Victor Wainwright wins Blues Music Award!

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY'S VICTOR WAINWRIGHT WINS BLUES MUSIC AWARD Southern Hospitality's Victor Wainwright won the prestigious "Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award" last Thursday at the annual Blues Music Awards ceremony in Memphis.  It honors the best keyboard player in the blues field, as voted by the members of the Blues Foundation.  Victor was ecstatic about winning. "How can I express just how genuinely happy and shocked I am? I'm extremely honored, humbled and excited to have won!! I will continue to work very hard, and I will not let any of you down. I will just be myself, smile, and continue to play the piano and sing as hard and passionately as I can. We will keep the party going!!!" He also paid homage to the awards namesake: "Thank you, Pinetop for all the memories you've given the world and me, the music you've shared with us, the laughs and the lessons. I will always believe that your spirit, good sense of humor, friendliness and bad ass piano playing live on!"   Wainwright is currently gaining attention as one of the principals, along with slide guitarist Damon Fowler and guitarist JP Soars, of the Amerciana/roots music sensation called Southern Hospitality.  In March the group released Easy Livin,' which Living Blues called "the debut release from what could become a southern rock supergroup."   The album was produced by Tab Benoit.  Wainwright is known for his high-octane boogie piano, big soul sounds, powerhouse blues, roots rock 'n' roll, and a voice that recalls Dr. John and Leon Russell.  He's a raucous, high-octane dynamic performer and a crowd pleaser with soul to spare, as evidenced by the standing ovation he received from the BMA awards show audience following his smoking solo performance. Blues Foundation CEO Jay Sieleman said, "Four-and-a-half hours into the show, a single performer playing the keys silenced the house. It was the E.F. Hutton moment, when everyone stopped talking, put down their drink and faced the stage. Victor Wainwright showed everyone why he deserved to win his first Pinetop Perkins Award. The power of his performance was almost unbelievable." Bill Wax of Sirius/XM radio, which broadcast the entire evening live, said, "The highlight of the Blues Music Awards for me was Victor Wainwright's set 4½ hours into the show.  When he started his second number, a slow blues, you could have heard ice rattle in  a glass it was so quiet.  He had everyone's attention and when he finished the room rose to a standing ovation.  Watch out for Victor - he is a force to be reckoned with." Victor has released several critically acclaimed albums over the past few years with his own band, the WildRoots, with whom he continues to perform when he's not touring with Southern Hospitality. For more information about Easy Livin' or to see videos of Victor performing with Southern Hospitality, please click HERE.