Headliner - Charlie Musselwhite
Headlining the event will be legendary harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite, known for his collaborations with artists such as Tom Waits and Ben Harper, and his induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. Mississippi-born, Memphis-raised Charlie Musselwhite is a Grammy Award-winning harmonica player and blues legend who has been performing for over five decades. His signature sound has been featured on countless recordings and collaborations, and he has played with some of the biggest names in music.
Calesta "Callie" Day
Calesta “Callie” Day is from Atlanta, Georgia. Her anointed Gospel style, production, and spiritual perception have made her one of the most dynamic and compelling talents including a run on America’s Got Talent in 2019. A classically trained opera singer who performs in multiple genres, Callie is also an educator, artist, vocalist, and voice instructor who has performed with Opera companies throughout the United States, Europe, and Central America.
Little Pink Anderson
Little Pink Anderson will travel from Iowa. The son of the late great Pink Anderson, is a blues musician in his own right and a true ambassador of the Piedmont blues tradition. Watching Little Pink play will give you a master class in the techniques his father taught him during snake oil medicine shows — the Piedmont blues, old-school rural blues and life. And his powerful voice fills the room, whether he’s playing his own compositions or staples of his father’s repertoire, such as “St. James Infirmary” and “In the Jailhouse Now.” His father’s name was also combined with Floyd Council’s name, a historic Piedmont Style Blues guitar picker, by a certain well-known British rock band to create the name “Pink Floyd”.
Kat Riggins
Kat Riggins comes from Miami and is a powerful singer and songwriter who blends traditional blues with rock and soul influences. Kat has been hailed as one of the most exciting new voices in the blues scene today and is often said to be one of the most authentic contemporary Blues voices with comparisons to Koko Taylor, Etta James and Tina Turner. In 2022 she earned a Blues Music Award nomination in the Soul Blues Female Artist category and more recently hosted the Women in Blues Showcase during the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Kat Riggins is a stick of dynamite with a loving embrace ready to surround your heart.
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall, known as Atlanta’s “Empress of the Blues,” has been performing for over five decades and is a true icon of the genre. Hall trained as a nurse, supplementing her income by working variously as a singer, go-go dancer and stripper. She celebrates the burlesque & risque perspective of the Blues and might get you a little hot under the collar.
The King Bees
Sandra Hall will be joined on stage by The King Bees, a talented blues band that has been making music together for over 30 years performing on festival stages in European capitals including Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Stockholm and London. The King Bees have collaborated with Rock n’ Roll Hall-of-Fame member Bo Diddley and were featured on The B.B. King Birthday Tour. They have shared the bill with Dr. John, Buddy Guy, James Brown, Leon Russell and a host of other legends.
Wezo/Trollinger Band
Wezo/Trollinger Band features Mike Wesolowski (Wezo) and Jamie Trollinger of Winston-Salem, NC who have been staple musicians in the Triad music scene for over 30 years. Their unique sound is in service to the searing guitar riffs of Trollinger and the harmonica expertise of Wezo who will be playing a special edition Megatone Harp amplifier that bears his name.
Mama & The Ruckus
Mama & The Ruckus have been gaining a following with their high-energy performances and fronted by Melissa McKinney’s powerhouse vocals. From Asheville, NC, Mama & The Ruckus is a band ready to make waves on the national Blues scene and recently played two nights at BB King’s on Beale Street in Memphis as part of the International Blues Challenge. Their music is a soulful blend of Blues, funk, and rock that is sure to get the crowd grooving.