Piedmont Blues Preservation Society

The Signature Event of PBPS is the Carolina Blues Festival

1st Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 16, 1987 (Friends Motor Inn, Greensboro)
Nappy Brown w/Bob Margolin
Etta Baker
Guitar Gabriel
Big Boy Henry
John Dee Holeman
Algie Mae Hinton
Thomas Burt
Fris Holloway
The Badgett Sisters

2nd Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 14, 1988 (Friends Motor Inn, Greensboro)
Eddy Clearwater
Henry Gray & The Cats
JC Burris
Gary BB Coleman
Moses Rascoe
Paula Larke
The Shades
Nappy Brown & The Southern Sisters

3rd Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 20, 1989 (Depot)
Rufus Thomas (cancelled day before; replaced by Nappy Brown)
Jimmy Rogers with Pinetop Perkins and Bob Margolin
A Muddy Waters Tribute with Mark Wenner, Pete Ragus
Lucky Peterson
Saffire “The Uppity Blues Women”
Walter “Lightning Bug” Rhodes
Lightning Wells
Blue Note Special

4th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 19, 1990 (Depot)
The Kinsey Report w/Big Daddy Kinsey
The Holmes Brothers
Snooky Pryor
Bob Margolin
Kerry-Michaels Band
Turner & Foddrell
George Higgs & Scott Ainsle
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Bill Kennedy

5th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 18, 1991 (Depot)
Earl King
Bobby Radliffe
Lazy Lester
Klondike Phillips Band
Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
R.L. Burnside
Etta Baker
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  David Sheppard

6th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 16, 1992 (final year at the Depot)
Marcia Ball
Li’l Ed & The Blues Imperials
Magic Slim & The Teardrops
John Jackson
Lightin’ Charlie & The Upsetters
Guitar Gabriel
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Tony Welborne, WNAA

7th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 15, 1993 ( the year it became the
Carolina “Lite” Blues Festival, show moves to Castle McCulloch, Jametown)
Denise Lasalle
Saffire “The Uppity Blues Women
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets featuring Sam Myers
Bob Margolin with Pinetop Perkins and Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff
Big Boy Henry W/Ministers of Sinister
Bull City Blues Band
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Bob Margolin

8th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 14, 1994 (Castle McCulloch)
Etta James (cancelled day before show, replaced by the Holmes Brothers)
C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band
William Clarke
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Skeeter Brandon & HWY 61
Tad Walters
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Bubba Klinefelter

9th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 20, 1995 (Castle McCulloch)
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
Terrence Simien & The Mallet Playboys
Johnny “Clyde” Copeland (cancelled due to illness, replaced by Sonny Rhodes)
The Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings
Kenny Neal
Tad Walters
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Logie Meachum

10th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 18, 1996 (Castle McCulloch)
Delbert McClinton
Little Milton
Debbie Davies
Bob Margolin with Pinetop Perkins and Carey Bell
The Misdemeanors
Etta Baker
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Bill Mitchell (First President of the PBPS)

11th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 17, 1997 (last one at Castle
McCulloch)
Fabulous Thunderbirds
Marcia Ball
Chubby Carrier
Luther “Guitar Jr” Johnson
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Johnnie Whitlock & The Amazing Blues Caucus
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Jim Carson (long-time PBPS Treasurer/VP)

12th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 16, 1998 (moved to Emerald Pointe
Water Park, Greensboro)
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Buckwheat Zydeco
Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine
Duke Robillard
Corey Harris
Blues Hangover
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Bill Griffin

13th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 15, 1999 (Emerald Pointe)
The Radiators
Roomful Of Blues
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Joe Louis Walker & the Bosstalkers
Shemekia Copeland
Abe Reid
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Ms. Helen Mills

14th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 20, 2000 (first one at Tanglewood
Park, Clemmons)
Delbert McClinton
Magic Slim & The Teardrops
The Nighthawks w/Tracy Nelson
Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Cha’s
Captain Luke & Cool John Ferguson
The Blue Smoke Blues Band
(Delbert & Magic did not perform due to power outage caused by thunderstorm)
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Tim Duffy (Founder of Music Maker Relief Foundation)

15th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 19, 2001Tanglewood Park, Clemmons
Big Bill Morganfield, Pinetop Perkins and Carey Bell performing w/Bob Margolin
Bernard Allison
Saffire “The Uppity Blues Women”
Gino Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie
Roy Rogers & The Quest Blues Band
Allison King Band
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Roy Roberts

16th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, May 18, 2002 (final year at Tanglewood
Park, Clemmons)
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
Walter Trout
Rory Block
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
Long John Hunter
Blues Kravin’
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Pat Freitag (longtime PBPS Trustee/caterer to the blues stars!)

