Founded in 1995, the Atlanta Blues Society promotes and preserves the blues through an innovative Blues in the Schools program, a weekly blues calendar, charitable events, monthly support of the Blue Flame Fund to assist blues musicians in need, and partnerships with Atlanta’s KBA awarded clubs, Darwin’s and Blind Willie’s. Since its inception, the ABS has grown to 400 members and has attracted 30 local sponsors. In addition to creating paying gigs for local bands, the ABS works with local music camps, providing scholarships for young musicians. The society also supports its IBC contestants each year by filming and recording all acts who compete and giving each entry their recorded set in hi-def video and mixed down multi-track audio, and the ABS winners receive as much studio time as needed to record a master disc, all free of charge. Perhaps most importantly, the ABS supports sustainable and popular charitable events including Blues Stotts, which raises money for cystic fibrosis care and research in memory of founding ABS member Larry Stotts. The ABS is particularly proud of its Georgia Blues & Roots Festival, its Georgia Music Legends Award, and its annual Toys for Tots drive.
