DIVA CHRISTMAS 2007 @ KNON, NATE'S SEAFOOD, & ALEXANDERS

I just love Christmas decorations. You know when you're in the store and you see all that Christmas stuff for sale, like Christmas toilet paper, and you think "Who buys this stuff?" I confess, it's me! My birthday's in December and when I was a really little kid, I swear I thought the whole world decorated just for me! (That Diva attitude has been in the making a LONG time.) Too gaudy? Too many colors? Too big a tree? Not possible - bring on the Griswald effect!

So, in keeping with the holiday spirit, Thursday morning I've invited the most fabulous, witty, and wonderful Blueswomen I know to join me on air in the studio for a very special All Christmas Blues Diva Show. I could tell you myself, but I just love the way Miss Marcy put it on her web site:

Thursday, December 20th, 2007
Blue Lisa Texas Blues Radio
BlueLisa Texas Blues - 9am -12pm
5353 MapleDallas Tx 75235
Price: on radio- FREE!
http://www.knon.org/ or 89.3 fm KNON The Voice of People has invited Dallas' Blues Divas to offend the radio waves with our favorite naughty Girls music! I swear I didn't bring that man gasoline when he asked for water! I promise I didn't have no other mule in my stall! Wild women don't worry, wild women don't have the Blues. The Dallas Divas are: Blue Lisa, Cheryl Arena, Andrea Dawson, and Miss Marcy. Tune in for the dirty underbelly of the Dallas Blues Scene. That's right, it's early in the morning, we're going for mojitos before the show, and we are gonna party like drunken SMU girls with their daddy's credit card!

You don't want to miss this, so don't forget to tune in for a Christmas you'll REALLY remember!

And the fun doesn't end there. Nooooooo. Thursday night join me and the Big D Playboys along with our very special guests Andrea Dawson and Jessica Munn for the 2nd Annual Diva Christmas Celebration at Nate's Seafood in Addison. We start promptly at 6:30 and the whole thing is over at 10, so get there early and get a good seat. Rumor has it that our honorary Diva, Jackie Don Loe, will be gracing us with his beautiful presence during the first set. Exactly what we Diva's ask Santa for this year! For more info about Nate's www.natesseafood.com

And we round out our week with yet another Diva Christmas Show, this time with Andrea, me, Brent Rozell, Kenny Chavez and Popcorn Louden at Alexanders on Oak Lawn. Not a show for the meek or faint of heart - these people know how to party! Andrea and Brent play Alexanders every other week, but I'm really excited to be doing my first show there. For more info, check out Andrea's web site at www.andreadbluesband.com

Trust me, you will be sorry if you miss all this and have to read about it later, so make your plans now to join us for DIVA CHRISTMAS 2007!

FUN FACTS ABOUT BIG TEX

It's time again for the State Fair of Texas! I love the State Fair! I'm proud to say I have been every year of my life, including the year my mother was pregnant with me! For me, skipping a year would be like skipping my birthday or Christmas. Just not acceptable!

In it's 121st year, this years State Fair (the 1st was in Oct 1886) runs Sept 28 - Oct 21. For more info, call the State Fair Information Line at 214-565-9931 or visit the web site at http://www.bigtex.com/

And speaking of Big Tex, here's some things about the world biggest cowboy that even dedicated State Fair goers might not know:

Big Tex started out as Santa Claus, installed as a 1949 Christmas promotion in Kerens, Texas.
After a couple of years, the novelty wore off, and in 1951 State Fair President (and former mayor) R.L. Thornton made a deal to purchase Santa for $750. After a makeover by Dallas artist and stage designer Jack Bridges, Big Tex made his debut at the 1952 State Fair of Texas.

Big Tex was kind of shy and quiet at first, but started talking in 1953. He received an extreme makeover in 1997 resulting in a more mature Tex showing a little gray in his sideburns and the addition of a friendly wave. His earlier armature was tossed and he was fitted with a new, cage-like skeleton consisting of 4,200 feet of steel rods weighing 3 tons. In 2000 he began moving his head.

Big Tex is a popular guy! In addition to local, regional and international news coverage, Big Tex also "co-starred" with Ann-Margaret in the locally shot remake of the movie "State Fair."

Tex's current clothier of choice is Fort Worth based Williamson-Dickie. Every few years, the wear and tear of the Texas climate necessitates all new clothes. The years in between his clothes are dry cleaned before the Fair. Here's some of Tex's measurements:
Height: 52 ft tall
Chest: 31 ft * Biceps: 7 ft 8 in * Hands: 3 ft long
Boots: 7 ft 7 in tall * Boot Size: 70
Head: 8 ft from chin to top * Hat Size 75 Gallon
Pants inseam: 16 ft
Sleeves: 22 ft * Waist 23 1/2 ft * Shirt Collar: 12 1/2 ft

Since 2002, Richardson based vocal talent Bill Bragg has supplied the voice for Big Tex.

