Robert Johnson Blues Fest May 8th

Well, it would have been nice to know that this was going on sooner. The Clarion Ledger reports the third annual Robert Johnson Blues Fest will take place this Saturday, May, 5th in Hazlehurst Mississippi.

From the ledger:

The all-day event features headliners Bobby Rush and Dorothy Moore, and starts in the late morning with a gospel program that includes the Williams Brothers.

Other artists include Rory Block, who recently released an album of Johnson's songs, and the bands of pianist Henry Gray and saxophonist Eddie Shaw, who both played for many years with Howlin' Wolf.

Organized by the Robert Johnson Foundation, the festival is headed by Johnson's son Claud Johnson, who was determined to be the heir of the Robert Johnson estate by a Mississippi court in the late 1990s. The festival moved this year from Crystal Springs - Claud Johnson's longtime home - to Hazelhurst, where the foundation operates the Robert Johnson Center and the Heritage House. The center provides programs in cultural heritage and art for local youth.

"The festival raises money for our foundation, which gives out scholarships to music majors," says Steve Johnson, the son of Claud Johnson and the foundation's vice president. "My grandfather made a great impact on the music world, so we feel like a scholarship will honor his legacy and keep the music alive and strong."

This sounds like a cool festival and a family affair, as Robert's son Claud and his son Steve are involved in the festival.

The painting above can be seen at the Robert Johnson Center in Hazelhurst. The painting is by Chris Osborne, and is really outstanding. I think I will mark this one on the calender for next year!