The Blues Foundation is an American
nonprofit corporation
A nonprofit corporation is any legal entity which has been incorporated under the law of its jurisdiction for purposes other than making profits for its owners or shareholders. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, a nonprofit corporation may ...
, headquartered in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, that is affiliated with more than 175
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
organizations from various parts of the world.
Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the foundation whose stated mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, and expand worldwide awareness of the blues.
On its formation, the foundation organized the annual
W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musici ...
Awards to "give recognition of the finest in blues performances and recordings." The awards have since been renamed the
Blues Music Award
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...
s. The BMAs are generally recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians, and are awarded by vote of Blues Foundation members.
The Blues Foundation is also responsible for the
Blues Hall of Fame Museum,
International Blues Challenge
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) is a music competition run by the Blues Foundation.
Notable blues artists that have competed in the IBC over the years also includes Fiona Boyes, Eden Brent, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Sean Costello, Alb ...
(IBC), Keeping the Blues Alive Award (KBA) and Blues in the Schools program.
Every year, the Blues Foundation presents the KBA Awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to blues music.
The KBA ceremony are held in conjunction with the International Blues Challenge. The KBAs are awarded on the basis of merit, by a select panel of blues professionals, working to actively promote and document the music.
The foundation established the HART Fund (Handy Artists Relief Trust) for blues musicians, and their families in financial need, due to a broad range of health concerns. The HART Fund provides for acute, chronic and preventive medical and dental care, as well as funeral expenses.
Barbara B. Newman succeeded Jay Sieleman, as president and chief executive officer of the Blues Foundation on October 1, 2015.
Affiliated members
*''
Block Magazine
''BLOCK Magazine'' is a quarterly magazine about the African-American blues tradition. It is the Netherlands' oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded in Almelo, in the east of the Netherlands in 1975, by Rien and Marion Wisse. They fr ...
''
*
Delta Cultural Center
The Delta Cultural Center in downtown Helena, Arkansas, is a cultural center and museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. It is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the culture of the Arkansas Delta. They also partner with other cultura ...
*
Ground Zero Blues Club
Ground Zero is a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi that is co-owned by Morgan Freeman, Memphis entertainment executive Howard Stovall, and Eric Meier. Attorney Bill Luckett was also co-owner until his death in 2021. It got its name from t ...
*Inland Empire Blues Society
*
Kentuckiana Blues Society
The Kentuckiana Blues Society (KBS) is a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and perpetuation of blues music, founded in 1988 and based in Louisville, Kentucky. The KBS is an affiliate member of the Blues Foundat ...
(KBS)
*
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
(NEH)
*
Knuckleheads Saloon
Knuckleheads is a music venue in Kansas City, Missouri. The facility is a complex of four stages: a large outdoor stage with a converted caboose to one side as a VIP seating area; an indoor stage; a large indoor stage known as Knuckleheads Garag ...
See also
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Blues Hall of Fame
The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum located at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1 ...
*
Blues Music Award
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...
*
International Blues Challenge
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) is a music competition run by the Blues Foundation.
Notable blues artists that have competed in the IBC over the years also includes Fiona Boyes, Eden Brent, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Sean Costello, Alb ...
References
External links
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Blues organizations
Organizations based in Memphis, Tennessee
1980 establishments in Tennessee
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