A blues festival in Helena, Arkansas may not seem of interest to alternative music fans. But Blues is the roots of music - it was african american rebellious music that broke racial lines and introduce "white" america into the sounds of Africa.
It was the blues that morphed into rock and roll, it was blues that crossed to Europe and created the english invasion which got raw and became punk.
> Fans of the Helena, Arkansas based Blues Festival formerly known as the
> "King Biscuit Blues Festival" started a grassroots effort to "Keep the
> Biscuit" in Helena after a New York Company and Memphis based Performa
> Entertainment forced the non-profit Helena festival to stop using the
> name. .
>
> "The grassroots efforts started with personal letters to the two
> businesses from talent agents and artist" stated Wayne Andrews, Director
> of the Festival in Helena," but now the fans are angry and have started
> an online petition to alert music fans to the confusion about the name
> and it's move to Memphis." The petition has quickly circulated and has
> now reached Europe with 2,000 names and comments. New comments are
> being added every minute.
>
> The King Biscuit name started in Helena when a local flower company
> sponsored the first blues show which featured African American
> performers.
> This radio show introduced the blues to a wide audience and made many
> of the blues legends we know house hold names. In the 1980's a non
> profit group launched the "King Biscuit Blues Festival" honoring this
> ground breaking radio show, and the blues. "The town thought they had
> the right to use the name after signing a contract with the radio
> station that broadcast the King Biscuit radio show." But a New York
> Company acquired the name through purchases and court action against the
> Helena radio station owner and stopped the festival from using the name
> after failing to reach a licensing deal.
>
> "Fans are letting the new owners of the name know that it is not just a
> name but something very personal to music fans. New York and Performa
> of Memphis may own the name but they don't own the history of the name."
> commented Wayne Andrews
>
> A grassroots effort launched by a musician who has played the festival
> in the form of an online petition is quickly circulating and garnering
> names and nasty comments for New York and Memphis. Music fans from
> around the United States and Europe have pledged not to visit Memphis
> which has built tourism on it's music heritage.
>
> "This on-line petition has enabled us to share with music fans the story
> of how our name was taken from us and give the fans a voice." stated
> Wayne Andrews. "It has become such an emotional issue that fans have
> produce t-shirts that express their feelings and are selling them to
> raise money for the Helena." (see the t-shirts:
> [
www.bluesandheritage.com])
>
> The New York Company and Performa have announced plans to launch a King
> Biscuit festival in Memphis in October, and a restaurant using the King
> Biscuit name. The signers of the petition have pledge to boycott the
> event. "I don't know why you would want to take a brand name that has
> such value and legacy and turn the 100,000 fans that have attended the
> festival in Helena for the past 20 years against them." added Mr.
> Andrews
>
> To see the petition: [
new.PetitionOnline.com]
> To talk to the Helena Festival Director:
> Wayne Andrews
> Blues and Heritage Festival
> 901-756-6629
> Email:Andrews.wayne@gmail.com
Preserving the blues, the roots of all music
