Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) awards are presented each year by The Blues Foundation “to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Blues world.” https://blues.org/keeping-the-blues-alive-award/
Prairie Crossroads Blues Society would like to nominate Dave for this award next August and we'd like to hear from you about why you think he deserves it.
As for us...
If it was blues related, Dave knew about it. He knew the delta, festivals, promoters, fans and most of all musicians. With that sly grin and crook of his finger, he’d lead you to an artist you might never have heard of and turn you on to not only great blues music but the stories that went along.
Dave brought countless musicians to his radio show in Champaign over the years and many times treated them to lunch and a few dollars of gas money to keep them rolling down the road.
He encouraged everyone to check out the festivals in the delta and elsewhere, especially King Biscuit and Juke Joint Fest.
Dave served on the board of the Killer Blues Headstone Project to get gravestones placed in cemeteries for blues musicians in unmarked graves.
He helped the local blues society bring outstanding musicians to clubs nearby and turn people onto the music.
Dave seemed to be everywhere and know everyone. Countless hours on the road. How many times did he lose his voice just by chatting people up about the music and musicians? How many hands did he shake? How many anecdotes did he share?
We want to give a little back by collecting signatures (and memories) to include in our petition for a Keeping the Blues Alive award from the Blues Foundation.
Help us spread the word and we’ll be keeping the blues alive as well.
31 Comments
Dave believed in me and my musical gift,opened many doors for me and allowed me and my family to do his going away show on WEFT
Dave introduced me, in person, to Selwyn Cooper, Bill "Howl 'N' Madd" Perry, Billy the Kid, and a young, at the time unheard of artist named Jarekus Singleton. This is a short list. I remember when Guitar Shorty played in Peoria, and Dave was there with some of his Guitar Shorty 45s to get them autographed. He was a walking encyclopedia of the Blues, he had an incredible collection, and he never told me wrong. I don't think that I ever attended a major Blues event but what he was there. His memory is most deserving of a KBA.
Dave was a true believer in the power of the blues to make the world a better place. He served on the board of the Killer Blues Headstone Project and was instrumental in the placement of a headstone for a number of our recipients.
Dave Wright was selfless in his generosity of spreading the word about little remembered Blues artists, living or no longer with us, promoting their accomplishments and helping them realize their dreams. Dave helped these artists like few have, even as his health declined, Dave continued supporting the Blues.
I met Dave on my first trip to the Juke Joint Festival. He was relentless in promoting not just the blues but more so the artists themselves. For someone new just exploring the blues he was a wealth of information. For others who already had a grasp, many because of him, it was his stories that made it all come together. It was his passion and he had no off button. I can think of no individual more deserving of a KBA award than Dave. My only regret is that Dave won't be here to feel the appreciation. We can only hope that somehow he already knew.
Dave was a great guy,he showed me some great blues players.and I was fortunate to be present at the scattering of his ashes at his final resting place
If anyone deserves this award then Dave Wright surely does. He truly loved blues and consistently promoted the best unknown and influential blues artists on a daily basis. Extremely sad we lost him this year and I only hope that you can praise his presence with this award.
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Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) awards are presented each year by The Blues Foundation “to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Blues world.” https://blues.org/keeping-the-blues-alive-award/
Prairie Crossroads Blues Society would like to nominate Dave for this award next August and we'd like to hear from you about why you think he deserves it.
As for us...
If it was blues related, Dave knew about it. He knew the delta, festivals, promoters, fans and most of all musicians. With that sly grin and crook of his finger, he’d lead you to an artist you might never have heard of and turn you on to not only great blues music but the stories that went along.
Dave brought countless musicians to his radio show in Champaign over the years and many times treated them to lunch and a few dollars of gas money to keep them rolling down the road.
He encouraged everyone to check out the festivals in the delta and elsewhere, especially King Biscuit and Juke Joint Fest.
Dave served on the board of the Killer Blues Headstone Project to get gravestones placed in cemeteries for blues musicians in unmarked graves.
He helped the local blues society bring outstanding musicians to clubs nearby and turn people onto the music.
Dave seemed to be everywhere and know everyone. Countless hours on the road. How many times did he lose his voice just by chatting people up about the music and musicians? How many hands did he shake? How many anecdotes did he share?
We want to give a little back by collecting signatures (and memories) to include in our petition for a Keeping the Blues Alive award from the Blues Foundation.
Help us spread the word and we’ll be keeping the blues alive as well.
31 Comments
Dave was a big influence on the Prairie Crossroads Blues Society, helping us by introducing us to and bringing blues musicians to the Champaign-Urbana area. He was friends with hundreds of musicians, and seemed to especially want to promote some of the blues world's under-appreciated artists. On his blues radio show on WEFT 90.1 FM he tirelessly promoted blues festivals such as the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, Chicago Blues Fest and his favorites, Clarksdale's Juke Joint Fest and the King Biscuit Blues Fest.
Dave believed in me and my musical gift,opened many doors for me and allowed me and my family to do his going away show on WEFT
Dave introduced me, in person, to Selwyn Cooper, Bill "Howl 'N' Madd" Perry, Billy the Kid, and a young, at the time unheard of artist named Jarekus Singleton. This is a short list. I remember when Guitar Shorty played in Peoria, and Dave was there with some of his Guitar Shorty 45s to get them autographed. He was a walking encyclopedia of the Blues, he had an incredible collection, and he never told me wrong. I don't think that I ever attended a major Blues event but what he was there. His memory is most deserving of a KBA.
Dave was a true believer in the power of the blues to make the world a better place. He served on the board of the Killer Blues Headstone Project and was instrumental in the placement of a headstone for a number of our recipients.
Dave Wright was selfless in his generosity of spreading the word about little remembered Blues artists, living or no longer with us, promoting their accomplishments and helping them realize their dreams. Dave helped these artists like few have, even as his health declined, Dave continued supporting the Blues.
I met Dave on my first trip to the Juke Joint Festival. He was relentless in promoting not just the blues but more so the artists themselves. For someone new just exploring the blues he was a wealth of information. For others who already had a grasp, many because of him, it was his stories that made it all come together. It was his passion and he had no off button. I can think of no individual more deserving of a KBA award than Dave. My only regret is that Dave won't be here to feel the appreciation. We can only hope that somehow he already knew.
Dave was a great guy,he showed me some great blues players.and I was fortunate to be present at the scattering of his ashes at his final resting place
If anyone deserves this award then Dave Wright surely does. He truly loved blues and consistently promoted the best unknown and influential blues artists on a daily basis. Extremely sad we lost him this year and I only hope that you can praise his presence with this award.
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Dave was a big influence on the Prairie Crossroads Blues Society, helping us by introducing us to and bringing blues musicians to the Champaign-Urbana area. He was friends with hundreds of musicians, and seemed to especially want to promote some of the blues world's under-appreciated artists. On his blues radio show on WEFT 90.1 FM he tirelessly promoted blues festivals such as the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, Chicago Blues Fest and his favorites, Clarksdale's Juke Joint Fest and the King Biscuit Blues Fest.