Seventy-seven year old blues legend Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown will headline the 16th Annual Carolina “Lite” Blues Festival, Saturday, May 18th, 2002, at Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC. The gates open at 1:00 pm, and the blues start at 2:00 pm.

The festival, now in its third year at its present home at Tanglewood Park, is presented by Miller Brewing Company, Eden, NC, and the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society.

Joining Gatemouth on stage is one of the finest contemporary blues/rock guitarists Walter Trout, Delta blueswoman and Rounder recording artist Rory Block, zydeco masters Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Alligator recording artist Long John Hunter and 2001 PBPS Talent Competition winners Blues Kravin from Marion, NC.

A legitimate legend of blues and American roots music, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was born in Vinton, Louisiana. Like many of his generation, Clarence learned music at an early age from his father. Clarence’s father taught him guitar and fiddle, but his first professional work was as a drummer during World War II. His debut as a guitarist is noteworthy; during a set by T-Bone Walker at the famous Peacock Club in Houston, Clarence picked up the guitar that an ailing Walker put down in mid-set and began playing his own composition, “Gatemouth Boogie.” The delighted crowd showered the young bluesman with $600 in tips.

Thus began the music career of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. The Peacock Club’s owner, Don Robey, invited Gatemouth to front his 23-piece orchestra on a tour across the South. Robey soon founded Peacock Records, the first successful post-war, black-owned record label. Gatemouth soon found a national audience with hits like “Okie Dokie Stomp,” “Boogie Rambler” and “Dirty Work At The Crossroad.”

After splitting with Robey, Gate moved to Nashville, where he hosted a television show and added country music to his act. He even appeared on Hee-Haw. The 1970's were a decade of heavy touring for Gatemouth and he established an international following. He toured the Soviet Union as a musical ambassador for the U.S. State Department. The 80’s and 90’s have brought more accolades upon Gatemouth as he earned a Grammy in 1982, was inducted into The Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and received the prestigious Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Gatemouth is also an eight-time winner of the W.C. Handy Award, given to top blues performers yearly.

Despite his advanced years, Gatemouth continues to tour and record for one of the biggest music labels-The Verve Music Group (a division of Universal Records). In 2001, Gatemouth released his fourth CD on that label, Back To Bogalusa.

The rest of this year’s line-up represents nearly every facet of the blues. Southern California native Walter Trout was a member of John Mayall’s venerable Bluesbreakers as well as Canned Heat. He has also played with John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton. Trout’s latest release is Go The Distance on the Ruf Records label.

New York native Rory Block has few peers as an acoustic slide guitarist. Having learned country blues at the feet of the great Son House, Ms. Block earned a W.C. Handy Award for her 1996 Rounder release When A Woman Gets The Blues. Her latest effort is I’m Every Woman, a soul and R&B departure for the Delta blues lady.

Chubby Carrier is considered by many to be the standard-bearer of zydeco music. His high-energy concerts with his talented Bayou Swamp Band have kept him in demand at blues clubs, blues festivals and blues cruises. His latest release is Take Me To The Zydeco on Swampadelic Records.

Texas-based guitarist Long John Hunter had been honing his distinctive blues for years in the Lone Star state before exploding onto the blues scene with his 1996 debut release on Alligator, Border Town Legend. Suddenly, Hunter was propelled from the West Texas club scene to national acclaim with subsequent Alligator releases Swinging From The Rafters and his latest, Ride With Me. Hunter was also one-third of the blues guitar trio (along with Phillip Walker and Lonnie Brooks) featured on the Alligator release Lone Star Shootout.

Blues Kravin, from Marion, NC, earned a trip to the International Blues Competition in Memphis by winning the 2001 PBPS Amateur Talent Contest. The energetic six-piece band has also won talent contests hosted by the Charlotte Blues Society and the Louisville, KY Blues Society.

Don’t miss the 16th Annual Carolina "Lite" Blues Festival, Saturday, May 18th at Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC, from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm. The festival is presented by Miller Brewing Company and the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society. Other major sponsors include Rock 92, Smith Stokes Chrysler Dodge Jeep, WNAA 90.1,Triad Style, Blue Plate Catering, Verizon Wireless and Signature Publishing.

For more information on this and other Piedmont Blues Preservation Society events, and to find out how to become a member of the PBPS, visit the official Website at www.piedmontblues.org, or e-mail to jamberg@piedmontblues.org.

The Piedmont Blues Preservation Society is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to keeping the blues alive.