Winter Blues Festival in Blowing Rock
January 23
King Bees, Pop Ferguson, Roy Roberts to perform

Knocking the chill out of the brittle January air is a sure thing with this year’s Winter Blues Festival, which finds a trio of smokin’-hot blues artists taking to the Hayes Center stage January 23 at 7:30pm. In conjunction with Blowing Rock Winterfest, a city-wide weekend celebration, the concert will be held at the Hayes Performing Arts Center, 152 Jamie Fort Road (off Hwy 321), Blowing Rock, NC, for one night only.

The concert marks the third return of the crowd-pleasing trio The King Bees, the engaging international act that has made the High Country its home for more than 20 years. The Bees cut their teeth going to the deep South and Mississippi Delta and honed their skills sitting in with and backing up blues titans such as Bo Diddley, Mojo Buford, Tinsley Ellis, Lazy Lester and Ronnie Earl. But having learned at the feet of the greats prepared them to forge a smoldering, soul-stirring sound all their own. Over the many miles logged on concert and festival circuits as varied as Rome, Manhattan, Paris and Amsterdam, The King Bees, with their deep musical sensibilities and unquestionable joy in performing, prove that they can rock the blues in any language.

Joining The King Bees on the ticket is Pop Ferguson, a native of the North Carolina foothills who can lay down righteous Chicago blues à la Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf, as well as the unmistakable sounds of Blind Boy Fuller and John Lee Hooker. Growing up the son of a preacher man, young Clyde learned a host of gospel songs and a strong church singing technique. But the blues were also taboo in his house, forcing him to sneak off to listen to radios and jukeboxes and absorb the sounds of the best of Delta, Chicago and Piedmont styles, as well as those of local foothills musicians. After a varied and colorful career that saw him perform from West Virginia to Detroit to Japan, and assorted adventures that took him from church to prison and back to church again, Pop found himself befriending and performing with blues violinist Papa John Creech and the great Etta Baker. These days he teams up with his son Clyde Jr. on rock-solid bass, and in the company of The King Bees, conveys a powerful electric blues impact.

Rounding out the threesome is Tennessee-born and internationally acclaimed singer/guitarist/producer Roy Roberts, who as an 18-year-old aspiring bluesman was taken under his wing by none other than soul legend Solomon Burke. Roberts subsequently picked up touring gigs with the likes of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd and Stevie Wonder, as well as fronted his own band, The Roy Roberts Experience, on the Southeastern beach circuit. The ’60s, ’70s and ’80s saw Roberts, a virtual musical encyclopedia, successfully releasing records that spanned the genres of soul, country and gospel, respectively. But in the ’90s, the award-winning Roberts returned to his blues roots and hit the blues circuit with a vengeance, entertaining from France to Italy to NYC. His soul-drenched vocals, incendiary guitar and impeccable showmanship ensure his place in blues history. Proclaims Living Blues Magazine: “This man knows a thing or two about soulful music! He gets you to sit back, lean in and really listen.”

Tickets

Tickets for the Winter Blues Festival are $20, $14 students, and are available now by calling the Box Office at (828) 295-9627. You may pay by credit card or by cash (in person). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.HayesCenter.org by credit card. Special group rates are also available. Season and Flex Passes can be purchased and used throughout the entire ’08 season.