W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival Lineup

News Release: From: The Henderson Music Preservation Society LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR 2008 HANDY FESTIVAL Roster Includes Returning Favorites and New Acts HENDERSON, Ky. – Mar. 18, 2008 – The Henderson Music Preservation Society has announced the 2008 lineup for the 18th Annual W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival in Henderson. The festival, to be held June 7-14, will feature returning favorites, such as Bernard Allison and Big James and the Chicago Playboys, as well as acts new to the festival, including Alexis P. Suter and Tad Robinson. The festival will host performances in a wide variety of blues styles, from gritty delta blues to smooth soul to big horn bands. A perennial favorite is the Thursday night zydeco lineup, which will feature returning crowd-favorite Chubby Carrier. Dorin Luck, Chair of the festival’s music committee, said, “With Bernard Allison as headliner on Saturday June 14, the Handy Festival 2008 runs the gamut from straight ahead Mississippi Delta acoustic blues through the rockin’ zydeco of Chubby Carrier through high steppin’ horns of Big James and the Chicago Playboys. The W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival makes one promise to its fans each and every year – that they will ALWAYS be glad they came!” The lineup for this year’s festival will be: Wednesday, June 11: Eddie Shaw and the Wolfgang Ronnie Baker Brooks Thursday, June 12: Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band Friday, June 13: Tad Robinson Zac Harmon *Other acts to be announced Saturday, June 14: Jimmy Duck Holmes BooBoo Davis The Organiks Alexis P. Suter Big James and the Chicago Playboys Bernard Allison The festivities begin on Saturday, June 7 with the "Taste of Henderson Barbecue" with barbecue of all varieties sold by local teams and great live music in Hendersons Central Park. Live music at the scenic Audubon Mill Park on the Henderson Riverfront continues every night from Wednesday, June 11, to Saturday, June 14. Throughout the week, there will be a host of other events, including the Mardi Gras-style William Branaman Street Strut Peoples Parade, Handy Lunch Breaks at local eateries, exhibits, children’s events and more. About the Henderson Music Preservation Society: Founded to support the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival in 1991, The Henderson Music Preservation Society, Inc. is tax-exempt, non-profit organization. The society, generous corporate and individual sponsors, as well as volunteers, help keep the W.C. Handy Blue & Barbecue Festival free and open to everyone. About the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival: Now in its 18th year, W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival has become one of the largest free music festivals in the nation, drawing attendants from almost every state and many countries. The festival was recently recognized by the Kentucky Main Street Program as the number one outdoor festival in Kentucky and was voted it "One of the Top Ten Festivals" in the Commonwealth by the Kentucky Tourist Commission. The event is a celebration of the life and legacy of Henderson resident and "Father of the Blues," William Christopher Handy. For more information about the festival, go to www.handyblues.org or contact: