Newsfeeds

The blues tells a story in itself. It can make you happy or give you a feeling to swing.
- Jimmy Rushing

News form the Blues Foundation offices in Memphis

While out on tour the past month, Tommy Castro conducted a raffle for a cabin for two on the January 2014 Caribbean Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise to Raise the Roof!. His effort netted $6750 to fund the construction converting our office into the Blues Hall of Fame. Thanks so much Tommy. This shows what one person can do who really cares! The winner is Michael Lingler from the Cincinnati area.

Sin City Raises the Roof!

THANKS to Sin City Soul and Blues Revival for giving away a Ticket-Hotel Package to their big event this September 15-17 at The Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas! Tedeschi Trucks Band, Robert Cray, Los Lonely Boys, Tab Benoit, Ruthie Foster, and 30 more top acts will perform at two indoor stages and one at the pool, and it will all be just an elevator ride from your suite. Follow the link below for more information on how you can win your Free Ticket-Hotel Package to The Revival b...

Raise the Roof! Thermometer!

Thanks to the following members who have joined what we are calling the 250 Club. 250 members pledging $250 a year for 4 years to help us Raise the Roof! We appreciate your help in making the mercury in the thermometer climb higher and higher! You can join the 250 club here. Each person that does will be: (1) listed on our website and recognized within the Blues Hall of Fame. Beginning May 25, while supplies last, ...

45 Affiliated Blues Societies Raise the Roof!

Thanks to our affiliated blues societies that have pledged to Raise the Roof! To date, 45 affiliates have pledged over $60,000 to build the Blues Hall of Fame. The largest pledge has come from the Memphis Blues Society with a pledged of $10,000. They include Atlanta Blues Society, Billtown Blues Association, Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast, Blues Lovers United of San Diego, Blues Society of Central Pennsylvania, Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania, Canal Bank Shuffle, Capital Area Bl...

Beale Street Mess Around Raises the Roof!
The 2nd annual Beale Street Mess Around held at the Rum Boogie Cafe Friday evening after the 34th Blues Music Awards has contributed $3,383 so far to the Raise The Roof! Campaign to build the Blues Hall of Fame in downtown Memphis. More is expected from the auction, pledges and text to donate and total should approach or exceed $4000. The Beale Street Mess Around was present by Brandon Santini and this year's lineup featured Mud Morganfield, John Nemeth, Bryan Lee, Terry Hanck, Sugar Ray Radfo...

34th Blues Music Award Winners
Traditional Blues Album: Double Dynamite - The Mannish Boys Instrumentalist-Bass: Bob Stroger DVD: Eagle Rock Entertainment - Muddy Waters & Rolling Stones, Live at Checkerboard Lounge Instrumentalist-Horn: Eddie Shaw Soul Blues Female Artist: Irma Thomas Acoustic Artist: Eric Bibb Traditional Blues Male Artist: Magic Slim Acoustic Album: Not Alone - Ann Rabson w/ Bob Margolin Contemporary Blues Album: Show of Strength - Michael Burks Gibson Guitar: Derek Trucks Rock Blues Album: Everyb...

34th Blues Music Award Photos
Award-winning photographer Ronald C. Modra has now posted his shots from the 34th Blues Music Awards. they are mostly black and white and includes some shots on the way to Memphis and in Clarksdale afterwards. Check them out here. Joe Dempsey has completed his gallery of photos from the 34th Blues Music Awards. Gallery 1 feat...

Generation Blues Scholarships Awarded
The Blues Foundation is pleased to announce that we have awarded 16 youth with almost $15,000 in Generation Blues Scholarships this year. The youth will go to Blues camps and workshops around the country. It's the younger generation who will keep the Blues alive! Congratulations to Darryn Azevedo, Roman Barten-Sherman, Savanna Coen, Michael Czubaj, Carson Diersing, Matthew Fyke, Brady Geilenfeldt, Alissa Gattuso-Chesis, Ian Matthew Harper, Bear Hutchinson, Michael Kavchak, Micah Kesselring, J...

Kid Ramos Benefit CD
Southwest Musical Arts Foundation will release a CD to benefit Kid Ramos. It will be called The Kid Ramos/Bob Corritore Phoenix Blues Sessions and will have an initial limited run of 1000 copies of which 100% of CD sales go to Kid Ramos. This CD will be culled from 4 recording sessions Kid and Bob did in the mid to late 1990s with Henry Gray, Nappy Brown, Big Pete Pearson, Chief Schabuttie Gilliame, and Chico Chism. Most of this collection has been previously released on multiple CDs but this is...

Blues on the Radio
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. Smokin' Bluz out of Charlotte, NC is the sponsor of the Smokin' Bluz Youth Showcase each year at the International Blues Challenge. Check out Rick Ballew's Smokin' Bluz 24/7 at

Blues Foundation News