Oxford has a rich history of art, music and literature. This weekend, July 18 through July 20, Oxford will celebrate its historical and modern blues culture.
While this is only the 4th annual Oxford Blues Festival, the presence of blues has been constant in this small southern town for a long time.
“Oxford is uniquely situated between hill country and the Mississippi Delta, so we have had a historically decent amount of blues artists,” said Greg Johnson, blues curator at The University of Mississippi. “It’s in the soul of the area.”
The blues record label, Fat Possum Records, was founded in 1991 and has recorded internationally acclaimed artists including R.L. Burnside.
Burnside was born in the College Hill area and became a famous hill country artist in the 1990s, according to the Mississippi Blues Trail website.
After the Center for the Study of Southern Culture was established at Ole Miss in 1977, and with the help of founding director and blues scholar William Ferris, the blues culture in Oxford began to receive more recognition.
Since this time, blues musicians have been present at many venues on the Historic Oxford Square, including Proud Larry’s, Two Stick and Rooster’s Blues House. Many blues artists have also recorded in the area, including Grammy-winning Blues Singer, Buddy Guy.
The Oxford Blues Festival was created to continue the legacy of blues music and culture in Oxford. The Oxford Blues Festival works to educate about and preserve the role of blues in modern day music.
“The mission of the Oxford Blues Festival is to preserve, protect and promote blues music and culture. This is achieved through education in school programs, community events and workshops culminating with the production of an outdoor festival uniting our diverse citizenry in a celebration of American blues-based music,” states Blake Russell, Executive Coordinator, on the Oxford Blues Fest website.
To celebrate the blues heritage of Oxford, the 4th Annual Oxford Blues Festival will include performances by artists the legendary Johnny Winter, “Big” George Brock, Silas Reed & Da Books, and the Reba Russell Blues Band.
If you would like to support the Oxford blues culture and musicians, or just enjoy a weekend of talent, tickets are on sale at oxfordbluesfest.com.
