Claudette King coming to Blues Festival

The word is out about the Riverfront Blues Festival, and now top acts are contacting festival organizers and asking to be part of the two-day show.

The latest to inquire is Claudette King, the youngest daughter of blues legend B.B. King. King, also known as Claudette “The Bluz Queen” King, will perform for two hours on Friday, Aug. 8, the first of two nights of the ever-growing musical extravaganza.

“We are growing each year,” said Peggy Oelberg, who founded the event with her husband, Trent. “Early on, our growth was 6 to 8 percent. Last year, it was 58 percent. We’ve got people coming from all over, California, British Columbia. We even had people from England contact us saying they wanted to arrange their vacation around the Blues Festival.”

Billed as “two fun-filled days of blues, brews and barbecues, this is the sixth annual festival under the Fred Brown Pavilion at Riverfront Park.

King, who will begin playing at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, is just one of a weekend chocked full of blues artists sure to appeal to the soul and will get your feet tapping.

Other scheduled acts include Bryan Warhall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. before King and then the Robbie Laws Band from 10 p.m. until midnight Friday.

On Saturday, the event continues at noon with local favorites Alan Lane and Frank Chiaverini followed by the Mason Stone Band at 1:30 p.m.

Kevin Van Dort makes a return performance for two hours beginning at 3:30 p.m. Van Dort performed a couple of years ago at the festival.

At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Patrick “BlueFrog” Ellis will perform, setting up the final three acts of the evening.

At 7:30 p.m., Vicki Stevens and the Sonny Hess Band will play before the Harlis Sweetwater Band takes the stage at 9:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m., which will set the stage for the final All-Star Jam that goes from 11:30 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Word of King’s appearance came during Monday’s City Council meeting. Blues Festival volunteer Jennifer Nelson requested and was granted a variance by the City Council from the  noise ordinance. It was at that time, during an exchange between Nelson and City Councilwoman Robin Benson, also a festival volunteer, that the announcement leaked of King’s upcoming performance.

“The best part is she contacted us,” Benson said. “The word has gotten out about the Blues Festival, and she wants to be a part of it.”

King, a longtime Californian now living in Atlanta, is quick to cite her father as her main inspiration.

Trained in the gospel of the Baptist church from age 13, King says her mentors, in addition to her father, are Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, even Michael Jackson.

On her Facebook page, King says, “I got a bit of everybody inside of me.”

Born Riley B. King, B.B. King was born Sept. 16, 1925, in Berclair, Miss. He is 88.

Tickets for the annual festival are available locally or online at www.riverfrontbluesfestival.com.