|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
" The festival begins Friday, July 11, and runs through Sunday, July 13, at Court Square Park Downtown. "
|
Staff Report
At the Gibson Guitar Co. reception last month at the Peabody, a small group of reporters were chatting with Jim Dickinson, a musician with a long history of speaking his mind. During the conversation, the Center for Southern Folklore's annual Memphis Music & Heritage Festival came up. Dickinson was immediate with his opinion. "It's the best festival in this city," he said. "Nothing can touch it. It's the only one that's still real." Dickinson should know. He's played at every one of the 10 previous festivals in one band or another. This year will make it 11, as he returns for a solo shot, as well as planned performances with other bands. And he joins a great lineup of Memphis talent, featuring a virtual who's who from a variety of genres. The festival begins Friday, July 11, and runs through Sunday, July 13, at Court Square Park Downtown. Admission is $2 per day, with gates open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. The daily schedule was not complete as of presstime, but several bands had been scheduled. Leading the pack is Little Milton, who will be headlining the Saturday night show. For more than 40 years, Little Milton has been at the forefront of the blues. Born in the Mississippi Delta, he moved to Memphis at a young age and learned the blues from Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller). He recorded for Sun Records in the 1950s, and went to form his own label in St. Louis. In the '60s he recorded for Chess Records, scoring several hits. In 1971, Little Milton signed with Memphis-based Stax Records. He had a hit with "Behind Closed Doors" on the country charts, but focused on the blues. Following the bankruptcy of Stax, Little Milton struggled before landing with Malaco Records out of Jackson, Miss. He's recorded several records for Malaco, and continues to perform regularly. Other performers confirmed included Rufus Thomas, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday with a star-studded show at the Orpheum; Ann Peebles, who turned in a scorching set last year the Hi Rhythm Section; Billy Lee Riley, the rockabilly great who is supporting a new record on the Capricorn label; and the North Mississippi All-stars, featuring Dickinson's sons, Luther and Cody, and vocalist Kelley Hurt. Local favorites FreeWorld, Joyce Cobb and Cool Heat, Teenie Hodges and Sid Selvidge have been confirmed as well. For the more adventurous, the Oblivians will bring their blues-influenced punk sounds to the festival. Gospel groups also are slated to perform. As always, there will be a variety of demonstrations, artisans, a children's area and a food court with Southern specialties. The festival has grown each year, with more than 100,000 people attending over the three days. More than 1,000 performers and artisans will be involved this year. For more information and the complete lineup, call the center at 525-3655.
|
