Kentuckiana Blues Society

About me:

The Kentuckiana Blues Society, founded in 1988 is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and perpetuation of the Blues Tradition in all of its forms.

Preservation: Through extensive research and documentation, the KBS has made major inroads into the documentation of the Blues tradition in Louisville, Kentucky. This research has led to the discovery of many rare photos, interviews, and the location of many early Blues related sites. An archive has been established by the KBS to centrally locate all of these materials and make them available to members. We have also located the grave sites of Blues greats Sylvester Weaver and Bill Gaither and arranged for the placement of headstones to preserve their memory.

Promotion: From its inception the KBS has been actively involved on the local Blues scene. Many local and regional talents have been showcased in local venues under either direct sponsorship or contributed support of the KBS. Such artists as Albert Collins, Pinetop Perkins, and Henry Townsend were all able to appear in Louisville under the auspices of KBS.

We currently are involved with the following annual blues festivals in Louisville: Jeffersontown-Crusade Blues Festival (3rd weekend in May) Louisville Blues-N-Barbecue Festival (2nd weekend in July) Garvin Gate Blues Festival (2nd weekend in October)

The KBS Blues Talent Contest garners recognition for new bands, and, due to our affiliation with The Blues Foundation, the winner is eligible to compete in the finals of the International Blues Talent Competition in Memphis, Tennessee. The 2009 band contest is Sunday, June 14 at Stevie Ray's Blues Bar. The 2009 solo/duo contest is Sunday, June 28 at Lisa's Oak Street Lounge. The deadline for application submission is May 30, 2009. More details are available online at kbsblues.org.

Perpetuation: Probably the strongest commitment that KBS has is its efforts to perpetuate the Blues Tradition so that generations to come may be able to come to a knowledge and appreciation of the Blues. In a way this perpetuation encompasses the other two "p"s of our mission: it is through the preservation and presentation of the Blues that we can begin to perpetuate it.

One of the ways in which KBS perpetuates the Blues is through the annual presentation of the Sylvester Weaver Award to an individual in recognition of their efforts in representing the mission of the KBS.
Additionally, we seek to perpetuate the Blues with formal and informal presentations about the Blues to various groups, and through our own presence at festivals and concerts.