Arkansas guitarist takes top prize in talent contest

" Chris Cameron, from Fort Smith, Ark., won the Blues Foundation's 14th annual International Blues Talent Competition. "

Staff Report

Move over Mississippi. Lately, good things are coming out of Arkansas. Chris Cameron, from Fort Smith, Ark., won the Blues Foundation's 14th annual International Blues Talent Competition. The victory declares Cameron the best unsigned blues artist in the world.

Cameron, of the Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society, won $1,000 and 12 hours of recording time at the House of Blues recording studio on Rayner Street in Memphis.

Also as part of the first-place prize, Cameron has a slot on some of the hottest blues bills, including the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, the King Biscuit Blues Festival and the Springing the Blues Festival in Jacksonville, Fla.

In addition, Cameron was awarded the Albert King Award for the most promising guitar player earlier in the competition. For that, he won a plaque and an ES335 from Gibson Musical Instruments, the event's principal sponsor.

Keith Brown of the Beale Street Blues Society won second place and $500. Blues Steele, from the Connecticut Blues Society, won third place and $250.

The top five acts from the International Blues Talent Competition semi-finals advanced to the finals, which were held in Memphis Nov. 21-22.

Each band performed for 30 minutes for judges who included leading promoters, club owners, label representatives and producers in the blues industry. Bands were judged on talent, blues content, showmanship, originality and overall impression.