Here is the press release for BluesFirst, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards.
Jay Sieleman
Director of Administration
The Blues Foundation
49 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 527-2583
Support the Blues and the programs of The Blues Foundation by becoming a member today at www.supporttheblues.org
August 16, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2004 International Blues Challenge and BluesFirst
January 29 – 31, 2004
A Blues Foundation Production
Memphis, Tennessee - The 2004 International Blues Challenge (IBC) and BluesFirst gathering will be held January 29-31, 2004 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Awards ceremony will take place Saturday, January 31.
The 20th annual International Blues Challenge semi-finals and finals bring to BluesFirst the culmination of months of regional competitions staged by Blues Foundation affiliates around the world. Over 80 bands compete for $25,000 in cash and prizes and the title of "Best Unsigned Blues Band." The judges also present a guitarist with the Albert King Award for the most promising guitarist.
BluesFirst is an exposition dedicated to providing resource, networking and educational opportunities for blues organizations and societies. The event includes panels on topics relevant to the people who produce and support blues music, from volunteer organizations to emerging bands.
The Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) awards honor the men and women, usually non-performers, who have contributed to the growth of the blues industry. The KBAs, presented in 19 categories, are the opportunity for the blues community to congregate and recognize its peers and the accomplishments of supporting organizations.
The 2004 IBC and BluesFirst is chaired by Betsie Brown, board and charter member of the Foundation and director of Crows Feet Productions, and produced by Wesley Smith, membership director at the Foundation. "If the number of calls and emails are anything to go by, 2004 IBC promises to be just as well attended by competing bands as 2003," says Wesley Smith, IBC producer. "Plans are underway to develop a comprehensive program that will provide education, great networking opportunities and expose attendees to what Memphis has to offer."
The Blues Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of blues music. It is the umbrella organization for a worldwide network of 109 affiliated blues societies and has individual memberships in twenty-four countries. In addition to the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, the Foundation produces the Lifetime Achievement Award, Blues Hall of Fame Induction and the International Blues Challenge. More information is posted at www.blues.org.
CONTACT:
Wesley Smith, IBC Producer
901.527.2583
wesley@blues.org
Betsie Brown, 2004 IBC Chair
901.278.6850
betsie@blues.org
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Friday, December 15, 2006