Now looka here…I did not say I was a millionaire…But I said I have spent more money than a millionaire! Cause if I had’ve kept all my money that I’d already spent, I would’ve been a millionaire a looong time ago…
Howlin’ Wolf – “Goin’ Down Slow”
The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office of Special Events, and always occurs in early June. The event has always taken place at Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park, adjacent to the Lake Michigan waterfront east of the Loop in Chicago. Admission is free.
HISTORY OF CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL
Chicago has a storied history with blues that goes back generations stemming from the Great Migration from the South and particularly the Mississippi Delta region in pursuit of advancement and better career possibilities for musicians. The festival began in 1984, a year after the death of McKinley Morganfield, better known as Muddy Waters, who is generally considered “the father of Chicago blues”. Each year the organizers choose a theme, generally to honor a recently departed blues musician. Obviously, Chicago blues acts are common. Also, in keeping with the blues’ influence on other musical genres, there are some soul, jazz blues and blues-rock acts. Since those early beginnings the festival has risen to a status that the City of Chicago bills as the world’s largest free concert of its kind. The Blues Festival is the largest of the city’s music festivals.
PAST PERFORMERS, CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL
Albert King, B. B. King, Bill Doggett, Bo Diddley, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Bobby Rush, Buckwheat Zydeco, Buddy Guy, Calvin Jones, Carey Bell, Carl Perkins, Chicago Blues Museum All Stars, Chuck Berry, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Dr. John, Eddie Boyd, Eddie C. Campbell, Eddie Vinson, Eddy Clearwater, Etta James, Fenton Robinson, Fontella Bass, Hank Ballard, Henry Townsend, Homesick James, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton, Jerry Portnoy, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Rogers, John Lee Hooker, Johnnie Taylor, Johnny Shines, Johnny Winter, Junior Wells, Keith Richards, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Little Willie Littlefield, Lonnie Brooks, Lowell Fulson, Louisiana Red, Luther Allison, Magic Slim, Matt Murphy, Memphis Slim, Mick Taylor, The Neville Brothers, Otis Rush, Pee Wee Crayton, Pinetop Perkins, Ray Charles, Robert Cray Band, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Snooky Pryor, Son Seals, Staple Singers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sugar Blue, Sunnyland Slim, Taj Mahal, Willie Dixon, Lil’ Ed Williams and the Blues Imperials
10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL
1. The Chicago Blues Festival took place in 1984 on 1 stage and 165,000 people attended the 3 day festival. In 2007 the festival took place on six stages and 800,000 people attended in four days.
2. The Chicago Blues Festival celebrates the heritage of the blues by remembering the legends who created the music. The first was during the inaugural event in 1984-Muddy Waters, and continued in 1991 with Robert Johnson’s 80th year and continues throughout the run of the festivals. The 2008 edition will celebrate the centennials of Louis Jordan, Robert Petway and Tommy McClennan.
3. The Route 66 Roadhouse is set up at the origin of the famous Route 66 made legendary in song and fashion.
4. The Chicago Blues Festival was the site where the Grammy Award was presented to Koko Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Hammond, Sugar Blue, and Luther Guitar Junior Johnson in 1985.
5. The Chicago Blues Festival was named as the Best Blues Festival in 1993 and 1994 by The Living Blues Magazine-the only year that category was listed for the Living Blues Awards.
6. Ever since the Columbian Exposition in 1893 the Chicago Blues Community has developed to where it is the “Blues Capital of the World,” declared by the Chicago Sun-Times.
7. The festival has presented artists from Latvia, Switzerland, Japan, the UK, and Australia providing evidence that not only are the fans and crowds international but the music is played by all people around the world.
8. The festival has also presented many multi generational bands featuring the Dixons, the Harringtons, the Baker Brooks, the Lanes and Taylors (Chicago and Colorado), truly presenting the blues as a folk music.
9. The Blues season leading up to the festival begins on May 1-Little Walter’s Birthday and continue weekly celebrating Robert Johnson’s Birthday, May 8, Mother’s Day, and many special activities at the Chicago Cultural Center, blues Clubs and tearers around town.
10. Blues in the Schools is a tradition that opens the festival annually and was first implemented at the festival by Ms. Kay Jones retired Chicago Public School teacher.
CHICAGO BLUES HISTORY VIDEOS
2010 CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
- Opening day on Friday, June 11th features many alumni of Howlin’ Wolf’s band. Guitarist Hubert Sumlin, sax man Eddie Shaw, and drummer Sam Lay will appear. Eddie Shaw and The Wolfgang was the original back-up band for the legendary Howlin’ Wolf until his untimely death in 1975. Eddie has kept the band going strong ever since. Other notable acts are harp great James Cotton, west side guitarist Jimmy Dawkins, and Otis Taylor.
- Saturday, the 12th brings back 94 year old guitarist/vocalist David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Born on 6/28/15, Honeyboy has been a fixture the last several years at the festival. Along with 96 year old Pinetop Perkins, they are the oldest blues men still performing on a regular basis.
- Another highlight on this day will be Chicago Blues A Living History featuring harmonica greats Billy Boy Arnold, Bill Branch, and guitarists John Primer, Lurrie Bell, and Carlos Johnson.
