2012 Line-up Announced for the Chicago Blues Festival

Artie White Performs at the 23rd Annual Chicago Blues Festival

DCASE Announces All Acts for 29th Annual Chicago Blues Festival
Blues Music Past and Present Celebrated in Grant Park June 8-10

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) has released the complete lineup, including the artists performing on the popular Bud Light Crossroads Stage, Mississippi Juke Joint and the Pepsi Front Porch Stage, for the 2012 Chicago Blues Festival, held in Grant Park June 8-10.

In January, the festival announced Grammy® winner Mavis Staples will headline at the Petrillo Music Shell on Sunday, June 1, along with Texas Johnny Brown on June 8 and Floyd Taylor on June 9.

The day stages add to the festival’s reputation as an internationally acclaimed and free admission event. The 2012 line-up celebrates the genre’s rich tradition and heritage.

At the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage on Friday, June 8 the festival will kick off its centennial celebration of Lightnin’ Hopkins with a panel discussion at 11:30 a.m. Lightnin’ Hopkins was a legendary blues singer and songwriter from Houston, Texas best known for his unique guitar style. Named as one of the top 100 guitarists by Rolling Stone, Hopkins died in 1982.

The panel is followed by several performances that include classic sounds from the young members of the Ol’ Skool Revue from the Delta Music Institute of Delta Stage University and a jam session with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith. Saturday, June 9 brings more classic blues sounds to the festival with Terry “Big T” Williams and a family of young artists from Mississippi, Homemade Jamz Blues Band. On Sunday, June 10, the stage will be set to rattle and roll with The Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band and “ladies sing the blues” on the final day with Eden Brent and Pat Brown.

Fans will flock to Jackson and Columbus for the Pepsi Front Porch Stage with a line-up on Friday, June 8 that includes Blues in the Schools featuring Stone Academy with Erwin Helfer, Katherine

Davis and Eric Noden, Fernando Jones and My Band and Big James and the Chicago Playboys. On Saturday, June 9, fans get a second chance to see Friday night Petrillo headliner, Rev. K.M. Williams, followed by the Sam Lay Blues Band and a special Tribute to Hubert Sumlin. Lurrie Bell and Eddie Shaw and The Wolf Gang, take the stage for the festivals final day on Sunday, June 10th.

Located at the “crossroads” of Jackson and Lake Shore Drive, the Bud Light Crossroads Stage kicks off each day at 11:15 a.m. Highlights include Zora Young and Joe Louis Walker on Friday, June 8. Bob Jones with Ronnie Hicks and the Masheen Company Band featuring Mike Wheeler followed by Chicago favorite, Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues on Saturday, June 9. Scheduled to perform sets on Sunday, June 10 are Demetria Taylor and Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials.

The Chicago Blues season begins April 29 and continues through the festival with many citywide events, concerts, lectures, films and tours. Highlights include the Tuesday Blues Lunch Break Series at the Chicago Cultural Center starting May 8 at Noon and continuing each Tuesday in May. The Chicago Public Library Blues Programs will feature lectures and performances at various locations around the city and is free to the public. Programming includes the Blues Trio on May 12 at the Woodsen Regional Library, Play & Singing the Blues on May 26 at the Sulzer Regional Library and Speakin’ of the Blues on June 1 at the Harold Washington Library.

Also in May, blues enthusiasts can enjoy a special showing of the documentary film, The Blues According to Lightnin’ Hopkins on Thursday, June 7 at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater at 6:30 p.m. On, Monday, June 4 at Noon, Melvia “Chick Rodgers, Deitra Farr & the Blues Machine Band will perform a special set on Daley Plaza to preview the festival that weekend. All events are free to the public. For a full schedule of events, please visit http://www.chicagobluesfesitival.us/.

The 29th Annual Chicago Blues Festival is presented by the City of Chicago and produced by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events with the following sponsors: Bud-Light, Pepsi, Mississippi Development Authority, 93 XRT Applitite, Aquafina, Chicago Jazz Magazine, Communications Direct, Chicago’s Essex Inn, LaGrou Distribution System, Rosa’s Lounge and CTA. For more information please call (312) 744-3316 or visit www.chicagobluesfestival.us for updates. Join the blues conversation on Facebook at the Chicago Blues Festival and follow us on Twitter, @ChicagoDCASE. Full line-up is attached.

