SUNDAY - AUGUST 10, 2008 EVENT TIME: 2:00 PM TO 9:00 PM BENEFIT FOR LARRY "LOWNOTE" JOHNSON & WIFE SHAKESPEAR'S PUB 14129 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77079 Larry is a Grammy award winning bassist currently performing with John McVey & the Stumble in Houston,Texas. He toured Germany in April 2007 with the Tony Vega Band and played the bass tracks on Tony's current CD Glory Baby. He recorded and toured Europe in 2005 with Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy and was with the band in Memphis when they won the International Blues Competition's best unsigned blues band. He also play... <more>

The Blues Music Awards honor those professional artists and recordings that stand out within the eligibility period, which runs from November 1 through October 31. In addition to the awards for the past year’s top recordings, additional categories honor individual, actively touring artists for their overall excellence and accomplishment in that year. The Blues Foundation solicits from the labels--even the single artist label--a list of their eligible recordings. If you are a record label or blues musician who released a CD during the period November 1, 2007 to October 31, 2008, go to ... <more>

Irish Blues Foundation members Monaghan Rhythm & Blues Festival will present “Harvest Time Blues” Live at The Marquee, The Market House & 8 venues in Monaghan Town, Ireland on 5/6/7 September 2008. “Where The Blues meets up with it’s prodigy Rock & Roll”! In this period of “a climate of economic uncertainty”, this Festival is the perfect antidote to any impending anxieties you may have, by letting yourself be immersed in the music that has withstood all economic forecasting... “The Blues” 24 acts performing 50 gigs over the weekend in 10 venues Lurking within “the drumlins” of c... <more>

Put an ad on The Blues Foundation website and reach up to 20,000 blues consumers each month. Rates start at only $50.00 per month for a side banner ad. The Blues Foundation offers 3 locations for ads on our website: 1. Welcome Page Top Banner - this appears at the top of the welcome page, which is the 1st page most visitors to our site see. The content is usually a photograph. Ads are in a random order rotation so that a different ad appears each time the page is accessed or refreshed. Only 5 ads are now allowed in this location. The maximum size is 500W X 80H pixels. Maximum resolution is ... <more>

It is a great help to us and helps cut expenses if members look at their membership card and renew online or send a check before the month of expiration. That will save The Blues Foundation the cost of printing and mailing renewal notices.

New Page 1 Iconic Bluesman to Take On DJ Duties in September   ... <more>

The Kentucky Blues Society will debut its new show, “Kentucky Blues TV,” at 6:30 p.m. tonight on Insight Cable Channel 5. “Kentucky has had tremendous people in the industry who have changed the world’s music,” Blues Society member Kenny Lee Smith said. “We’re hoping the show will help make it more accessible to people.” The 30-minute program, hosted by former professional wrestler Jim “Hillbilly Jim” Morris, will feature a segment called “Kentucky Blues History Corner,” sponsored by Bluegrass Cellular. The segment is part of the Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools, an international pro... <more>

2007 International Blues Challenge 2nd Place finishers Homemade Jamz Blues Band (if you are counting, and we do, that is 5 current Blues Foundation members) recently appeared on NPR's All Things Considered. The Perry family is out on the road this summer appearing at numerous Blues festivals and touring behind their NorthernBlues Music debut release Pay Me No Mind. We could print more here but who wants to read it when you can click the link below to hear and see this amazing band! www.npr.org. ... <more>

Blues Foundation member Conrad Oberg has been chosen by Cartoon Network as one of the most talented kids in the US. The network chose 20 finalists which have been posted on the Cartoon Network website. They are going to choose six of the children to highlight on a special show which will air this fall on the network. If Conrad is chosen, 14 million viewers will learn about him and his musical ability. Please click on the link below and then click on Conrad's picture which is on the top row on the far right. An arrow to "Vote for Conrad" will pop up. If you click on that arrow you will... <more>

Mental Health America is proud to announce an alliance with the Blues Foundation in the development of their first national signature event: JAMMIN’ AWAY THE BLUES, a varied musical entertainment event to be launched in late 2008. Mental health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. With over 300 Affiliate locations nationwide, they represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness. And what better way to promote mental wellness than to launch... <more>

It has taken us a while to add to the initial four episodes, but we now have ten of the thirteen episodes of The Blues Radio Series hosted by Keb' Mo available on The Blues Foundation's website under the What is the Blues? icon. The remaining three episodes will be added soon. The series will be permanently located here. The series was produced by the Experience Music Project and Ben Manilla Productions for the presenting station WGBH in Boston with major support coming from Volkswagen. This 13-part series was created as part of the ... <more>

Exploring the “Home of the Blues,” the Chicago Blues Audio Tour narrated by Chicago-local Buddy Guy has found an astonishing audience in just six months. The podcast has been downloaded more than 97,000 times and is currently averaging over 1,000 downloads per day. The free, 50-minute tour combines an interactive map, tour stop directions, archival photos, video, music clips, and interviews – a true multimedia experience unlike anything else available. Listeners are able to follow the tour either by downloading to a portable media player or by virtually experiencing Chicago on a home comp... <more>

Village Square, the folks behind the harmonica necklaces you have seen for years at your favorite Blues festivals around the country are now offering black guitar pick necklaces featuring The Blues Foundation's logo. (When you order in bulk, you can further customize them with your own name or logo). The pick rests on an adjustable size knotted cord with assorted bead colors. The best prices are when ordered in bulk for your own fundraising purposes. Part of the proceeds will go to The Blues Foundation in the form of in-kind donation of necklaces for our use. Check them out ... <more>

Creating the Mississippi Blues Trail is one of the Mississippi Blues Commission's primary projects. The Mississippi Blues Trail will be composed of scores of historical markers and interpretive sites, and will include locations throughout the state. The Trail will be developed in phases as funding becomes available. "Phase 1" of the trail will consist of 11 markers that will focus on higher profile locations. For more information and a list of markers that have already been erected, click here. A distinguished panel ... <more>

Looking for Blues music on your radio dial. A very helpful website for finding Blues radio programs is Mary4Music. When you go to the Blewzzman's site, you might just find something more of bluesy interest to you. And check out www.MountainofBlues with host and producer Michael Cloeren. Then there is Bluesville on XM Satellite Radio with host and good friend Bill Wax.

For information on summer blues festivals. Visit Blues Festival Guide or check out the list at Blues Revue. The Blues Festival Guide lists 530+ Blues Festivals in 2007. In case you are wondering. Here's how they breakdown by month. January = 12 February = 16 March = 12 April = 20 May = 58 June = 99 July = 105 August = 102 September = 69 October = 22 November = 17 December = zero