ABOUT WILLIAM FERRIS:
Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1942, William “Bill” Ferris grew up on a working farm and was always fascinated by the Southern folklore and culture that surrounded him. At a young age he began documenting the artwork, music, and lives of the people on the farm and in his local community. Earning a PhD in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969, Ferris then served as a Professor of English at Mississippi’s Jackson State University (1970-1972), American and Afro-American Studies at Yale (1972-1979), Anthropology at the University of Mississippi (1979-1997), and History and Folklore at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (2002-2018). In addition to his teaching, Ferris also co-founded the Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis, served as the founding director of the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture, and was Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1997 to 2001. While his work has provided powerful tools in institutions of higher learning for decades, Bill Ferris is most notably a teacher and humanitarian with an unwavering commitment to establish, to share, and to expand an appreciation of community and culture in the American South.
BOBBY RUSH
Bobby Rush is an 88-year-old 2x Grammy winning legendary artist. A Blues Hall of Famer, with 14 Blues Music Awards among 53 total nominations, he’s earned their highest honors of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year. Rolling Stone named him "King of the Chitlin' Circuit" and his LP Rush Hour among the top ten of the 1970s. In 2019 he had a cameo alongside Eddie Murphy, in the Golden Globe nominated Netflix film, Dolemite Is My Name. From his 1971 hit “Chicken Heads” to his 2017 Grammy winner Porcupine Meat and most recently his 2021 Grammy winner Rawer Than Raw he’s put out over 400 recordings. His most recent releases are his autobiography I Ain’t Studdin’ Ya: My American Blues Story, released via Hachette Books and Record Store Day Black Friday’s vinyl exclusive Chicken Heads: A 50th Anniversary featuring his friends Buddy Guy, Gov’t Mule, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
RUTHIE FOSTER
In the tightknit musical community of Austin, Texas, it’s tough to get away with posturing. You either bring it, or you don’t. If you do, word gets around and you might find yourself duetting with Bonnie Raitt, or standing onstage with the Allman Brothers and trading verses with Susan Tedeschi. You might get nominated for a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy — four times, and win ten Blues Music Awards, three Austin Music Awards, the Grand Prix du Disque award from the Académie Charles-Cros in France, a Living Blues Critics’ Award for Female Blues Artist of the Year, and the title of an “inspiring American Artist” as a United States Artists 2018 Fellow.
There’s only one Austinite with that resumé: Ruthie Foster. Described by Rolling Stone as “pure magic to watch and hear,” her vocal talent was elevated in worship services at her community church. Drawing influence from legendary acts like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, Foster developed a unique sound unable to be contained within a single genre. That uniqueness echoes a common theme in Ruthie’s life and career - marching to the beat of her own drum.
CEDRIC BURNSIDE
Cedric Burnside is a Grammy-winning blues drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. The son of blues drummer Calvin Jackson and grandson of blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist R. L. Burnside, Cedric proudly carries the legacy of the Mississippi Hill Country blues tradition as well as its future, melding modern elements from rock to funk to soul into the deep, unmistakable grooves that have shaped the blues of the Hill Country.
Rolling Stone article on Cedric
SHARDE THOMAS
Sharde Thomas was born in North Mississippi and is the granddaughter of the late Otha Turner, the legendary fife player who kept the fife and drum tradition alive. Shardé was her grandfather’s musical heir at a very young age and today is the lead vocalist and fife player in the Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band. After Otha passed away, Sharde took over the band, which now performs a mixture of blues, pop, hip hop, gospel, and folk music.
LUTHER DICKINSON
A gifted guitarist with an eclectic range of influences, Luther Dickinson has earned a reputation as an innovator in modern blues while also having a keen understanding and respect for its rich history. Whether co-leading the Grammy-nominated North Mississippi Allstars band with his drummer brother Cody, recording and performing solo, or collaborating with regional artists ranging from Jimbo Mathus and Sharde Thomas to Amy LaVere and Alvin Youngblood Hart, his devotion to and experiments with roots sounds from the American South is total: blues, rockabilly, gospel, folk, and raw funky soul are a few of the genres he recombines on a mercurial collection of recordings.
CODY DICKINSON
Perhaps best known as the drummer and a founding member of the North Mississippi Allstars band, Cody earned three Grammy nominations as a member of the band. He has also personally garnered a Blues Music Awards nomination in the 'Best Instrumentalist/Drums' category and was co-producer of the film ‘Take Me To The River.’