might we see that legacy living on today in Jackson's jazz and music scene? That’s why the Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee is here. 

“That's one of the things we're trying to work on. So what we found is that there is a niche to be filled there … and the crowds keep getting bigger and bigger,” James said. “The response has been very good and, I mean, we've only been around two years.” 

This historical marker aligns with the foundation’s current mission as well as their future plans.

“ So the mission is concerts, youth, educational outreach through teaching young people how to play the music, and eventually a jazz festival,” James said. “But also there are other Jacksonians who made contributions to, not only jazz and blues, but music in general. So we have plans for more historical markers.”

The reveal event for this historical marker featured remarks made by friends and city dignitaries, including Mayor Scott Conger. 

“I learned a lot as Mayor of the city, and one of the things I've learned is that our art history, our cultural history, our music history, is not known by a lot of people. And one other thing I've also learned is that when James Cherry comes to you as mayor and says, ‘I want to do something’, it's a whole lot easier to walk along with him and do it, because he's going to get it done anyway,” Conger said. “And so he's been an integral part in the Jazz Foundation of educating the entire community about a section of our community that has been forgotten of the contributions that have been made for a long time. We want to continue to walk alongside James and the Jazz Foundation as we continue to share our rich cultural diversity in our history.”

The heart of the event was the attendance and contributions of several members of the Chatman family. 

“The Chatman family are an amazing group of people. I mean, they have movie producers in Hollywood, they have people singing on Broadway,” James said in introduction of the family. “They’ve come from miles and miles to be here with us today, by plane, by car … some may have hitchhiked — I don’t know!”

He turned the stage over to the family, giving them the space and time to just share about their aunt and cousins. Family members took turns in front of the mic, allowing for a period of rich storytelling. This illuminated the life and legacy of Christine beyond her basic bio in a way that only family witnessed memories and passed down tales can. This portion of the event was closed out with another special treat: two Chatman family members, Christine's niece and nephew — who affectionately refer to her as “Aunt Chris” — sang one of her songs with the original backing track played by her. Their love for their aunt and their joy for the preservation of her legacy was evident as they sang, spreading into the crowd who clapped along to the song. 

Finally, all that was left to do was unveil the marker. Just when I thought the smiles couldn’t get any bigger, I saw the pure gratitude of the family as the marker was unveiled, overjoyed their beloved Christine finally has this permanent installation as a testament to her talent, influence, and the person she was.

Honoring Christine Chatman isn’t just about acknowledging and preserving her legacy, but continuing it. James is right, as humans we long for freedom and self expression and music encapsulates and is an outlet for those desires. Like he said, music is forever, and now, with this marker, Christine Chatman’s legacy will be too. 

The Chatman family have plans in play as we speak to further continue her legacy. A documentary is being produced that will do a deep dive on Chrstine, as well as specific highlights on the following generations of her family who have carried and still are carrying her talent. There is also a musical in the works that will tell the story of her life. 

If you want to see the marker for yourself, you can visit it outside Soul Collective at 580 S. Royal Street. To learn more about the Jazz Foundation and stay in the know about future historical markers and events, you can visit their website.