KIMBERLY HORTON NAMED PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE BLUES FOUNDATION

 

KIMBERLY HORTON NAMED PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE BLUES FOUNDATION

(Memphis TN) – Kimberly Horton has been named President and CEO of The Blues Foundation, a position she has held on an interim basis since last Fall, it was announced by R. Scott Fitzke, Chair of the Board of Directors.        Horton is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and has been a passionate advocate of the blues genre since she was young. A graduate of both Jackson State University and Belhaven University with degrees in Management and Public Health, Kimberly has dedicated over sixteen years of her career to higher education. Her love for the blues, however, led her in a different direction: becoming President of a successful blues booking and management agency, Heathrow Muzik Box.      Through her agency, Kimberly has managed several well-known artists in the blues genre. Her expertise in the industry helped earn Horton a position as a Board Member with The Blues Foundation. Possessing a strong desire to inspire and educate the younger generation, Kimberly plans to lead The Blues Foundation to new heights by, among other things, implementing youth education initiatives and updating the Blues Hall of Fame Museum with modern technology.      In addition to her professional achievements, Kimberly cherishes her family. She is a proud mother to two beautiful children, Tyra and Jerin. Tyra is currently following in her mother’s footsteps as the CEO of Heathrow Muzik Box, while Jerin is a junior at Manassas High School. Horton’s passion for the blues, coupled with her leadership skills, is sure to leave a lasting impact in the world of Blues.      “We are confident that Kimberly is the right person to lead The Blues Foundation into the next chapter of our history,” says Fitzke. “Kimberly shares our passion as well as our core values and has a clear vision for how The Blues Foundation can continue to make advancements in serving that mission. Kimberly is also committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and excellence both within The Blues Foundation, among our constituents, and with the community in general,” adds Fitzke.      Please join us in welcoming Kimberly Horton as the President and CEO of The Blues Foundation. We hope everyone will have an opportunity to meet her at an upcoming event, at The Blues Hall of Fame, or on the road championing our cause. Please visit our website at www.blues.org to learn more about The Blues Foundation and our programs.         Join us on Facebook      Follow us on Twitter       Send us an Email

Blues Foundation kicks off 33rd Int'l. Blues Challenge with free concert in Clayborn Temple 1/31

THE BLUES FOUNDATION KICKS OFF ITS  33RD INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE  WITH A FREE CONCERT ON JANUARY 31 The IBC’S International Showcase will feature  top blues acts from around the world performing at Memphis’ historic Clayborn Temple

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The blues will be coming home to Memphis on January 31st when The Blues Foundation hosts its 33rd annual International Blues Challenge. At this blues summit, musicians from around the globe will battle it out for cash, prizes, and bookings in the Challenge’s half-dozen categories.   Before the much-anticipated competition begins, however, musicians, blues professionals and fans will first come together for the traditional kick-off concert, the International Showcase. Taking place at the historic Clayborn Temple on January 31, 2017, beginning at 5 p.m., this opening night event features performers — representing Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America — celebrating the blues. You don’t even have to be an IBC pass holder to attend because this show is free and open to the public.   The International Showcase serves as a terrific introduction to the five-day-long IBC as it presents a vibrant picture of the many exciting things happening in blues music today. The concert also gives this diverse lineup of musicians, hailing from 13 different countries, an opportunity to play together in one location. Additionally, it provides local Memphians the chance to be part of this celebration of the music for which the city is known throughout the world.   This type of community building reflects what the Blues Foundation is all about. For more than 35 years, the local Memphis organization has not only worked to increase awareness of blues’ past, present and future throughout the world but it also has been an advocate for the vital and varied societal roles that this music plays. The Foundation runs two highly regarded education programs, Blues in the Schools and the Generation Blues Scholarship, along with operating the HART Fund, which provides medical assistance for musicians in need. The IBC festival, furthermore, features several youth showcases and benefit concerts, while its February 3rd keynote panel explores the role of “Blues as Healer.”   This emphasis on community also makes the International Showcase’s venue, the historic Clayborn Temple, a wonderfully appropriate location. A Memphis landmark for more than 120 years, the Clayborn, which is currently undergoing renovations, played a particularly important role during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. As a frequent community meeting place, it acted as a distribution site for the now famous “I Am a Man” signs and also was the staging ground for many marches, including the last one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would ever lead, the March 28, 1968 rally supporting the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. Dr. King’s final speech, the legendary “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address, was originally scheduled for the Clayborn too, but at the last minute was moved to the nearby Mason Temple. The spirit of Dr. King’s message on breaking down the boundaries of color, nationality and gender is proudly carried on by the Blues Foundation.     Memphians and IBC attendees from across the globe attending the International Showcase concert will have the exclusive pleasure of being able to witness the progress that has been made with the extensive restoration of the Clayborn, which has been vacant for the past few decades. The current owners, in fact, just received a $400,000 grant from the National Parks Service on January 12 that will further help reestablish its original grandeur and bring this historical significant building back to life.   Honoring and preserving the past also is a main function of the Blues Foundation’s mission. In 2015, it opened the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis to much popular and critical acclaim. Each year at the IBC, the Foundation also bestows its Keeping the Blues Alive Awards to salute those who have worked to keep the blues flame glowing strong. This year’s 16 honorees, who will be recognized at an IBC luncheon on February 3rd, include record labels, music festivals, recording studios, clubs, radio stations, publications and individuals located all around the world. The International Showcase opening night concert, (the show’s performance schedule will be released that day) beginning at 5 p.m. on January 31 is just the start of the IBC’s five exciting days. In fact, music from additional international acts will be starting up in clubs on Beale Street that night beginning at 8 p.m. International Showcase attendees will be able to purchase passes ($100 per person) for the rest of the International Blues Challenge events. Passes can also be purchased at www.blues.org, where there is more information about the Blues Foundation and the IBC, the schedule of IBC activities and performances, and how to join the Blues Foundation. Daily wristbands for the competition events (beginning at 4:30 p.m. each evening) can be purchased each day on Beale Street. Passes are required for daytime activities. About the Blues Foundation: This world-renowned, Memphis-based organization holds a mission to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. Founded in 1980, the Blues Foundation has approximately 4,000 individual members and 200 affiliated societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge, and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards — make it the international hub of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance for musicians in need, while Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues Scholarships expose new generations to blues music. The recent opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, in Memphis, now adds the opportunity for music lovers of all ages to interact with the music and its history. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the global blues community with answers, information, and news. https://blues.org

