Taj Mahal, Irma Thomas, Rev. Gary Davis Inducted into Blues Hall of Fame

Updated:

June 29, 2009 1:07 pm

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From the press release:

The Blues Foundation has announced the inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame in 2009, including “Soul Queen of New Orleans” Irma Thomas and multiple Grammy Award winner Taj Mahal, as well as late Chicago bluesman Son Seals and the Reverend Gary Davis.

Austin club owner Clifford Antone, discographer Mike Leadbitter and radio programmer/producer Bob Porter will be the non-performers inducted this year. The book I Hear You Knockin’ by Jeff Hannusch was selected as a Classics of Blues Literature. The induction ceremony will be held at The Blues Foundation’s Charter Member Dinner on Wednesday, May 6, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 30th Blues Music Awards. Taj Mahal and Irma Thomas will both attend the induction ceremony.

The following singles or album tracks will be inducted during the ceremony: “Boom Boom” by John Lee Hooker; “Caldonia” by Louis Jordan; and “Sitting on Top of the World” by Mississippi Sheiks. These albums were also chosen for induction: Amtrak Blues by Alberta Hunter; T-Bone Blues by T-Bone Walker; and the 2 CD set Blues With a Feeling (Newport Folk Festival Classics) by Various Artists.

The Hall of Fame committee, consisting of scholars, record producers, radio programmers, and historians, is chaired by Jim O’Neal, founding editor of Living Blues.

For bios of all inductees click here:
http://shorefire.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=2759

The Blues Hall of Fame is a program of The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. The Foundation consists of a worldwide network of 165 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships spanning the globe. In addition to the Blues Hall of Fame, the Foundation also produces the Blues Music Awards, the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto www.blues.org.