(Clarksdale, MS) – The Fifth Annual Pinetop Boogie and Crawfish Boil will take place on May 13th 2017 at Ground Zero Blues Club, adjacent to the Delta Blues Museum, in downtown Clarksdale. All money raised at the event will benefit the Pinetop Perkins Foundation Scholarship Fund. The foundation’s mission is to provide support and encouragement to young musicians at the beginning of their career as well as comfort and safety to older musicians in the twilight of their career.
At last year’s event $6,676.00 was raised for young musicians to attend the Pinetop Perkins Foundation master class workshop held every June at the Hopson Plantation. At the workshop young musicians learn from award winning musicians and master bluesmen like Bob Margolin, the workshop’s headmaster, Victor Wainwright, and John Del Torro Richardson just to name a few. Thanks in large part to the people who donate to our event; every young musician who wanted of needed a scholarship received one. We hope to accomplish the same this year.
This year’s event and other related events will feature over 9 hours of music from our strongest line up of entertainers yet. The schedule is heavy on award winning musicians and includes performances from John Primer, Anthony Geraci, Monster Mike Welch, Diunna Greenleaf, Michael Ledbetter, Clarksdale favorites Heather Crosse and Lee Williams, Bob Corritore, Bob Stroger, Billy Flynn, Steve Kolbus and the Clarksdale Blues Revue, Lala Craig and more. Most of the scheduled entertainment and the Crawfish boil will take place between 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM with a youth Showcase at 8:00. Steve Kolbus and the Clarksdale Blues Revue will kick off the pro jam at 9:00 PM till Midnight. Those who attend will get to see all 9 plus hours of entertainment for a single donation at the door.
There will also be 50/50 drawings, a silent auction, and a scholarship cash box. Artist CDs will also be for sale. For information on how to sponsor the event, any of the entertainment, or make donations to the silent auction and the scholarship fund call Steve Kolbus at 317-373-8918.
We are also proud to announce that the Blues Festival Guide has agreed to be a media sponsor. Meredith Nowell funeral is also sponsoring the event by providing hundreds of fliers for the event. We also intend to get a sponsor for the scholarship cash box this year.