Make sure to stop by and say "Howdy" to the big guy when you make your trip to the Fair this year.

FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES JUSTICE AND THE BLUES

Check out this post from Chuck Nevitt;

For those wondering about tickets and other info to the upcoming DNABLUES BALL on Nov 24th, the official website is up. Please, if itisn't too much to ask, pass this website along to your friends thatlike the blues--as well as those who'd like to help free the innocent.We'll likely be adding more performers as the date gets nearer, with asurprise or two. http://www.dnabluesball.com/

OMAR KENT DYKES AND JIMMIE VAUGHAN TAKE THE JIMMY REED HIGHWAY TO “AUSTIN CITY LIMITS” ON OCTOBER 27

This just in my mailbox this morning. Get those VCR's programmed kiddies - looks like a keeper to me!

OMAR KENT DYKES AND JIMMIE VAUGHAN TAKE THE JIMMY REED HIGHWAY TO “AUSTIN CITY LIMITS” ON OCTOBER 27

ONE-HOUR SPECIAL INCLUDES GUESTS KIM WILSON, LOU ANN BARTON, DELBERT MCCLINTON, JAMES COTTON & GARY CLARK, JR.

AUSTIN, TX – Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan, whose new CD, On the Jimmy Reed Highway, is in the Top 5 on the Billboard magazine blues chart, are bringing their all-star salute to the blues master to national television with a one-hour special on the critically-acclaimed PBS concert series, “Austin City Limits,” airing October 27. Joining the two for this stellar concert are special guests Kim Wilson, Lou Ann Barton, Delbert McClinton, James Cotton and Gary Clark, Jr., all of whom appear on the new CD. The backing band for the show includes Derek O’Brien on guitar, Ronnie James on bass and Wes Starr on drums.

The high energy show, fueled by the howling vocals of Omar Kent Dykes and the sinewy lead guitar work of Jimmie Vaughan, features performances of most of the songs from the new CD, including such Jimmy Reed favorites as “Baby What You Want Me to Do,” “Bright Lights Big City,” “Big Boss Man,” “Good Lover,” “Caress Me Baby,” and “Hush Hush,” as well a dynamic version of “Bad Boy,” a tune made famous by legendary Reed guitarist Eddie Taylor (whose original version featured Reed on harmonica).

In addition, Dykes, Vaughan and friends perform two songs not included on the new CD: “High and Lonesome,” one the first songs Reed recorded for Vee-Jay Records in 1953 (the label for which he would record for its entire 13-year run); and a rousing version of “Ain’t That Loving You Baby” featuring a twin vocal/harmonica attack by Delbert McClinton and Kim Wilson. The grand finale performance of “Jimmy Reed Highway” features the entire cast onstage performing a mighty blues jam powered by the triple-harmonica threat of McClinton, Wilson and blues legend James Cotton.

Released in August by Ruf Records, On the Jimmy Reed Highway, has generated considerable radio airplay, rave reviews from the media and substantial sales of the CD.
“The House of Blues Radio Hour” nationally-syndicated program has a major feature interview planned with the Dykes and Vaughan to air the weekend of October 13/14
(http://www.thebluesmobile.com/).

In its review, Blues Revue said, “The album succeeds marvelously ... Vaughan and Dykes get it right, honoring Reed as well as contributing a sparkling gem to their own impressive catalogs.” No Depression echoed that sentiment in its review: “The final result is more than just a very cool tribute album; it's one of the most satisfying blues sets this year.”

For more information on Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan, visit http://www.rufrecords.de/, http://www.omarandthehowlers.com/ and http://www.jimmievaughan.com/.

The 33rd season of “Austin City Limits” begins airing October 6 on PBS (consult local listings for time and station). Over its glorious history, the series has become the standard of excellence for live recorded performances, with the most diverse array of music talent on television, presented before a live audience with stellar production and sound. For more information on the show, visit http://www.austincitylimits.org/.

Nathan Peck From Nate's and Keith Hicks from Ovation at The State Fair of Texas Saturday, October 6th!

Just a heads up that Chef Nathan Peck, known to blues fans and lovers of fabulous cajun food worldwide as Nate, will return again this year to present a cooking demonstration as a Celebrity Chef Saturday October 6th at 4:30 pm in the Creative Arts Building at the Great State Fair of Texas!

