An exhibition celebrating the legendary blues musician

"Champion" Jack Dupree

8 to 31 January 2025

During the 1960's, Champion Jack and his American station wagon were a familiar, if unusual, sight around Ovenden and Halifax. Jack had met and married a local girl, Shirley, and their Ovenden home became the base from which he continued touring. He worked with greats such as John Lee Hooker, BB King and Eric Clapton, all of whom stayed over after gigs to keep the party going and if they were lucky, Jack would cook up some of his favourite New Orleans food.

Jack was a restless spirit who never stopped moving, or searching, a victim of racism and the Jim Crow laws of the American south, a war hero and champion boxer, a migrant who sought and found not just sanctuary but love, in Calderdale.

This new exhibition will feature artefacts on loan from Jack's family, alongside stories collected during our oral history project from those who knew him. 

Free entry at Halifax Central Library and Archives, Mon to Sat, 10am until close.

Central Library and Archives, Square Road, Halifax, HX! 1QG.