A festival intended to honor the legacy of Mississippi Delta blues musicians is scheduled for this weekend.
The two-day festival, known as “The King of the Delta Blues 100th Anniversary Remembrance Festival,” will be held on the grounds of the WABG radio station on Money Road, less than a mile from the gravesite of blues legend Robert Johnson.
Saturday’s festival will focus on blues, and Sunday’s will turn to gospel.
Saturday tickets are $25 each. All-day parking is $10 additional.
Gates open at 8 a.m.
“It’s a tribute not just to Robert Johnson,” said festival organizer and radio personality James Poe. “It also honors Honeyboy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, Mississippi Slim and Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith.”
Poe said Friday that the stage was nearly built.
Artists scheduled to perform Saturday include Rory Block, a country-blues artist; Steven Johnson, grandson of Robert Johnson; Dr. Feelgood Potts; Brian Carrick; guitarist Wes Lee of Hattiesburg; Tokio Uchida, a blues artist from Japan; Bruce Falconer; Sade Turnipseed; and Jacqueline Nassar, the first recipient of the Robert Johnson Award.
Japanese blues artist Tomomi Hoshima will emcee the Saturday event.
Sunday’s program begins at 9 a.m. on the grounds of WABG. There will be a procession to Robert Johnson’s gravesite at Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
The gospel portion of the festival will be emceed by DeWitt Kimble of WGRM radio.
Sunday’s artists include Maria Muldaur, Everlean Arnold of Charleston and Bobbye Doll Johnson. Sponsors for the festival include Capital City Beverages Inc. and Homefront Home Improvement.
Poe said the two-day festival has something for everyone.
“We’re going to have plenty of food. We’ve still got booth space available,” he said.
For more information, call Poe at 455-1688 or e-mail him at Thejamespoe@yahoo.com.