Nate's seafood gumbo is my favorite in the whole world. Matter of fact, it was the one thing I craved most while I was away in Scotland last year, and made sure to go get some the moment I came back.

Nate is a tireless supporter of my KNON BIG TEXAS BLUES radio show, my band Blue Lisa & the The Big D Playboys (we'll be performing at Nate's that week on Thursday, October 4th) , and all the blues musicians in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. And you just haven't lived until you've seen him doing the "Nate Boogie." So take advantage of this rare opportunity to see the master at work.

As a matter of coincidence, following Nate in the Celebrity Kitchen will be Keith Hicks, Chef at Ovation Restaurant in Fort Worth. At Ovation, Keith adds his unique flair to some of my favorite southern soul food dishes. Fried green tomatoes with a fried egg on top covered in Bearnaise sauce? Mmmmmm! Keith will be doing his thing in the State Fair Celebrity Kitchen at 6:00 p.m.
Owners Mike & Carrie Musgrove book the finest live Blues and Jazz the area has to offer. For example, when he's not out on the road with John Mayall, Buddy Whittington holds court on stage at Ovation every Monday night.

The cooking demos are free with your paid admission to the State Fair. For more info about the State Fair of Texas, visit http://www.bigtex.com/.

One word of warning - Saturday, October 6th is also the day of the Texas/OU Red River Rivalry Football Game is the same day, which means the Fair will be extra crowded. Don't say I didn't warn you!

DENNY FREEMAN ARTICLE

Regular readers of this blog and listeners to my radio show know what a HUGE Denny Freeman fan I am.

So I hope you will follow this link and check out this story about Denny

http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2007/09/0910freeman.html

Thanks to Chuck Nevitt for bringing this story to my attention. Chuck certainly appreciates Denny, having released my favorite Freeman CD "A Tone For My Sins" on his Dallas Blues Society label.

Denny has laughingly told me before that he and Derek O'Brien manage to fly pretty low beneath the radar, but that I am constantly trying to rouse them out. And I'm only too happy to be able to shine the light on both of these excellent guitarists. EVERYONE who loves great music should know both their names.

ETTA JAMES, AL GREEN & BB KING SHOW LAST SUNDAY

Sunday night I went to the Etta James, Al Green & BB King show courtesy of Ginger, KNON's Thursday night Texas Blues Radio host, who was generous enough to offer me an extra ticket she had. Thanks again Ginger!

Last time this grouping came through town, Etta missed the show due to illness. She has been in the hospital recently as well, so there was debate up until almost showtime that she might miss this one too.

Fortunately, that was not the case. Miss Etta was there, looking VERY slender (thanks to her weight loss surgery) in slim black jeans, black cowboy boots, a black sequined tank top and a white waist length collarless jacket with silver glitter stripes. Her hair was wavy and platinum blond and she wore a black knit skull cap. She looked fabulous, was in spectacular voice, and a great mood, humping her chair, patting her crotch (I'm so glad she's not mellowed out!) and telling her stories. I especially liked the one where she said she was approached by a woman while shopping in Walmart who said "You talk just like Etta James sings." (Now, I don't know about you, but I'd die if I walked into Walmart and there was Etta James! But I guess these days we're ALL in a Walmart sometime.) Anyway, one of her grand kids piped up and said "She IS Etta James" and Etta said "Shut up. Don't be telling them I'm Etta James. They'll think I've got money and take you. And I do have some money, but I don't want to spend it getting you back!" And of course the lady then asks "Will you sing "At Last" at my wedding." And Etta proceeded to tell us about all the people who have gotten married, lucky or pregnant listening to that song. And she warned a woman on the front row "Don't go home and get pregnant tonight." In addition to "At Last" she also did Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me To Do", "You Can Leave Your Hat On", "Sugar On The Floor" & of course, "I'd Rather Go Blind." What magic that woman weaves with her voice, and yes, she brought me to tears twice in her set. I have to be honest here: although Ginger and I had pretty good floor seats, we jumped seats for Etta's set, and ended up setting fifth row directly in front of her. How cool!!!

Al Green was up next with his soul style review. In addition to 2 back up singers (one of whom he introduced as his daughter) he also had two young men who did nothing all night but make costume changes and dance! Counting Al, there were 14 people on stage. 14! In these times when it's so expensive to tour and everyone is cutting back, it was great fun to see such an elaborate show. Al looked like he was really enjoying himself and I thought throwing long stemmed roses out to the ladies in throughout the show was an especially classy touch.

