Jackson in Hinds County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Hal & Mal's

— Mississippi Blues Trail —

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026

1. Hal & Mal's Marker

Inscription.
Founded by brothers Harold and Malcolm White, the restaurant and music club Hal & Mal's opened in 1985 with a performance by Albert King, and would subsequently present hundreds of shows by artists including B.B. King. Willie Dixon, Mose Allison, Otis Clay and Jack Owens. A regular venue for local musicians, in 2008 it began serving as the home of weekly Blue Monday shows hosted by the Central Mississippi Blues Society, and in 2020 received the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive award.

Hal & Mal's success as a major entertainment spot in Jackson after its 1985 opening can largely be attributed to co-owner Malcolm White's long and extensive history in managing venues and booking bands. Born in Hattiesburg and raised in Perkinston, White (b. 1951) first started booking bands in 1968 while still in high school in Booneville; the first was Sam and Bob's Soul Review, featuring future Malaco recording artists Sam Mosley and Bob Johnson. White continued booking bands while attending Northeast Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State University, and while running restaurants in Hattiesburg and

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New Orleans in the 1970s hired bands including McComb's Omar and the Howlers.

In the late '70s White moved to Jackson, and while managing George Street Grocery booked artists including John Lee Hooker, Dwight "Gatemouth" Moore, Mose Allison, B.B. King and Sam Myers. Once open, Hal & Mal's featured blues regularly, and became renowned for its food, largely the responsibility of Harold White (1949-2013). With the assistance of his wife, cofounder Vivian Pigott Neill, Arden Barnett, Charly Abraham, and Brandi White-Mims, Malcolm White brought in a wide range of artists, including blues veterans Son Thomas, Jack Owens and R.L. Burnside, soul-oriented artists including Bobby Rush, Tyrone Davis and Otis Clay, and New Orleans groups including the Neville Brothers. They also booked blues artists at annual events including the Jackson Jubilee Jam (1987-2009), Zoo Blues (1985-2002), and Mal's [later Hal's] St. Paddy's Parade, founded in 1983.

In 2006, musician Jesse Robinson, who arranged special birthday and Christmas events at Hal & Mal's for many years, founded the Central Mississippi Blues Society together with Peggy Brown and Carol

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026

2. Hal & Mal's Marker

and Ron Marble. The Society began hosting Blue Monday shows here the following year, with the evening often starting with acoustic performers followed by a jam session anchored by the Blue Monday Band and featuring multiple guest performers. Blue Monday stalwarts have included vocalists Pat Brown, Abdul Rasheed, Dennis Fountain and J.T. Watkins; guitarists Sherman Lee Dillon, King Edward, Lonné George, and Bernard Jones; drummers Rick Lewis, Dwight Ross, Jr., and Malcolm Shepherd; bassists Robert "Bull" Jackson, Troy Thomas, Keith Collins, Michael Bernard, and Chillie Willie (James); keyboardists Johnny Sharp and Kendrick Hart; and saxophonist Dr. Russell Thomas. The Blue Monday Band also performed at events including the King Biscuit Blues Festival, and the Society has sent to the International Blues Competition local competition winners Dillon, Dexter Allen, "Stevie J" Johnson, Fredrick "Fred T" Robinson, Jarekus Singleton, and the duo of D'Mar (Derek Martin) and (Chris) Gill.

Erected 2024 by the Mississippi Blues Commission. (Marker Number 216.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:

Hal & Mal's Marker closeup of photos & captions. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026

3. Hal & Mal's Marker closeup of photos & captions.

African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi Blues Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1985.

Location. 32° 17.834′ N, 90° 10.786′ W. Marker is in Jackson, Mississippi, in Hinds County. It is on Commerce Street north of East Pascagoula Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Commerce St, Jackson MS 39201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Natchez Trace Corridor.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: GM&O Freight Depot (here, next to this marker); GM&O Depot (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Merci Train Memorial

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 27, 2026

4. Hal & Mal's Marker

(about 500 feet away); Mississippi's Old Capitol (about 700 feet away); Patti Carr Black (about 700 feet away); Old Capitol (about 800 feet away); Central Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jackson City Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jackson.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Mississippi State Historical Museum (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . New Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Honors Jackson Music Venue Hal & Mal’s. (Submitted on September 28, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 28, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.