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(Memphis, Tennessee)Last night I attended the induction ceremony that was held at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 31st Blues Music Awards. Full reporting of the Blues Music Awards will be covered live here at the American Blues News tomorrow.
2010 Hall of Fame Inductees:
The Blues Foundation has announced the 2010 inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame:2010 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Performers
Louisiana-born, Chicago-based bluesman Lonnie Brooks
highly-esteemed blues singer and harpist Charlie Musselwhite
singer, songwriter, guitarist and social activist Bonnie Raitt
"The Father of the Blues" W.C. Handy
Gus Cannon and Cannon's Jug Stompers
Amos Milburn.
American roots music writer Peter Guralnick
Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms and Sunshine Sonny Payne
Sonny Payne, legendary host of Helena, Arkansas' KFFA radio, King Biscuit TimeClassic of Blues Literature
Sam Charters groundbreaking research on the blues in the 1950s and '60s resulted in several books including this year's Classics of Blues Literature inductee - The Bluesmen.
Classic of Blues Recording - Single or Album Track:
"All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" by Otis Rush
"Fever" by Little Willie John
"Key to the Highway" by Big Bill Broonzy
"Match Box Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Spoonful" by Howlin' Wolf.
Classic of Blues Recordings - Album:
Strong Persuader by Robert Cray
Hung Down Head by Lowell Fulson
I Hear Some Blues Downstairs by Fenton Robinson.
Sponsors:
The presenting sponsors are The Gibson Foundation and BMI.
Also sponsoring the Blues Music Awards are: ArtsMemphis, bandVillage, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, I 55 Productions, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Tennessee Arts Commission and Vividpix and Design.
The Hall of Fame committee, consisting of scholars, record producers, radio programmers, and historians, is chaired by Jim O'Neal, founding editor of Living Blues.
Our sincere appreciation goes to Blues foundation Board of Directors Member and President of I 55 Productions, my dear friend Steve Bryson, who generously hosted a table for I 55 artists and also graciously provided us with photographs with the able assistance of photographer and friend, Jo Teri. Steve is more than doing his part to foster blues music and furthermore, help a host of blues musicians who he has signed to his label this year. Steve is originally a Memphis native, runs eight corporations out of his offices in Long Beach, California, including Global Electronics Technology.
In the coming months you will be hearing a lot about the large number new I55 releases from such great blues artists as the late Willie Foster, Fred Sanders, Billy Lavender, Darren .J Fallas, David Daniel, Eric Hughes, just to name a few. In fact, Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms and the Wampus Cats are releasing the rare Spectator Shoes CD on the I-55 label within a very few days. That CD features the last recorded performances of Canned Heat's bassist Richard Hite and my mentor, Beale Streeter and former drummer with B.B. King's 1950's band, Earl Forest. Earl sings two of the songs that were hits for him back in the 50's when he recorded as an artist and served as an engineer for the Duke and Peacock labels.
Here's some American Blues News articles articles you may find interesting:
http://www.ameriblues.com/2010/03/blues-foundation-thrives-by-robert.html
http://http//www.ameriblues.com/2009/12/memphis-christmas-kindness.html
RCT
© Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, 2010
