King Biscuit Blues Festival
October 10, 11 & 12, 2002
Helena, Arkansas
17th Annual King Biscuit Blues Festival Plans Unveiled
The Sonny Boy Blues Society is pleased to announce the stage line-up for
the 17th Annual King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas.
New stages and a new Main stage name will be dedicated during the
opening ceremonies of this year's festival. The Main Stage shall be
dedicated as the Sonny Boy Williamson Main Stage and the Frank Frost
Stage as well as the Sam Carr Stage will be dedicated this year.
With over 70 acts sharing the Sonny Boy Williams Main Stage, Houston
Stackhouse Acoustic Stage, Robert Lockwood, Jr. Heritage Stage, the
Frank Frost Stage, the Gospel Stage and the Sam Carr Stage the King
Biscuit Blues Festival will continue its' tradition of offering quality
Blues music free for all to enjoy. According to Liz Harrison, Festival
Director, "the King Biscuit Blues Festival is similar to a museum.
Where a museum offers unique experiences in art, the King Biscuit Blues
Festival offers unique experiences in music. Most come away from the
King Biscuit Blues Festival with the realization they have encountered
something out of the norm."
Some highlighted acts scheduled to appear on the Sonny Boy Williamson
Main Stage are: Solomon Burke, Irma Thomas, Ike Turner, Robert Lockwood
Jr., Pinetop Perkins & Bob Margolin, Jody Williams & Sean Costello and
Roomful of Blues.
The Frank Frost Stage is new to King Biscuit Blues Festival which will
be situated between The Sonny Boy Museum /Official Merchandise Store and
the Sonny Boy Music Hall. This year's artists scheduled include Michael
Hollaway, Forrest McDonald, Blues Oreo, Eric Hughes and Bill Ellis that
will be featured on this stage.
Highlighted acts for the Houston Stackhouse Acoustic Stage are Spencer
Bohram, Precious Bryant, Haweye Herman and Otis Taylor and on the Robert
Lockwood, Jr. Heritage Stage Willie Kent, Al Garner, Rockin Johnny &
Taildragger and Ed Davis will be performing.
***CURRENT LINEUP***
Sonny Boy Williamson Main Stage
Thursday 10/10/2002
2:00-2:45 SBBS Talent Contest Winner - Alex Maryol
3:00-4:00 IBC Winner - Chef Chris & The Nairobi Trio
4:15-5:20 Sterling Billingsley
5:40-6:50 Burton Gaar
7:10-8:25 Floyd Taylor
8:45-10:00 Sonny Landreth
10:25-11:40 Luther Kent & Raful Neal
Friday 10/11/2002
12:00-1:00 John Weston
1:15-2:20 Sam Carr & The Delta Jukes
2:35-3:40 Deacon John
4:00-5:10 Billy Branch
5:35-6:40 Pinetop Perkins & Bob Margolin
7:10-8:20 Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout
Featuring Carey Bell & Johnny Dyer
8:50-10:00 Roomful Of Blues
10:30-11:45 Solomon Burke
Saturday 10/12/2002
12:00-1:00 Kelley Hunt
1:15-2:15 Mem Shannon & The Membership
2:30-3:30 Charles Walker
3:50-5:00 Jody Williams & Sean Costello
5:20-6:35 Robert Lockwood, Jr
6:55-8:10 Anson & The Rockets Big Band with Sam Myers
8:40-10:00 Irma Thomas
10:30-11:50 Ike Turner
Houston Stackhouse Acoustic Stage
Friday 10/11/2002
12:00-1:00 Butch Mudbone
1:20-2:20 Catfish Hodge
2:40-3:40 Otis Taylor
4:00-5:00 Hawkeye Herman
Saturday 10/12/2002
12:00-1:00 Dave MacKenzie
1:20-2:20 Steve Avery
2:40-3:40 Precious Bryant
4:00-5:00 Spencer Bohran
Robert Lockwood Heritage Stage
Friday 10/11/2002
5:30-6:35 Henry Qualls & The Hash Brown Band
7:05-8:10 Cleveland Fats
8:40-9:50 Eb Davis
10:20-11:30 Rockin Johnny & Taildragger
Saturday 10/12/2002
5:30-6:35 Ann Rabson
7:05-8:10 Alberta Adams
8:40-9:50 Al Garner
10:20-11:30 Willie Kent
Frank Frost Stage
Friday 10/11/2002
4:45-6:00 Bill Able & Cadillac John
6:30-7:45 TBA
8:15-9:30 Deep Cuts
10:00-11:30 TBA
Saturday 10/12/2002
12:15-1:15 TBA
1:45-2:45 Mark Lemhouse
3:15-4:15 Louisiana Queen, Ms Zeno & the Sky Dogs
4:45-6:00 Eric Hughes Band
6:30-7:45 Forrest McDonald
8:15-9:30 Blues Oreo
10:00-11:30 Michael Holloway
Sam Carr Stage
Friday 10/11/2002
3:15-4:15 TBA
4:45-6:00 Kim Richardson
6:30-7:45 Blue Mother Tupelo
Saturday 10/12/2002
12:15-1:15 McFarland's> Children's Interactive Event
1:45-2:45 Crossroad Crusaders> Children's Interactive Event
3:15-4:15 Pat "Catman" Webb & the Confounders
4:45-6:00 Backsliders
6:30-7:45 Charlotte Taylor
Gospel Stage
Saturday 10/12/2002
TBA
Side events planned for the festival are: a 2002 Blues Summit hosted by
the Sonny Boy Blues Society, a tribute presented by the Delta Cultural
Center, 5K Run, BBQ Contest with professional and backyard divisions,
Children's Interactive Area, and Arts & Crafts. Live Music will also
be ongoing during the festival at the Sonny Boy Music Hall.
Helena, Arkansas is a located some 70 miles southwest of Memphis on the
Mississippi River. It has a long and rich history in the blues. Between
1920 and 1965 Helena was the home of many of today's "legends" of blues
music, from Sonny Boy Williamson II to Robert Lockwood, Jr., Houston
Stackhouse, Robert Nighthawk and Muddy Waters. Robert Palmer, a noted
author, called Helena "the blues capital of the Delta". refering to a
period in the mid 1930s. In Helena, between 1925 and 1941, the blues was
heard in virtually every corner of the city -- from the docks to Walnut
Street to the corner of Cherry and Elm.
In 1986, a group of local citizens (later to become the Sonny Boy Blues
Society) whose knowledge and love for Delta Blues and Helena's
involvement in its' progression joined forces with the organizers of Main
Street Helena. Their combined focus was to revitalize and preserve the
buildings on Cherry Street and to develop an annual blues festival celebrating
the Delta Blues. The festival has a profound economic impact on the area
when upwards of 100,000 blues fans caravan into this community of 7,000
people. For at least for one day a year Helena becomes the second largest
city in Arkansas.
The King Biscuit Blues Festival is held on Columbus Day weekend on October
10th-12th, in historic Helena, Arkansas. The festival remains
free due to the support of sponsors such as: Isle of Capri Casino
Entertainment Resort, Delta Cultural Center, Budweiser, Coco Distributing,
Coca-Cola, Southwestern Bell, Stephen's Inc. and numerous other sponsors.
Now in its' 17th year, King Biscuit Blues Festival is considered the
largest free festival in the South and one of the world's premier Blues
Festivals.
The King Biscuit Blues Festival is ranked this year as #4th out of the Top
Ten International Festivals.
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