Blues Music Award nominees announced by the Blues Foundation; ceremony is May 11

THE BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 38TH BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES  Awards ceremony to be held May 11, 2017 in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Blues Foundation is pleased to announce the nominations for its annual Blues Music Awards, which the international organization will present on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded blues musicians, The Blues Music Awards upholds its rich cultural tradition by honoring the past year’s superior achievements in blues performance, songwriting, and recording. This annual ceremony represents the premier event for blues professionals, musicians, and fans around the globe.   Sugar Ray Norcia, individually, and collectively with his band, The Bluetones, received the most nominations with seven, including B.B. King Entertainer Award, Best Song, Best Album and Best Band. The total reaches ten with the inclusion of his Bluetones bandmates Monster Mike Welch (Instrumentalist-Guitar), Michael “Mudcat” Ward (Instrumentalist-Bass) and Anthony Geraci (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player). Chicago-based guitarist Toronzo Cannon garnered four nominations and he faces off against Norcia in both the Best Song and Best Album categories. Best Album probably ranks as the most competitive category, with Norcia and Cannon battling Bobby Rush, Kenny Neal, William Bell and the Nick Moss Band, who all have three nominations.   Several nominees will be defending their titles won at last year’s Blues Music Awards. Instrumentalist-Harmonica winner Kim Wilson is one of this year’s nominees, and Cedric Burnside might again claim the Instrumentalist-Drums crown. Shemekia Copeland and Bettye LaVette also return to the categories they won last year (Contemporary Blues Female Artist and Soul Blues Female Artist, respectively), while 2016’s Acoustic Artist winner, Doug MacLeod, is one of this year’s contenders too.    The Awards also honor the next generation of blues performers with the Best Emerging Artist Album category. In fact, two Emerging Artist nominees also are contenders for a second award. Detroit native Thornetta Davis’s “I Gotta Sang the Blues” is up for Best Song, while Terrie Odabi is competing against the likes of Bettye LaVette and Mavis Staples to be named Soul Blues Female Artist.   The complete list of 38th Blues Music Award nominees also can be found at the Blues Foundation’s website — www.blues.org. A ballot will soon be sent to all Blues Foundation members, as they have the privilege of deciding which nominees will actually take home a Blues Music Award in May. Anyone interested in casting a vote to decide this year’s winners may receive a ballot by joining or renewing their membership with The Blues Foundation at any time up to February 28, 2017.  The Blues Music Awards ceremony annually proves to be one of the year’s best shows. Not only does almost every nominee attend, but they also perform, creating a lineup featuring the best of the best in blues all in one evening. More information regarding membership, voting, ticket, and host hotel information can be found at www.blues.org or by calling 901.527.2583.   Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission.  The 38th Blues Music Awards are also sponsored by BMI, GET and I-55 Productions, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sony/Legacy.     The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renowned as THE organization whose mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form.  Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has approximately 4000 individual members and 200 affiliated local blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world.  Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards — make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance for musicians in need, while Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues Scholarships expose new generations to blues music. The recent opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, in Memphis, TN, now adds the opportunity for music lovers of all ages to interact with the music and the history. For more information, log onto www.blues.org. 38th Blues Music Award Nominees Acoustic Album Doug MacLeod - Live in Europe Eric Bibb - The Happiest Man in the World Fiona Boyes - Professin' the Blues Jimmy “Duck” Holmes - Live at Briggs Farm John Long - Stand Your Ground Luther Dickinson - Blues and Ballads (A Folksinger's Songbook) Vol I and II Acoustic Artist Doug MacLeod Eric Bibb Fiona Boyes Jimmy “Duck” Holmes Luther Dickinson Album Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat Kenny Neal - Bloodline Nick Moss Band - From the Root to the Fruit Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Seeing is Believing Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way William Bell – This Is Where I Live           Band Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials Nick Moss Band Sugar Ray and the Bluetones Tedeschi Trucks Band   B.B. King Entertainer Joe Bonamassa John Nemeth Lil’ Ed Williams Sugar Ray Norcia Sugaray Rayford Best Emerging Artist Album Corey Dennison Band - Corey Dennison Guy King - Truth Jonn Del Toro Richardson - Tengo Blues Terrie Odabi - My Blue Soul Thornetta Davis - Honest Woman Contemporary Blues Album Al Basile - Mid Century Modern Kenny Neal - Blood Line Nick Moss Band - From the Root to the Fruit The Record Company - Give It Back To You Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way Contemporary Blues Female Artist Alexis P Suter Ana Popovic Janiva Magness Shemekia Copeland Susan Tedeschi   Contemporary Blues Male Artist Albert Castiglia Kenny Neal Mike Zito Sugaray Rayford Toronzo Cannon Historical Album Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, A Music Man Like Nobody Ever Saw, Bear Family Records B.B. King, More B.B. King: Here’s One You Haven’t Heard, Ace Records Bobby Rush, Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush, Omnivore Recordings Michael Burks, I’m A Bluesman, Iron Man Records Pinetop Perkins & Jimmy Rogers, Genuine Blues Legends, Elrob Records   Instrumentalist-Bass Biscuit Miller Bob Stroger Michael “Mudcat” Ward Patrick Rynn R W Grigsby   Instrumentalist-Drums Cedric Burnside Jimi Bott June Core Tom Hambridge Tony Braunagel Instrumentalist-Guitar Bob Margolin Joe Bonamassa Kid Andersen Monster Mike Welch Ronnie Earl  Instrumentalist-Harmonica Dennis Gruenling Jason Ricci Kim Wilson Mark Hummel Sugar Ray Norcia     Instrumentalist-Horn Al Basile Nancy Wright Sax Gordon Beadle Terry Hanck Vanessa Collier  Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) Annika Chambers Diunna Greenleaf Inetta Visor Shaun Murphy Trudy Lynn Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Anthony Geraci Barrelhouse Chuck Henry Gray Jim Pugh Victor Wainwright Rock Blues Album of the Year Albert Castiglia - Big Dog Mike Zito - Keep Coming Back Moreland & Arbuckle - Promised Land or Bust Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By Walter Trout - Alive in Amsterdam Song “Blues Immigrant” written by Matthew Skoller & Vincent Bucher and performed by Matthew Skoller on Blues Immigrant “I Gotta Sang The Blues” written and performed by Thornetta Davis on Honest Woman “Seeing Is Believing” written by Ray Norcia and performed by Sugar Ray & The Bluetones on Seeing Is Believing “Walk A Mile In My Blues” written by David Duncan, Curtis Salgado & Mike Finigan and performed by Curtis Salgado on The Beautiful Lowdown “Walk it Off” written and performed by Toronzo Cannon on The Chicago Way Soul Blues Album Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat Curtis Salgado - The Beautiful Lowdown Johnny Rawls - Tiger in a Cage Wee Willie Walker - Live! Notodden Blues Festival William Bell - This Is Where I Live         Soul Blues Female Artist Bettye Lavette Lara Price Mavis Staples Terrie Odabi Vaneese Thomas Soul Blues Male Artist Bobby Rush Curtis Salgado Johnny Rawls Wee Willie Walker William Bell Traditional Blues Album Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party at Big Jon's Bob Margolin - My Road Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue - Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Seeing is Believing Traditional Blues Male Artist Bob Margolin John Primer Lil’ Ed Williams Lurrie Bell Sugar Ray Norcia