(Photo from Vintage Vibes)
- In this quiet little Mississippi town north of Tupelo, the past isn’t past. It’s still singing.
If you blink while driving through Saltillo, Mississippi, you might miss it. But this quiet little town—just a few miles north of Tupelo—has a musical legacy that hums beneath the surface. It’s not loud or boastful. It doesn’t need to be. The stories sing for themselves.
Saltillo’s roots in bluegrass and early rockabilly run deep, and few know that the very fabric of what we call American music today might sound entirely different without the influence of this town. Names you may not know—but should—called Saltillo home. And one of those names is Merle “Red” Taylor.
Red Taylor, a hometown fiddler with fire in his bow, brought a distinct blend of blues and rockabilly into the bluegrass scene. They called him the “Father of Bluegrass,” though his name never quite reached the marquee lights. His playing caught the ear of Bill Monroe—yes, that Bill Monroe—and when Red composed a catchy melody, Monroe added lyrics and recorded it just weeks later. The result? A song called Uncle Pen, one of Monroe’s most requested tunes. But Red? He never got the credit.
Still, credit or not, his influence resonates. Red’s signature bowing technique—both soulful and sharp—has inspired generations of fiddlers. He played with legends like Paul Howard, Cowboy Copas, and Hank Williams. And although he left the big stages behind, his family and his musical fingerprints remain right here in Saltillo.
Then there were the Miller Sisters—though they weren’t sisters at all. Elsie Jo Wages and Mildred Miller were sisters-in-law, bound by marriage and melody. Alongside Roy Miller, they formed a trio that filled local halls and, eventually, the ears of Sam Phillips himself. In 1955, they recorded a single for Sun Records: Someday You Will Pay / You Didn’t Think I Would. That second track? Credited to Roy, but penned by Jo and Millie on the drive home from a gig.
Their harmonies were incredible! Though they never became household names, their voices are woven into the background of countless hits—singing backup for the likes of Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.
And then, of course, there’s Elvis.
We love to say he’s Tupelo’s own, but any Saltillo local will tell you—the King of Rock and Roll has roots here, too. His grandparents lived on Old Saltillo Road. As a boy, Elvis would ride the Doodlebug train from East Tupelo, hop off in Saltillo, and walk to their home. His footsteps, and his story, are etched into the town’s red clay.
Saltillo wasn’t just a pass-through—it was a hub. The Doodlebug train cost a dime and stopped in towns where music played on porches and in dance halls. Add to that Highway 45, the first paved highway in the South, and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, and you had a perfect storm for musical movement. Artists passed through, stayed a while, played a gig, and left a little magic behind.
“In the 1920s and 1930s, every prominent musician in the world filtered through Saltillo at some point,” said Dale Rushing, Saltillo’s Rockabilly Historian. “It’s amazing to think about the number of artists who have come through Saltillo and the city’s contributions to musical influence.”
And he’s right. The names may not always be remembered, but the influence is undeniable.
Today, Saltillo’s musical spirit still flickers. From American Idol contestant Drew Poppelreiter, to rising country artist Auburn McCormick, to TikTok favorites Brady Brazeal and Cal Caldwell—the music lives on.
So, the next time you’re driving through North Mississippi, look for the sign: Rockabilly Way. Follow it. Because in Saltillo, the past isn’t past. It’s still singing.
Meredith Biesinger
