Contact
Suzanne Hamm, 901-277-6067
Suzanne.hamm@queenslogic.com
Jay Sieleman, 901-527-2583
Jay@blues.org
Blues Foundation Announces Nominations for the 26th Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards Online Voting Now Open for Blues Foundation Members
Memphis, TN (December 15, 2004) – Fresh off the success of its sold out 2004 event, The Blues Foundation announces its nominees for the 2005 W.C. Handy Awards to be held May 5, 2005 at the Cook Convention Center. The 2005 nominees include the return of Blues notables Jessie Mae Hemphill and Guitar Shorty, as well as some celebrated names looking to take home their first Handy Award including Mavis Staples, Gary U.S. Bonds and Hubert Sumlin. Many artists racked up multiple nominations including The Holmes Brothers with three band nominations and three individual nominations, followed by harp player Paul Oscher with four. W.C. Clark, James Harman, Charlie Musselwhite, Pinetop Perkins, Rod Piazza, Bobby Rush, Mavis Staples and Kim Wilson each received three nominations. “We were thrilled with the results of last year’s event, and think it reflects the growing popularity and diversity of the genre,” noted Kevin Kane, Blues Foundation President. “We look forward to a bigger and better show in 2005 and encourage everyone to go online to participate in the voting process and to purchase tickets before they are gone,” he added. Online voting begins December 16, and is restricted to Blues Foundation members only. Voting, ticket and host hotel information can be found at www.blues.org.
Performers, industry representatives and fans from around the globe arrive in Memphis, where W.C. Handy penned the first published Blues song, to celebrate the best in Blues recording and performance from the previous year. The W. C. Handy Blues Awards are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. The W.C. Handy Blues Awards are produced by The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to "Preserve, Celebrate and Support" Blues history, Blues excellence and Blues education. The Foundation consists of a worldwide network of 140 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships spanning the globe. In addition to the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, the Foundation also produces the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto www.blues.org.
2005 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Presenting Sponsor: Gibson Guitar and Baldwin Piano
NOMINEES
Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
Billy Branch & Kenny Neal - "Double
Take"
Carey & Lurrie Bell - "Second Nature"
Corey Harris - "Mississippi To
Mali"
Paul Oscher - "Alone With The Blues"
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - "Goin'
Home"
Acoustic Blues-Artist of the Year
Corey Harris
David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Eric Bibb
Paul Oscher
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
Best New Artist Debut
John Lee Hooker, Jr. - "Blues With A Vengence"
Michael Powers - "Onyx Root"
Nora Jean Bruso - "Going Back To Mississippi"
The Bo-Keys - "The Royal Sessions"
Watermelon Slim - "Up Close & Personal"
Blues Album of the Year
Guitar Shorty - "Watch Your Back"
Mavis Staples -
"Have A Little Faith"
Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers - "Keepin' It Real"
The Holmes Brothers - "Simple Truths"
W.C. Clark - "Deep In The Heart"
Blues Band of the Year
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets
Little Charlie &
The Nightcats
Magic Slim & The Teardrops
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Smokin' Joe Kubek Band
The Holmes Brothers
Blues Entertainer of the Year
B.B. King
Bobby Rush
Kim Wilson
Pinetop
Perkins
Solomon Burke
Blues Song of the Year
"Alone With The Blues" - WRITER Paul Oscher,
Performed by Paul Oscher
"Have A Little Faith"- WRITER Jim Tullio and Jim
Weider, Performed by Mavis Staples
"Nothin' Ever Hurt Me"- WRITER EG Kight,
Performed by EG Kight
"Piecework Politicians" - WRITER James Harman,
Performed by James Harman
"Run Myself Out Of Town"- WRITER Wendell Holmes,
Performed by The Holmes Brothers
Comeback Blues Album of the Year
Big Joe Duskin - "Big Joe Jumps Again!"
Gary U.S. Bonds - "Back In 20"
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Charlie Musselwhite - "Sanctuary"
Guitar Shorty - "Watch Your Back"
Michael Powers - "Onyx Root"
Ronnie Earl &
The Broadcasters - "Now My Soul"
The Holmes Brothers - "Simple Truths"
Contemporary Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Deborah Coleman
EG Kight
Janiva Magness
Marcia Ball
Shemekia Copeland
Contemporary Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Charlie Musselwhite
Chris
Thomas
King James Harman
Kim Wilson
Robert Randolph
Historical Blues Album of the Year
Charles Brown - "A Life In
The Blues" (Rounder Records)
Hound Dog Taylor - "Release The Hound"
(Alligator Records)
Johnny Winter - "Second Winter" (Columbia/Legacy)
Lucille Bogan - "Shave 'em Dry" (Columbia/Legacy)
Muddy Waters - "Hard
Again" (Epic/Legacy)
Muddy Waters - "I'm Ready" (Epic/Legacy)
Instrumentalist-Bass
Bill Stuve
Bob Stroger
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones
Mookie
Brill
Sherman Holmes
Willie Kent
Instrumentalist-Drums
Jimi Bott
Popsy Dixon
Sam Carr
Sam Lay
Willie "Big
Eyes" Smith
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Bob Margolin
Duke Robillard
Kirk Fletcher
Ronnie
Earl
Roy Rogers
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite
James Harman
Kim Wilson
Paul Oscher
Rod Piazza
Instrumentalist-Horns
Calvin Owens - Trumpet
Greg Piccolo - Saxophone
Mark Kazanoff - Saxophone
Roomful of Blues - Horns
Sax Gordon - Saxophone
Instrumentalist-Keyboards
Dave Maxwell
Henry Butler
Honey Piazza
Jon
Cleary
Marcia Ball
Instrumentalist-Other
Andra Faye - Mandolin
Clarence "Gatemouth"
Brown - Fiddle
Otis Taylor - Banjo
Robert Randolph - Pedal Steel Guitar
Sonny Rhodes - Lap Steel Guitar
Soul/Blues Album of the Year
Bobby Rush - "Folk Funk"
Charles Wilson -
"If Heartaches Were Nickels"
Mavis Staples - "Have A Little Faith"
Tad
Robinson - "Did You Ever Wonder?"
W.C. Clark - "Deep In The Heart"
Soul/Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Barbara Lynn
Bettye LaVette
Etta
James
Mavis Staples
Toni Lynn Washington
Soul/Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush
Little Milton
Solomon Burke
Tad Robinson
W.C. Clark
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Duke Robillard - "Blue Mood: The
Songs Of T-Bone Walker"
James Cotton - "Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes"
Jody
Williams - "You Left Me In The Dark"
Pinetop Perkins - "Ladies Man"
Sam
Myers - "Coming From The Old School"
Traditional Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Jessie Mae Hemphill
Koko
Taylor
Maria Muldaur
Nora Jean Bruso
Ruth Brown
Traditional Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Hubert Sumlin
Jody Williams
Pinetop Perkins
Robert Lockwood Jr.
Sam Myers