- The final day on Sunday, June 13th wraps up with Guitar Shorty, the former brother-in-law of Jimi Hendrix. Married to Jimi’s sister Marcia, Jimi often came to see Shorty play. They remained friends until Jimi’s death.
Here is the complete 2010 schedule of performances:
FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2010
Front Porch
11:30 am-1pm – Blues in the Schools featuring Eric Noden, Katherine Davis and the Stone Academy Blues Students and more
1:30-2:30 pm – Henry Gray and Andy Cornett
3-4:30 pm – Jimmy Dawkins w / Taildragger
5-6 pm – Café R&B
6:30-7:30 pm – Big George Brock and the House Rockers with George Brock Jr.
Gibson Guitar Crossroads
12-1:15 pm - Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames
1:45-3:15 pm – Mary Lane and the No Static Blues Band
3:45-5 pm – Grady Champion
Mississippi Juke Joint
12:30-1:30 pm – Grady Champion
2-3 pm – Sam Lay
3:30-4:30 pm – Stevie J and the Blues Eruption
5-6 pm – Adib Hasser
6:30-8 pm – Mississippi Jam
Zone Perfect All-Nutrition Bars Route 66 Roadhouse
12:00-1:00 Beginning Delta Blues Harmonica Lesson with Joe Filisko
1:30-3:30 pm – Discussing Wolf: 100 Years of Remembrances moderated by Dick Shurman, with Betty Kelly. Barbara Marks, Eddie Shaw, Hubert Sumlin, and Josh Hecht.
4-5 pm – Wildsang
5:30-7 pm – East of Edens Soul Express
Petrillo Music Shell
5-5:55 pm – Howlin’ Wolf alumni featuring Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang with Jody Williams, Sam Lay, Henry Gray, Abb Locke, Corky Siegel and special guest Hubert Sumlin
6:05-7 pm – Otis Taylor Band
7:10-8:10 pm – James Cotton Blues Band with special guest Matt “Guitar” Murphy
8:20-9:30 pm – Zora Young’s Tribute to Wolf and Sunnyland with special guest Hubert Sumlin
SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010
Front Porch
11:30-12:30 pm – Ramblin’ Rose
1-2:15 pm – Bobby Dixon Blues Band
2:45-4 pm – Nora Jean
4:30-5:30 pm – Andre Williams
6-7:30 pm – Johnny and Destiny Rawls
Gibson Guitar Crossroads
12-1:15 pm – Toronzo and the Cannonball Express
1:45-3 pm – Sugar Blue Band
3:30-5 pm -Sonny Rhodes
Mississippi Juke Joint
12:30-1:30 pm – Jarekus Singleton w/ Keeshea Pratt
2-3 pm – David “Honeyboy” Edwards
3:30-4:30 pm – Bill “Howlin Madd” Perry with Alphonso Sanders
5-6 pm – Dexter Allen
6:30-8 pm - Festival Jam featuring Blue Plate Special
Zone Perfect all Nutrition Bars Route 66 Roadhouse
12-1 pm – Beginning Southern Blues Harmonica Lesson with Joe Filisko
1:30-2:30 pm – Joe Filisko and Eric Noden
3-4:15 pm – Rev. K.M. Williams and the Amazing Trainreck
4:45-5:45 pm – Larry Hoffman interviews William Ferris
6:15-7:30 pm – East of Edens Soul Express
Petrillo Music Shell
5-6:10 pm – Nellie “Tiger” Travis and guest
6:20-7:25 pm – Bobby Parker and the Blues Night Band
7:35-9:30 pm – Chicago Blues A Living History featuring Billy Boy Arnold, Billy Branch, John Primer, Lurrie Bell and special guest Carlos Johnson
SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010
Front Porch
11:30-1 pm – Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir
1:30-3 pm – Dancin’ Perkins
3:30-4:30 pm – Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
4:45-5:45 pm – Guitar Shorty
6:15-7:30 pm – Lubriphonic
Gibson Guitar Crossroads
12-1:15 pm – Quintus McCormick
1:45-3 pm – Gibson Guitar Showdown w/ Carl Weathersby and Larry McCray
3:30-5 pm – Roy Roberts with special guest Barbara Carr
Mississippi Juke Joint
12:30-1:30 pm – Jimmy Duck Holmes and Terry “Harmonica” Bean
2-3 pm – Bobby Rush
3:30-4:30 pm – Homemade Jamz
5-6 pm – Jarekas Singleton with Keeshea Pratt
6:30-8 pm – Mississippi Jam
Zone Perfect all Nutrition Bars Route 66 Roadhouse
12-1 pm – Beginning Chicago Blues Harmonica Lesson with Joe Filisko
1:30-2:30 pm – Larry Hoffman rambles with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
3-4:30 pm – Blues Books: University of Illinois Press
5-6:30 pm – East of Edens Soul Express
Petrillo Music Shell
5-5:50 pm – Erwin Helfer’s Chicago Boogie Woogie Ensemble
6-7 pm - Vivian and Vance “Guitar” Kelly and the Backstreet Blues Band
7:10-8:20 pm – Chicago Blues Reunion featuring Barry Goldberg, Corky Siegel, Nick Gravenites, Harvey Mandel and special guests Charlie Musselwhite and Sam Lay
8:30-9:30 pm – T.K Soul
