Blind Boys of Alabama….Headline 2012 W.C. Handy Festival

Florence, AL-For more than 70 years, the Blind Boys of Alabama have shared their unique music with the world, their shows are roof-raising musical events that appeal to audiences of all cultures, as evidenced by an international itinerary that has taken them to virtually every continent. The Music Preservation Society is proud to announce the Blind Boys of Alabama are the 2012 W.C. Handy Music Festival headliners. The concert will be held Saturday, July 28th 7:30 p.m. at Norton Auditorium on the campus of the University of North Alabama. Tickets are $30/General Admission and $100/VIP Package. The VIP Package consists of 2 reserved seats, Meet & Greet with the artists, and 1 CD which can be signed at the Meet & Greet. General Admission tickets can be purchased at TicketLeap.com or through the Festival website, www.wchandymusicfestival.org. VIP tickets are not available online, but can be reserved by either calling the Handy Festival Office at 256-766-7642, or by stopping by the Handy Festival Office at the Kennedy-Douglass Center after July 16th.

The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. They havesung for Presidents and royalty, at festivals and events; including their recordings, television and film appearances, they have touched audiences world-wide. The Blind Boys are…founding member and vocalist, Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter – vocals, Bishop Billy Bowers – vocals, Ben Moore – vocals, Eric “Ricky” McKinnie – drums, percussion, vocals, Joey Williams – lead guitar, vocals, Tracy Pierce – bass and Peter Levin – organ. The group has received 5 Grammy® Awards, including the Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, 4 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards and in 2003, they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2005, The Blind Boys of Alabama received the American Foundation for the Blind’s distinguished Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award; this award is presented to individuals and organizations that have improved the quality of life for people who are blind, visually impaired or disabled. The Blind Boys of Alabama formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939,

2012 W. C. Handy Music Festival Poster

and in the state where it all began, they were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010. They have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 70 years and shows no signs of diminishing. Longevity and major awards aside, The Blind Boys have earned praise for their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material by acclaimed songwriters such as Curtis Mayfield, Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, Prince and Tom Waits.

The Blind Boys of Alabama concert is made possible through the generosity of Dr. Keith P. Thompson – Florence Ophthalmology P.C., ICS Roofing & Construction, Inc., Parkes Mechanical and Metals, Inc., Rod & Pat Slusher, Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, University of North Alabama, UNA Department of Communications’ Film & Digital Media Productions, local Ford Dealers and the Music Preservation Society, Inc. 

Update to the Blind Boys of Alabama headliner concert at 7:30pm on July 28th – Norton Auditorium – the W.C. Handy Music Festival is happy to announce that Christine Ohlman, the flashy, gritty platinum-blonde “Beehive Queen,” who is the longtime vocalist with NBC’s Saturday Night Live Band, will join the Blind Boys for a special song. It will be a moment you won’t want to miss! Don’t know who Christine is? Click on the link and check out her website!www.christineohlman.net.