No single promoter has done more for bringing blues music to the world than 86-year old George Wein. To many, the Newport Jazz Festival® (1959) and Newport Folk Festival® (1960) are the starting point for American music festivals. Those groundbreaking events were the brainchild of the legendary George Wein. Since he began, Wein has been deeply involved with promoting the blues. Artists like Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, B.B. King, Brownie and Sonny, and others were showcased at those 1960s Newport gatherings. Then, in 1970, Wein created the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which for 43 solid years has become the premier showcase of American music. In addition, Wein established Festival Productions, which has produced hundreds of festivals and blues tours around the world, including B.B. King’s 1980s European tours. In 2010, he founded Newport Festivals Foundation to perpetuate the history of jazz, folk, and the blues in Newport. His tireless promoting of all forms of American music is a rare gift to us all.
