BluesAid benefit attracts big names

The first BluesAid benefit concert, presented by the Sonny Boy Blues Society of Helena, Ark., will take place May 3 at Bluesville at the Horseshoe Casino in Robinsonville, Miss.

The show will feature a wide range of performers, including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, the Kentucky Headhunters, Kim Wilson, Bobby Rush, Frank Frost, Sam Carr and many more. The Cate Bros. will serve as the house band.

Organizer Bubba Sullivan says the idea for BluesAid began when he asked Kentucky Headhunters to participate. The band not only agreed, but said it would work to bring in other national acts.

BluesAid, according to Sullivan, will raise money for a nationwide clearinghouse for financial aid for medical, pharmaceutical and memorial expenses for blues musicians. The Sonny Boy Blues Society has been conducting the program locally, and hopes to expand the scope with this event.

Tickets for the event are $25.

The show will open with a special screening of the film Can You Hear the Wind Howl?, a movie about the life blues legend Robert Johnson. Keb Mo plays Johnson in the film, which is narrated by actor Danny Glover. Several local artists will receive awards from the Sonny Boy Blues Society following the film.

After that, Sullivan says he expects the sparks to fly.

"We think we've got a great line-up," Sullivan says. "This will help us help the folks who shaped the music that inspires us all."

The Sonny Boy Blues Society, named after Sonny Boy Williamson, was founded in 1988. Contributions to BluesAid can be sent to the fund care of the Helena National Bank, P.O. Box 280, Helena, Ark. 72342. The blues society is a non-profit organization, and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.