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) presents large scale and small high-quality FREE festivals, exhibitions, performances, parades, sport events, farmers markets and holiday celebrations in venues throughout the city each year. DCASE is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the arts in Chicago as well as supporting the people who create and sustain them.

29TH ANNUAL CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL LINE-UP
(Schedule Subject to Change)

FRIDAY, JUNE 8
BUD LIGHT CROSSROADS STAGE

11:15 am – 12:15 pm The Jimmy Reed Family
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm Quintus McCormick
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Zora Young
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Joe Louis Walker

MISSISSIPPI JUKE JOINT STAGE

11:30 am – 12:30 pm Panel Discussion (Lightnin’ Hopkins) with Roger Wood, Chris Strachwitz & Alan Govenor
12:45 pm – 1:30 pm Ol’ Skool Revue from the Delta Music Institute of Delta State University
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm Eddie C. Campbell
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Vasti Jackson
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Johnny Rawls
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Jam Session with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith

PEPSI FRONT PORCH STAGE

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Blues In The Schools w/Stone Academy, Eric Noden, Katherine Davis & Erwin Helfer
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Fernando Jones and My Band!
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Matthew Skoller Band
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Big James & The Chicago Playboys

PETRILLO MUSIC SHELL

(A Centennial Celebration of Lightnin’ Hopkins)

5:50 pm – 6:35 pm Rev. K M Williams
7:00 pm – 8:05 pm Milton Hopkins and Jewel Brown
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm Texas Johnny Brown

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

BUD LIGHT CROSSROADS STAGE

11:15 am – 12:15 pm Tommy McCracken
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm Diunna and Blue Mercy
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Bob Jones with Ronnie Hicks & The Masheen Company Band featuring Mike Wheeler
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues

MISSISSIPPI JUKE JOINT STAGE

11:30 am – 12:30 pm Panel Discussion of Malaco Records (Tommy Couch, Jr., Wolf Stephenson, Brett Bonner & Alex Thomas)
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Terry “Big T” Williams
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Mark “Muleman” Massey
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Homemade Jamz Blues Band feat. Ryan, Kyle & Taya Perry
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Jam Session w/ Ronnie Hicks & The Masheen Company Band

PEPSI FRONT PORCH STAGE

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Columbia College Blues All Stars
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Rev. K M Williams
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Sam Lay Blues Band
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Tribute to Hubert Sumlin featuring Steady Rollin Bob Margolin, Eddie Shaw, Dave Spector , Bob Corritore, Johnny Iguana, Kenny “Beedy Eye’s” Smith & Bob Stroger

PETRILLO MUSIC SHELL

5:40 pm – 6:10 pm Paul Kaye (Tribute to David Honeyboy Edwards)
6:35 pm – 8:00 pm (Celebrating Muddy Waters Disciples - Pinetop Perkins, Willie Big Eyes Smith & Mojo Buford ) featuring Steady Rollin Bob Margolin, Mud Morganfield, Kenny ”Beedy Eye’s” Smith, Barrelhouse Chuck, Lil Frank, Bob Stroger & Joe Filisko
8:25pm – 9:30 pm Floyd Taylor

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

BUD LIGHT CROSSROADS STAGE

11:15 am – 12:15 pm Demetria Taylor
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm Mary Lane and the No Static Blues Band
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Charles Wilson
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials

MISSISSIPPI JUKE JOINT STAGE

11:30 am – 12:15 pm Howlin’ Wolf B-Day/Panel Discussion with Barbra Marks, Sterling Plumpp & Dick Shurman
12:30 pm – 1:25 pm The Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Eden Brent
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pat Brown
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Patrice Moncel
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Mississippi Jam Session w/ Dexter Allen

PEPSI FRONT PORCH STAGE

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Homemade Jamz Blues Band featuring Ryan, Kyle & Taya Perry
1:30pm – 2:30 pm Lurrie Bell
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Omar Coleman and Friends
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang

PETRILLO MUSIC SHELL

6:00 pm – 7:20 pm Celebrating Women in Blues – Tribute to KoKo Taylor, featuring Melvia “Chick” Rodgers, Jackie Scott, Deitra Farr , Nora Jean Brusco and The KoKo Taylor Blues Machine Band
7:45 pm – 9:00 pm Mavis Staples

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