Blues buffs from the Golden Triangle and surrounds look forward to crossing the state line this time of year for a dose of the music they enjoy. That date will soon roll around again. The 18th annual Freedom Creek Blues Festival is set for Saturday, June 6 in downtown Aliceville, Alabama.
Cookieman’s Place at 1438 Wilder Circle once again plays host to the festival begun by the late Willie King, a favorite performer of numerous area fans and the recipient of multiple blues awards.
Organizer Rick Asherson said, “The festival is presented by the nonprofit Rural Members Association in honor of the late, great bluesman and tireless community activist Willie King, who was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2012.”
Doors open at 11 a.m. Music begins at 11:30 a.m. with traditional gospel, followed by nonstop blues until 8 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $10.
“The family-friendly festival attracts local and international crowds and is renowned for its down-home atmosphere, great music and delicious Southern food,” said Asherson, who frequently performed with King.
The dynamic Eden Brent joins a roster of performers that includes regional blues veterans “Birmingham” George Conner and Clarence “Bluesman” Davis, plus the Lee Brown Band featuring B.J. Miller, Montgomery-based harmonica player John Bull, Willie Lee Halbert and the Fingerprint Band, the Mississippi Blues Boys and more.
The lineup
The festival is made possible by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, sponsors Greene Beverage, Walter Energy and Westervelt Renewable Resources and many individual donations, plus assistance from the Alabama Blues Project.
For more information, go to freedomcreek.org, email [email protected] or call 205-366-1307.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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