The
FGCU community is cordially invited to the upcoming Mississippi
Blues Legends Concert & Symposium, sponsored by the Honors
College and the Office of Community Outreach. The concert will
be held on March 13 at 5:00 PM in Veterans Pavilion, and the
Symposium will be held on March 14 at noon in Sugden 111.
Both events are free and open to the public, and free pizza will be
served at the Symposium. This is an extraordinary opportunity to learn
about and enjoy one of America’s most enduring and significant musical forms
directly from its modern-day practitioners. At the March 14 Symposium,
you can ask the musicians questions and hear their thoughts on the importance
of the blues today.
The
musicians are:
- Anthony
"Big A" Sherrod – A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi—“the
land where the blues began”--Sherrod starting playing at 5 1/2 years old.
Now at 33, he has released two albums, is featured in the
documentary We Juke Up in Here!, and recently returned from a tour
of Europe. He regularly plays Clarksdale’s juke joints and
festivals.
- Lucious Spiller was
born in St. Louis, Missouri and his dad gave him a guitar when he was
four, and he quickly started playing in church. He went to college
in Little Rock, Arkansas and graduated from Philander Smith College with a
degree in Art. He has performed with many well known musicians, including
Bo Diddly, Larry “Totsy” Davis, Albert King,
Eddie Clearwater, and Robert Cray. In 2014, Lucious won 2nd Place in
the Solo/Acoustic Category at the International Blues Competition in
Memphis. He currently lives and frequently plays in Clarksdale,
Mississippi.
- Stan
Street is a 68-year-old drummer/harmonica player and painter. Born
in Rochester, NY, Street lived in South Florida for 25 years where he
played (and painted) the blues. In 2005, he opened Hambone Art &
Music in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he makes blues-themed art and
hosts live music acts weekly.
