ARTISTS

CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM

GRAMMY® Award winner Kingfish returns to Winthrop!
“Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.” –Rolling Stone
“Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram represents the next generation of great American blues artists.” –PBS NewsHour

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS

After 25 years, twelve albums, four GRAMMY® Award nominations, and sold out shows everywhere, North Mississippi Allstars continue the band’s tradition of creating roots music that displays remarkable variety. As legend has it, Luther and Cody Dickinson started the band in 1996 as a loose collective of like-minded second-generation musicians who shared a local repertoire and regional style.

RUTHIE FOSTER

Ruthie Foster is a four-time GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter who mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. Described by Rolling Stone as “pure magic to watch and hear.”

MARC BROUSSARD

Born and bred on the bayou, Marc Broussard is an American singer-songwriter with a big voice, big heart, and a deep and contemplative mind. His style is best described as “Bayou Soul”, a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots. Check out his latest release with Joe Bonamassa here.

JACKIE VENSON

“Jackie Venson is truly an Austin legend in the making.”— Forbes
Jackie Venson is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter known far and wide for her complexly beautiful music and blazing guitar skills.

RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS

“Rick Estrin sings and writes songs like the brightest wiseguy in all of bluesland and blows harmonica as if he learned at the knee of Little Walter.” –DownBeat

JUDITH HILL

 Judith Hill has had an incredible decade. After being on the receiving end of a Grammy for her performances in the 2013 documentary “20 Feet From Stardom,” about the top background singers in music, she collaborated with Prince on her debut album, was a wildly popular contestant on The Voice, worked with Spike Lee, and appeared on the soundtracks of major motion pictures including “Happy Feet 2.” Her most recent album, “Baby, I’m Hollywood,” offers blends of smokey soulful blues, sizzlin’ R&B slow jams, stirring gospel and crunchy guitar grooves, all masterfully sewn together by Hill’s scintillating vocals and enigmatic personality

EDDIE 9V

Eddie 9 Volt is a name you don’t forget, and his show is a show you won’t forget. The young artist is making that name a household word among blues fans worldwide, touring relentlessly, achieving a spot in the top five roots music albums in the US, and winning acclaim from Rolling Stone. His mix of soul, blues, funk, and more is a blend of all that is best in roots music.

RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS

“Rick Estrin sings and writes songs like the brightest wiseguy in all of bluesland and blows harmonica as if he learned at the knee of Little Walter.” –DownBeat

DWAYNE DOPSIE & THE ZYDECO HELLRAISERS

“He has no competition in his genres, he’s the Jimmy Hendrix of the accordion.” – Rolling Stone magazine
2018 GRAMMY® Award nominee and “America’s Hottest Accordion” winner, Dwayne Dopsie plays a high energy zydeco that keeps you wanting more.

VERONICA LEWIS

Veronica Lewis is one of the most exciting, emerging talents in the Indie Roots world. Bending genres from the Bayou to the north country, Lewis combines the true language of the Blues with the energy of early rock ‘n rollers. Veronica Lewis, is a teenage prodigy, piano player, singer & prolific songwriter who is “changing the game and upping the ante”, says American Blues Scene. 

TOO SLIM & THE TAILDRAGGERS

“When a guy who has been grinding up the road for three decades tells you that life is a tough battle but still, and always, worth fighting with everything you’ve got, you best believe him. If the vocals aren’t enough to convince you then the unstoppable rhythm section will give you something to hold on to until you’re rested and ready for your next battle.” –Rock and Blues Muse

METHOW JUKE JOINT ALLSTARS

The Methow Juke Joint Allstars is a collaboration of two artists and their bands who are well-known to Winthrop blues fans as hosts of the late-night beer garden blues jams that follow the main stage performances each day of the festival.

TEVIS HODGE JR

Tevis Hodge, Jr., has been performing blues since he was 13, and even as a young man, he had an old soul. Still a young man, he has mastered traditional musical styles including Delta, Texas, urban and country blues styles. He also dips into jazz, jug band, folk and even old-timey novelty tunes. He has been a semifinalist at the International blues Challenge and been featured in Living Blues.

YATES MCKENDREE

Nominated for the Blues Music Award’s “Best Emerging Album” Grammy winner and traditional blues guitarist Yates McKendree stands out with a truly original presence. Born in Nashville and raised in a recording studio, Yates  grew up hearing and playing with many great musicians. 

During Yates’s high school years, he played on and engineered many recording projects; most notably for Delbert McClinton and John Hiatt, who told Rolling Stone Magazine, “Yates was our secret ingredient.” In January 2020, Yates earned a Grammy™ Award for his role as an engineer and a musician on Delbert McClinton’s “Tall Dark & Handsome.”