The Southern Legends Entertainment And Performing Arts Hall Of Fame!

In 2005, I was called by my good friend Matt Lucas. Matt wanted to induct me into The Southern Legends Entertainment & Performing Arts Hall Of Fame. My first response was, "What the hell is that?"

Matt went on to tell me about the membership of this small but mighty gathering of folks strictly of Southern heritage.

I told him that though raised in the South, I was actually born in England and came to America in 1947 but that as far as I was concerned, I was a Southerner in every way.

To make a long story short....there were people involved with the Southern Legends Association who did not think I should be inducted and rightfully so. However, as time went on, I found I had a friend at SLA who backed Matt Lucas and now....here I am....a bonafide member of one tremendous organization.

For his standing up against his own by-laws I wish to thank Mr. Widmarc Clark aka Bobby Morris. I know what he did took courage and belief and I will be forever grateful.

I would really like you'all to check out the web site of the SLA so that you may see all the great folks gathered there. I, myself, am mighty proud to be alligned with these great entertainers.
I am also awfully proud to be a true Southerner.

Thanks to everyone who helped me enter this organization. Thanks goes especially to Matt Lucas and Mr. Widmarc Clark.

Hope to see everyone real soon!

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Click here to go to....The Southern Legends Association!

Santa Barbara Blues Society Turns 30!

The Santa Barbara Blues Society, founded in 1977, will celebrate its 30^th Anniversary with an exclusive West Coast engagement of Lonnie Brooks at 8:30 PM, Saturday, March 3, 2007, at Warren Hall, Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara.

A Louisiana native, Brooks didn’t play the guitar seriously until his early 20’s. He was spotted by Zydeco king Clifton Chenier and quickly became part of Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band. Detouring into rock&roll, he had a string of hits as “Guitar Junior.” Upon moving to Chicago he adopted the name Lonnie Brooks, backed up Jimmy Reed on the classic “Big Boss Man,” and soon was leading his own band.

Since attaining fame in the late 1970s, he has been acclaimed universally as one of the finest representatives of Chicago blues. He is known for his high energy, dynamic live shows and the raw sound of his urban blues, flavored with a touch of Louisiana gumbo. After 5 decades of playing the blues, Brooks has lost none of his musical prowess or on-stage charisma. This will be his first Santa Barbara appearance since he played for the blues society in 1984.

Tickets will be on sale at the door for $30 GA and $40 VIP. Members and a guest receive a $5 discount; entry for college students with ID is $15, and for high school students $10. Advance tickets are available at Folk Mote Music and Jensen Guitar & Music.

The event is co-sponsored by radio stations KTYD, KCSB, and KCBX, as well as Firestone beer, Longoria Wines, Buttonwood Farm Winery, The Big Easy Catering Company, State & A Bar & Grill, Southland Blues Magazine, and The Franciscan Inn.

For more information log on to www.sbblues.org or call 897-0060.

BluePower Presents....Banned In Boston!

During the late 1940s and the 1950s, there were a lot of records made that were a bit past the "blue" side....in fact, these records were downright "gray". So much so, that these records were banned in Boston.

Now banned in Boston is just a term borrowed from the late twenties when there was an organization (which was housed in Boston) that literally banned books from entering public libraries and stopped these books from being sold in America.

In the instance of these recordings however, it was white owned radio during these years which banned what they called "Race" music. Race music in the late forties was merely black music. That title did not change until a young editor from Billboard Magazine came up with a catchy phrase....the rhythm and blues. That man was Jerry Wexler and he would go on to produce some of the greatest rhythm and blues music of all time.

This music spawned some of the greatest labels America has ever known. Atlantic, Atco, Chess, Checker, Argo, King (from which label many of the cuts heard tonight hail), Federal, and on and on. These records needed to be heard. Black radio stepped in to fill the gap and a whole new business was created.

One of the terms of many of these records is "rock and roll" and everyone thinks that Alan Freed coined the phrase. I personally believe that Mr. Freed loved this wild music as much as any of us did at the time and simply borrowed the term. It stuck....and American music would never be the same again.

Tune in as I play many of my favorite "dirty" songs. The songs my step-father did his best to stop me from listening. As you can hear....he failed.

Here's tonight's music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."My Big Ten Inch"....Moose Jackson....King Records
3)...."I Didn't Want To Do It"....The Spiders....Imperial Records
4)...."My Babe"....Little Walter....Checker Records
5)...."Herpes Blues"....Matt Lucas....BJCD Records
6)...."Sixty Minute Man"....The Dominoes....Federal Records
7)...."Lovin' Machine"....Wynonie Harris....King Records
8)...."Work With Me Annie"....The Midnighters....Federal Records
9)...."I'm Your Hoochie-Coochie Man"....Muddy Waters....Chess Records
10)..."It Ain't The Meat, It's The Motion"....The Swallows....King Records 11)..."Yield Not To Temptation"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records
12)..."Turn On Your Lovelight"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records
13)...."Good Mornin' Little School Girl"....Junior Wells....Chess Records
14)..."All She Wants To Do Is Rock"....Wynonie Harris....King Records
15)..."Sexy Ways"....The Midnighters....Federal Records
16)..."My Ding-A-Ling"....Dave Bartholomew....King Records
17)..."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

I made a serious mistake in this show. Be the first to point it out to me and I will send you the great new live concert DVD from Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King....courtesy of Blind Pig Records.

Thanks for listening!
John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com

Click here to listen to....BluePower Presents....Banned In Boston!