BB King was, of course, the headliner. Looking a little older and a little grayer, he was however much more energetic than the last time I saw him about a year ago, and while not functioning as the main guitarist, he played much more than he has the last three times I saw him. His voice seemed stronger as well. Of course, he is still the same gracious performer, thanking the audience for coming, and making it a point to introduce the members of the BB King Orchestra by name. And he always has a couple of good stories to tell, including the one he told of sneaking across the tracks late at night as a kid when they'd come into town on Saturday night and drinking from the "White Only" water fountain, only to think "Why do they make such a fuss about this white only water? It tastes exactly the same as the colored only water?" He also let us ladies know at this point in his life that we were quite safe if left alone in a room with him, although that might not have been the case 50 years ago! What a flirt! (Can you imagine BB & Etta backstage flirting with each other?! You know it must happen, and I'd love to hear that!!)

It was a wonderful evening. It was also well attended, another great thing to see at a blues show. Especially considering across town it was competing that night with another very big show: The Jimmy Reed Highway with Jimmie Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton, Kim Wilson, & Omar Dykes at the Dallas House of Blues. In addition to that, all the regular local stuff was still going on: Jackie Don Loe's spectacular weekly jam at Nate's in Addison, Hash Brown's Sunday Pearl jam in downtown Dallas, Gunzy Trevino, Guthrie Kennard & Mace Maben's Sunday jam Key's Lounge jam in Ft. Worth. I say it every week, but I'll say it again: how lucky we are in the DFW area to have so many choices of great shows to see every day of the week. I hope you appreciate that, and take advantage of it as often as possible. And for those of you living in other places, why not consider making Dallas your next vacation destination and experiencing our incredible blues scene for yourselves? I'll even make this offer - e-mail me when you're going to be in town, and I'll e-mail you back with a list of what's going on while you're here.

One more thing I want to mention for the benefit of all the performers and musicians reading this. From the seats I was now in for BB's set, (the fourth set of seats we'd set in that night!) I could see something most of the audience couldn't. I could see them bring him to the side of the stage, sitting in what looked like a wheelchair. As the bandleader introduced the BB King Orchestra, a man bent down in front of BB and polished his shoes. I think there's a lesson for all of us to be learned here. At 81, with as he told us "old age, bad knees and diabetes", after literally decades of performing, the man had enough pride in himself and his art to make sure he was at his best when he walked on to that stage, down to the high shine of his shoes. It is a pet peeve of mine to go see a show, and the artist gets on stage looking like he's just worked on his car. I say "he" because the women usually put more effort into their appearance. But all of us should remember to have respect for our appearance as a part of our art. Be proud of what you do. You have every reason to feel pride as you walk up on the stage. After all, if you want them to sit there and watch you, shouldn't you give them something to look at?

DEBIE BABCOCK DILL MY SPACE

For those of you listening to the show this morning, here's the address for Debie Babcock Dill's current band www.myspace.com/fatbottomgirlsband

Debie is living in Florida, where she has remarried, hense the addition of "Dill" to her name. I miss her greatly, and I know a lot of you do too, because I have a lot of people ask me about her.

Check out her My Space and drop her a line to let her know you're thinking about her! She comes through Dallas occasionally. I'd love to book her on one of my gigs next time she's in town. Wouldn't that be fun? If you think that's a good idea, let her know!

LET'S PLAY A LITTLE GAME

Under the title description of my blog, I've added the blurb "Meanwhile, nobody knows where Eric is...."

That was true until late 2006.

First one to figure out who Eric is AND e-mail me at BlueLisaBlues@aol.com with that info AND at least one date and place I can find him in 2007 gets a blues CD. I'll even give the winner a choice of several I have duplicate copies of.

I'm just curious who's paying attention.

Good luck!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENNY CHAVEZ!!

This Thursday, August 3rd, is the birthday of one of my very favorite people, my bass player Kenny Chavez.

Although I was really sad when my last bass player, Lenno Summers, told me he was leaving the band, Kenny has managed to do something amazing for me. After 20+ years of playing, he made gigging fun for me again. Matter of fact, I'm having the most fun with my current line-up than I have since my rock and roll road band in the 80's. All of them are great musicians that get my sarcastic sense of humor without taking offense. (And I've recently been hurt by someone letting me know not everyone finds my sense of humor funny.) You should hear the off-mic on-stage banter between me, Kenny, Rob Donavan & Darrin Denny. But, then again, maybe you shouldn't: you should just keep thinking we're all really sweet, nice people!

In addition to being a great bandmate, Kenny's also a true and loyal friend, something I've really needed in these last couple of very trying months. I've always valued loyalty in my friendships, but after the beating I've taken this year when I've had to realize two of my closest "friends" were not, in actuality, my friends at all, it has become even more precious to me.

