FESTIVAL DEMONSTRATES THE CONTINUING POWER
OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI HILL COUNTRY BLUES  

In the mid-‘90s the music world was shaken up by the raw sounds of North Mississippi blues icons R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner. Although each of the men had been playing their distinctive styles for decades, it wasn’t until relatively recently that their music received broader acclaim.

These elder statesmen have all since passed, but their music lives on through their contemporaries, family members, and disciples. On July 3 these local traditions will be celebrated at the first annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic in Potts Camp, Mississippi, located just southeast of Holly Springs.

The festival’s lineup presents the best of the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues tradition as well as some special guests from outside the area. Acts already confirmed include:

-         Bobby Rush

-         Jimbo Mathus & Knockdown South

-         Duwayne Burnside & the Mississippi Mafia

-         Kenny Brown Band

-         Burnside Exploration (Gary and Cedric Burnside)

-         “T Model” Ford (with Spam)

-         David Kimbrough

-         Cary Hudson

-         Rising Star Fife and Drum Band (led by Othar Turner’s granddaughter Sharde)

-         Robert Belfour

    The festival is the brainchild of Potts Camp resident Kenny Brown, who has witnessed first-hand the world-wide appeal and influence of Hill Country Blues through his long tenure with R.L. Burnside and travels with his own band.

   “I got to thinking about how much the music from this area has influenced so many, and although there are a lot of festivals around, no one was focusing on real Hill Country Blues. Everyone I mentioned it to thought it should be done. So here it is.,” says Brown. “We’ve got a real good line up & we hope people will come out & enjoy the music, food and fireworks.”

The festival will take place on an 1100 acre site in the rolling hills of Potts Camp, just south of Route 78 off of highway 349. Gates open at 12 noon. Typical North Mississippi cuisine including barbeque, catfish, and watermelon will be for sale on the premises.

This festival is run by the non-profit organization North MS Hill Country Picnic, Inc