17th Annual Carolina Lite Blue Festival, June 7, 2003 (moved back to Greensboro,
at Duke Power Lot in downtown GSO; final year as Carolina “Lite” Blues Festival)
Lucky Peterson
Walter Wolfman Washington
Debbie Davies
Abe Reid & The Spikedrivers
Big Rick & The Bombers
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Shiela Klinefelter

18th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 8, 2004 (moved to Center City Park,
downtown Greensboro; first year association with EMF Jazz & Blues Series)
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Big Jack Johnson
W. C. Clark
Cyril Lance
Waymon “Buttermilk” Meeks
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Gaile Welker

19th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 7, 2005 (Center City Park, first year of
sponsorship from YES! Weekly)
The Holmes Brothers
Michael Burks
Kenny Neal
John Dee Holeman
Matt Hill Blues Band
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Chuck Cotton

20th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 6, 2006 (moved to Festival Park,
downtown Greensboro)
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Maria Muldaur
Bob Margolin with Nappy Brown
Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco Playboys
Peter May & Terraplane
Mighty Lester Blues Band
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Mike “Wezo” Wesolowski

21st Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 5, 2007 (Festival Park)
Hubert Sumlin with Michael Burks
Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers
Michael Hill’s Blues Mob
Big Rick & The Bombers
Bump & Logie
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Jeff Farran (longtime Festival Chairman/President PBPS)

YES! Weekly Presents 22nd Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 3, 2008 (Festival Park, first year of YES! Weekly as PRESENTING SPONSOR)
Li’l Ed & The Blues Imperials
Terrence Simien & The Zydeco Experience
Nora Jean Brusso
Sean Costello (Sean tragically passed away, was replaced by Chick Willis)
Blues World Order
Big Road Blues
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Smith Stokes

YES! Weekly Presents 23rd Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 9, 2009 (Festival Park)
Cyril Neville & Tribe Quest w/Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
Diunna Greenleaf w/Blue Mercy with special guest Bob Margolin
The Nighthawks
Adrian Duke Band
Landon Spradlin Blues Band
Bump & Logie
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Ralph Speas (PBPS Archivist/Trustee)

YES! Weekly presents the 24th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 8, 2010 (Festival Park)
Debbie Davies
Robin Rogers
Tinsley Ellis
Matt Walsh Blues Band
Charlley Ward Blues Band
Sleepy Eyed Jay & Chicago Slim
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Rock 92

YES! Weekly presents the 25th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 7, 2011 (Festival Park)
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin / Gina Sicilia
Candye Kane Band
Richard Johnston
Lawyers Guns & Money
Owen Poteat
Andy Squint
The Misdemeanors
The Ladies Auxiliary
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD:  Joann and Dwight Banks

Yes! Weekly presents the 26th Annual Carolina Blues Festival. May 19, 2012 (Festival Park)
Eric Gales
Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King
E.G. Kight
Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos
House of Dues
T.A. James
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD: “Sweet Daddy” Ray Burnett (posthumous award)

Yes! Weekly presents the 28th Annual Carolina Blues Festival. May 17, 2014 (Festival Park)
Kenny Neal
Janiva Magness
Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues
Armand and Bluesology with Will McFarlane
Toot and the Longshots
Sunnyland Steve
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD: Fishers Grille

29th Annual Carolina Blues Festival in association with YES! Weekly, May 16, 2015 (Moved to Barber Park, Greensboro,
due to construction at Festival Park)
Shemekia Copeland
Devon Allman
Larry McCray
Roy Roberts w/Special Guest, Dwight Williams
The Bush League
Peter May
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD: Terry VunCannon

30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival in association with YES! Weekly, May 21, 2016 Barber Park Amphitheater
Elvin Bishop
Bob Margolin Band
Samantha Fish
Marquise Knox
Dangerous Gentlemens
Blind Dog Gatewood
Seth Williams
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD: John Amberg

31st Annual Carolina Blues Festival in association with YES! Weekly, May 20, 2017 Barber Park Amphitheater
Eric Gales
Brandon Santini
Big Ron Hunter
Gate City Divas
Luxuriant Sedans
Laura Blackley & The Wildflowers
Seth Williams & Terry V
Gabe Morales & Nathan Pope (Youth)
KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE AWARD: Stan Atwell

32nd Annual Carolina Blues Festival May 19 2018 LeBauer Park
Nikki Hill
Gary Hoey
Lakota John
Cory Luetjen and the Traveling Blues Band
KBA-Casey Hazelman

33rd Annual Carolina Blues Festival May 18 2019 LeBauer Park Greensboro (this concert was in tribute to Blind Boy Fuller, who was inducted into the NC Music Hall of Fame)
Dom Flemmons
Clark Stern & The Musical Rewards
Melva Houston
Jon Shain
House of Dues
KBA- Big Ron Hunter

34th Annual Carolina Blues Festival September 12th – Covid-19 Virtual Edition in Partnership with the NC Folk Festival
Vanessa Ferguson

35th Annual Carolina Blues Festival May 15th 2021 LeBauer Park Greensboro – Carolina Soul
The Phoebes
Brendan Hinch, Mike Carr Junior Bluesman Award winner
Darryl Johnson
Roy Roberts
Johnny Rawls
KBA Lifetime Achievement Award – Penny Smith