 Run by Frank "Rat" Ratliff for several years prior to his death on March 28, 2013, the hotel is currently operated by Ratfliff's daughter, Zelena "Zee" Ratliff.As one of the only hotels in the state that allowed African-Americans, the Riverside played host to a great number of touring musicians, including Sonny Boy Williamson II and Duke Ellington.At some point in the mid-1940s, Ike Turner moved into the Riverside Hotel; his bedroom, in which he reportedly wrote and rehearsed his song "Rocket 88," is said to have been what is now room #7.