Chicago Blues Festival Anniversary
The Windy City Celebrates 25 Years of Singing Blues at Grant Park
May 10, 2008
The Chicago Blues Festival, held the first weekend of June, is celebrating 25 years of music. Hundreds of thousands of people attend the four day event in Grant Park. The Chicago Blues Festival was initiated in 1984. The first music event has been sucessful since its first year and has grown steadily since.
In 1984 The Chicago Blues Festival was attended by 165,000 people. In 2007, over 800,000 people listened to the smooth sounds of the blues in the City of Chicago.
The 2008 Chicago Blues Festival will see the return of Johnny Winter, who played at the event in 1984. Johnny Winter will headline at Petrillo Music Shell on opening night, along with James Cotton.
The Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor will headline along with her Blues Machine at Petrillo Music Shell on Friday night.
On Saturday night Buckwheat Zydeco will headline at Petrillo Music Shell. Buckwheat Zydeco is a 60 year old accordionist who brings the sounds of New Orleans to the stage.
Blue Legend B.B. KIng will headline on Sunday night. This year's appearance by B.B. KIng is his first appearance at the popular Chicago Blues Festival in 20 years.
Chicago Blues Festival Music Plays on Seven Different Stages, including Petrillo Music Shell, U.S. Cellular Front Porch,, Louisiana Bayou Station and Social Club,Gibson Guitar Crossroads, Mississippi Juke Joint, Maxwell Street Corner and Zone Perfect All-Natural Nutrition Bars Route 66 Roadhouse.
Following are performances scheduled for each day, from the official Chicago Blues Festival website. To find what stages the performers will be on, see the official website.
- "Catfish Blues" on Thursday. Muddy Waters features Johnny Winter with James Cotton, Big Time Sarah and the BTS Express and Duke Robillard's Tribute to Louis Jordan; Blues in the Schools, Ineta Visor, Pinetopo Perkins, David Honey Boy Edwards, Professor Fernando Jones Columbia College Blues; Louisiana Red; Nuwki Nu; Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band; LIttle Willie LIttlefield; Patricia Scott with W. Williams; Big Ray and Chicago's Most Wanted; Sharon Lewis and Texas Fire; A Day with Jimmy Burns the Chicago Blues Round Robin; L.C. Ulmer; Piano C. Red; Diamond Jim Greene; Storytelling and Diddley Bow Building with Charles "Wsir" Johnson; 25 Year Retrospective Triute to Muddy Waters; Jim O'Neal introduces tthe Centenarians.
- "Sweet Home Chicago" on Friday. Acclaimed Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor and Her Blues Machine headlines, along with a set by Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater. "Blasts From the Past with Ruby Andrews, Cicero Blake and Jackie Ross; Keith Frank and Soileau Zydeco Band, Litle Willie LIttlefield' Jo Jo Murray and Joy HIlls; Peaches and the Groove Shakers; Tear Dropo Sessions; Little Arthur's Backscratchers; Les Getrex and Creole Cookin'; Omar Shariff; Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band; West Side Tribute to Jumpin' Willie Cobbs featuring J B Band; Larry Taylor's West Side Blues and Soul Band; The Taylor's Family Band;; Rising Star Fife and Drum the Thomas Family; Sam Lay; L.C, Ulmer; Jam hosted by Kenny Smith; Harmonica Hinds; Jimmy Johnson; Storytelling and Diddley Bow Building with Charles "Wsir" Johnson; Louis Jordon.
- "Let the Good Times Roll" on Saturday. Buckwheat Zydeco sounds of New Orleans.Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials; Barbara Lynn with Lil' Buck and the Buckaroos; Shorty Mack and the Magnificent R&B Blues Band; Liz Mandville and the Blues Points; Charles Hayes and the Hayes Family Band; Recapturin the Banjo Project featuring Otis Taylor, Don Vappie and Guy Davis; John Hammond; Milwaukee Blues All Stars FTG Stokes and Milwaukee Slim; Guy Davis and teh High Flying Rockets; Bumble Bee Bob; Omar Shariff; Keith Fr;ank and the Soileau Zydeco and; Chick Rogers; PG Man; Rising Star Fife and Drum featuring the Thomas Family; Theodis Ealey; Juke Joint Duo; T-Model Ford; Jam hosted by Rosa's All Star Jam Band featuring James Wheeler; Steve Arvey; Quintus McCormick; Guitar Red; Story telling and Diddley Bow Building with Charles "Wisr" Johnson; The Black Banjo Project Discussion; Maxwell Street Stories.
- "Everyday I Have the Blues" on Sunday: Blues Legend B.B. King, Little Willie Littlefield and Bobby Parker. Vocalist Karen Carroll with Charlie Love and Lurrie Bell; Victory Travelers; Marie Knight; Tony Joe White; Davell Crawford; LaVelle White; Geraldina and Donald Gay; DAvell Crawrford; Paul Geremia; John Boutte; Rodney Brown's salute to Louis Jordan; Big James Montgomery and the Playboys; Charles Wilson; Rising Star Fife and Drum featuring the Thomas Family; Juke Joint Duo, T Model Ford; Jam hosted by Kenny Smith; Dancin' Perkins; Otis Taylor; Filisko and Noden; Story telling and Diddley Bow with Charles "Wsir" Johnson; The B.B. KIng Museum and the Mississippi Blues Trail; The Future of the Blues.
The Chicago Blues Festival is held on Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8.
Festival sponsors include 93XRT, CLTV Television, Chicago Tribune, Hinckley Springs, Gibson Pure, Louisiana Office of the Lt. Governor, Zone Perfect, Southwest Airlines, Chicago's Essex In, Hyatt Regency Hotel and Rom Marker's Blues Breakers, Dominick's, WGN Television and U.S. Cellular.
Milwaukee Wisconsin is home of "The World's Largest Music Festival." See Summerfest Music Fest Milwaukee WI
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