Minnesota Blues Society

Honoring the Musicians, Composers, Authors and Individuals Who Have Made a Historical Contribution, Impact and Overall Influence on the Blues in the State of Minnesota.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Melody Jacobson
Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society
651-771-1958
info@gtcbms.org
LAZY BILL LUCAS TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE MN BLUES HALL OF FAME

(Minneapolis, MN) Longtime Minneapolis bluesman and KFAI radio personality, the late Lazy Bill Lucas, will be inducted as the "2009 Blues Performer" at the Third Annual Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame Ceremony on Sunday, October 11, 2009, at Famous Dave's BBQ & Blues Club (3001 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN). Along with Lucas, Willie Murphy, Pat Hayes, Bruce McCabe, Kurt Koehler, Lolly Obeda and Ray Stiles will also be receiving awards. Music will be provided by The Brothers Curtis Delta Duet preceding the awards ceremony and Mississippi Driftwood will perform following the presentations. Musicians from both bands have performed at one time with Lazy Bill Lucas. A silent auction, featuring a guitar and poster autographed by Ana Popovich, Bruce McCabe, Tinsley Ellis, Brandon Scott Sellner and others at the 5th Annual Famous Dave's BBQ & Blues Festival, along with a Famous Dave's gift basket and other donated items, will be held to benefit the Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society (GTCBMS). There is no cover charge for this event. Tax-deductible donations to GTCBMS will be accepted and appreciated. Starting time is 4 pm.

The Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame was founded by GTCBMS in 2007 to honor musicians, people and businesses that have significantly contributed to the promotion and tradition of the Blues music genre in Minnesota over the past 20 or more years. Nominations are accepted from the public and then voted upon by members of the GTCBMS. Awards are given in five categories: Blues Performer, Blues Literature, Blues Recording, Blues Song and Supportive of the Blues. The 2009 inductees are:

Lazy Bill Lucas - "Blues Performer"
On May 29, 1918, in Wynne, AK, Bill was born the son of a sharecropper. From the early 1940s to 1960s Bill played with such notables as Big Joe Williams, Sonny Boy Williamson, Johnny Young, Jo Jo Williams, Homesick James, Little Hudson and Snooky Pryor in St. Louis and Chicago. Bill took up residence in Minneapolis in 1962 where he performed in bands with Mojo Buford as well as his own small groups. In 1970, Bill appeared at the Wisconsin Delta Blues Festival and the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. From 1979 to until his death on December 11, 1982, he hosted The Lazy Bill Lucas Show on KFAI-FM radio in Minneapolis. Papa John Kolstad will present Lazy Bill Lucas' posthumous award.

Willie Murphy - "Blues Recording" for Honey From the Bee
Honey from the Bee by Willie and the Bumblebees was recorded in July 1976 on Dave Ray's "Sweet Jane" label with liner notes by Tony Glover. The Bees debut LP captures the energy and spirit of what may have been the Twin Cities all-time funkiest R&B band. The Bumblebees, led by Willie Murphy, included John Beach, Jerome Broughton, Howard Merriweather, Voyle Harris (December 2, 1946 - March 19, 2009), Eugene Hoffman and Maurice Jacox. John Beach will present the award for "Blues Recording".

Bruce McCabe & Pat Hayes - "Blues Song" for "Upper Mississippi Shakedown"
Lamont Cranston Blues Band and their radio hit "Upper Mississippi Shakedown" written by Bruce McCabe and Pat Hayes became known nationally when the release of the1981 Vinyl LP Shakedown put them on the Billboard charts. Pat Hayes, songwriter, harpist, singer, guitarist and the man often mistakenly identify as "Lamont", is the front man for the legendary, Minneapolis-based, Lamont Cranston Blues Band. McCabe has performed with and penned songs for the likes of Aces, Straights & Shuffles, Lamont Cranston, The Hoopsnakes and Jonny Lang. Bruce McCabe has been playing keyboards since the late 60's. Rico Anderson will present the award to Pat Hayes and Bruce McCabe.

Kurt Koehler - "Blues Literature" for Twin Cities Blues News
Twin Cities Blues News - a free monthly blues periodical offered at over 130 local and many regional locations, provided reviews, interviews and gig information from February 1996 through 2006. Owner, editor and publisher Kurt Koehler's dedication and resources to this labor of love made the Twin Cities Blues News one of the finer blues publications available before most of us had the Internet. All issues are archived at the MN History Center in St. Paul. Kurt, who was born in Chicago in 1952, has been part of the Twin Cities Blues scene since 1984 when he played in jam sessions at the Blues Saloon. In 1992, he founded and became the leader of the Inside Straight Band. Presenting the award for "Blues Literature" is James Pinckney.

Ray Stiles - "Supportive of the Blues" for "Minnesota Blues on Stage"
Created in 1997 by Ray Stiles as a Blues guide to the Twin Cities it attracts a worldwide audience and earned the Blues Foundation's 1999 "Keeping the Blues Alive Award" for "Achievement for Blues on the Internet". Blues on Stage (www.mnblues.com) gets more than 5,000 site visits every month and features more than a dozen categories including but not limited to the largest collection of live reviews on the Internet, CD reviews, calendars and tour schedules, a message board, a huge Blues link section, a photo gallery, an audio jukebox and Blues profiles. Presenting the award on behalf of Tom Asp is Kurt Koehler.

Lolly Obeda - "Supportive of the Blues" for KFAI Sugar Shop
Obeda has had an on-air presence on KFAI since 1983--the majority of that time hosting the "Sugar Shop" on Fridays. Like the more than one hundred other volunteer on-air show hosts, she has never earned a dime doing it. Obeda has an instantly recognizable sunny voice and style making her show three hours of delightful radio that can break up the tedium of any Friday afternoon Twin Cities traffic jam. Her passion for her craft and knowledge of her subject are the result of a lifelong interest in and collection of thousands of records. Presenting the award is Sara Oxton, co-host of the KFAI Rockhouse since 1987.

The Greater Twin Cities Blues Society is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization founded in August 2002. If you would like to donate items to the Silent Auction or help sponsor the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame, please contact Melody Jacobson, Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame Committee Chair at 651-771-1958 or info@gtcbms.org

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Your help and support enables us to continue to pay tribute to and honor our local blues musicians through our various programs. See www.gtcbms.org or contact us: (mail) GTCBMS, PO Box 580704, Minneapolis, MN 55458-0704 (e-mail) info@gtcbms.org (phone) 651-407-0845. Our "Blues for Kids" program has introduced young people to the joy of playing a musical instrument in the hope that it will inspire them to become future musicians or at least help them to appreciate this musical genre called the Blues. Musicians: Please volunteer to teach a "Blues for Kids" session by calling 952-239-8671.

09/21/09

This Page Last Updated: Tuesday, July 10, 2012

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