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Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival
Genre Blues, R&B, gospel
Location(s) Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
Years active 1988 - present
Founded by Jim O'Neal and Dr. Patricia Johnson
Website http://www.sunflowerfest.org/

The Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival is a yearly music event in Clarksdale, Mississippi. It happens every August, lasting for three days. The festival started in 1988 as the Sunflower Riverbank Blues Festival. It brings together famous musicians and local talent. People who love blues music come from all over the world to enjoy it. Some big names who have performed include Otis Rush, Ike Turner, Little Milton, Bobby Bland, Bobby Rush, Koko Taylor, Denise LaSalle, Super Chikan, and Robert Plant.

Festival History

The Sunflower Riverbank Blues Festival began in 1988. Many local groups helped fund it, like The Downtown Association of Clarksdale and the Mississippi Delta Arts Council. WROX radio and the Delta Blues Museum also helped. Jim O'Neal and Dr. Patricia Johnson started the event. It took place by the Sunflower River.

In 1991, a special award was created. It was called the Early Wright Blues Heritage Award. This award honors Early Wright, known as "The Soul Man" of WROX radio. He was the first Black radio disc jockey in Mississippi.

In 1992, another festival started, called the Issaquena Gospel Festival. In 1993, the two festivals joined together. This created the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival we know today. After Julius Guy, one of the organizers, passed away in 1993, the Julius Guy Gospel Heritage Award was created in his honor in 1994.

In 2012, the festival offered special V.I.P. tickets for the first time. This helped raise money for future festivals. That same year, the festival received a special marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. This marker recognizes important places in blues music history.

Famous Performers

The festival has hosted many amazing musicians over the years. Here are some of the headliners:

Year Headliners Notes
1988 James "Son" Thomas & Otis Rush This was the very first festival!
1989 Bobby Rush & Big Jack Johnson The Williams Brothers were the main gospel act.
1990 Various artists Performers included Big George Brock and Johnnie Billington.
1991 Otis Clay & Big Jack Johnson Other performers included Clayton Love.
1992 Katie Webster, Big Jack Johnson & The Jelly Roll Kings Pinetop Perkins and Snooky Pryor also performed.
1993 Booba Barnes & Junior Kimbrough This was the first year the Gospel Festival was included.
1994 Bobby Rush & The Williams Brothers Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis also performed.
1995 Denise LaSalle, Charlie Musselwhite & Frank Frost The Jackson Southernaires were among the performers.
1996 Bobby Rush Lonnie Shields and Willie Neal Johnson & The Gospel Keynotes performed.
1997 Little Milton & Ike Turner Slim & the Supreme Angels also performed.
1998 Rufus Thomas, Lynn White & R.L. Burnside The Kinsey Report and Charlie Musselwhite were also there.
1999 Otis Clay, Charlie Musselwhite, & Eddie Campbell Super Chikan and Othar Turner performed.
2000 Koko Taylor & Bobby Rush Blind Mississippi Morris was among the performers.
2001 The Pilgrim Jubilees James Williams and The Messengers also performed.
2002 Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby "Blue" Bland This year honored Little Junior Parker.
2003 Latimore, T-Model Ford, Big Jack Johnson, Sam Carr A special film about Othar Turner was shown.
2004 Latimore, T-Model Ford, Big Jack Johnson, Sam Carr Nelson Larkins & God's Possey of Chicago also performed.
2005 Charlie Musselwhite & Shirley Brown Robert Belfour and David "Honeyboy" Edwards performed.
2006 North Mississippi Allstars, Latimore Super Chikan and Jimbo Mathus were among the performers.
2007 Bobby Rush and Denise LaSalle Shardee Turner and Billy Rivers & The Angelic Voices of Faith performed.
2008 Darrell McFadden & the Disciples Shemekia Copeland and Selvy Singers also performed.
2009 Bettye Lavette, Super Chikan & more T-Model Ford and Chapel Hill's Mens Chorus performed.
2010 Johnny Rawls, Homemade Jamz Blues Band & more This year honored Ike Turner.
2011 Dorothy Moore and Johnny Rawls Super Chikan and Robert Belfour were among the performers.
2012 Robert Plant with special guest Patty Griffin Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush also performed.
2013 Bobby Rush and North Mississippi All Stars This festival honored Melville Tillis.
2014 Various artists This festival honored Big Jack Johnson.
2015 William Bell and Rita Engedalen Super Chikan and Jimmy "Duck" Holmes performed.
2016 Super Chikan and Lonnie Shields Jimbo Mathus and Leo "Bud" Welch performed.
2017 Charlie Musselwhite, O.B. Buchana & more Jimmy "Duck" Holmes and Watermelon Slim performed.