But enough of this touchy-feely crap. I like him, and it's his birthday. We'll be celebrating it at the jam Wednesday night at Purdy's, where the ladies (and, who knows, maybe some of the men) will be lining up to spank him. But that's the same as every Wednesday, now isn't it? So I'll think of something else we can do to celebrate.

I'm just hoping that because it's his birthday, he doesn't chose to wear his birthday suit to the party!

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WENT TO THE DRIVE-IN MOVIES?

I did something so fun on Friday night, I have to tell you about it.

My neice Amanda & I went to the Galaxy Drive In Theater. It's located South of Dallas, just past Ennis off of I45, which might involve a little drive time if you live in the northern or western parts of the Metroplex, but trust me, it's worth it. The box office and concessions open at 6:30 and the first movie starts at 9. Never one to be early (as my current band will tell you!), We arrived around 8:00 and got in, got a good spot and got in and out of the concession stand in plenty of time for the start of the movie.

What a blast! I have many fond memories of drive in's growing up, as my grandfather was a movie projectionist (from the time he was in his late teens until they made him retire in his 70's) and my family went often as we got in free, but Amanda, because of her age (she's 18), had never been to a drive in. Both of us had such a great time! Megaplex multi screen box movie theaters have taken over the movie going experience these days, but there was a time in when the Drive In Theater was king. Read this bit of Texas Drive In Theater history from the web site http://www.driveinmovie.com/ :

Texas was host to the 3rd drive-in theatre to open in America, at Galveston in July of 1934 (the 1st & 2nd had opened in New Jersey and Pennsylvania), and thereafter - as in most things, Texas went at it in a BIG way .. by the late 50's,generally the peak years for American drive-ins, Texans had thebiggest peak in the industry, hosting nearly 400 outdoor theatres.
Although the state had held-out in true Alamo fashion, longer than most,and, was still harboring nearly 200 drive-in theatres even 20 years afterthe boom .. but ultimately, Texas would see their number decline by 96% and presently, there are only 16 Drive-ins operating in the Lone Star state. On an UP note: 5 of these were built or revived in the past four years, and the next .. a new twin-screen Drive-in (Lubbock) will be lit in July of 2003.

Every single thing about our experience at The Galaxy was fantastic - the ticket prices extremely inexpensive (especially for a first run double bill: $6 - adults, $2 - children 5 to 11, children under 5 free), the food was good quality and reasonably priced - a hamburger was $2 and a giant Texas sized popcorn $5.50 (and the popcorn was fresh and hot!), the facilities were clean, the classic window speakers very cool (as well as the 50's rockabilly style tunes played through them before the movies) and every person we came in to contact with was helpful and friendly. We brought bug spray, but didn't need it. And with the very mild Texas summer we're having, it was quite comfortable with the windows rolled down. We stayed in the car, but you can bring your lawn chairs or blankets and sit outside your vehicle if you like. We had so much fun, we're planning on returning very soon.

Open every night, 364 nights a year (closed on Christmas Eve), a night at the Galaxy Drive In would be a great as a family night, a night out with the girls (or boys) or a nostalgic, inexpensive (and romantic) date night.

Blue Lisa whole heartedly says check it out. http://www.galaxydriveintheater.com/

ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF SAM MYERS

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the passing of Sweet Sam Myers.

Even now, it's hard to believe he's gone. But then, he truly was a larger than life personality, so even in death, he is still with so many of us everyday. I myself can't bear to delete his phone numbers from my cell phone. Occasionally when I'm scrolling through for a number, I come across his name and it makes me smile. And everytime I walk into The Hole In The Wall I still glance over to his spot by the kitchen to see if he's there. Which he's not. But to me, it's still his seat, and always will be. And I will always look for him there.

A group of us gathered yesterday at the Dixie House restaurant where Sam liked to eat to tell our Sammy stories and, well, just to be together on that day when we were all thinking about him. And what a group it was: Joe Jonas (The man I think Sam had the most respect for. How many pictures are there of Sam and Joe together hanging on walls in this town? What a amazing duo they were!), Joanna Iz (who so lovingly watched out for Sam and made sure he was taken care of, and how he loved her for it), Hash Brown (Sam often said he wished Hash was his son), Miss Marcy, Andrea Dawson, Kathy Prather, Anson (theirs was not just a remarkable musical partnership, but a remarkable friendship) and Rene Funderburgh , John Street, Jeff (who helped Sammy write his book) and Robin Horton, Ravis (who lived upstairs from Sam and made it her mission to make sure he was fed and watched out for on a daily basis), Brenda, (who slept on Sam's couch for many a night in the last months of his life watching over him), Lisa Tindell and her son Austin (Sam loved kids), and Vicky Wiley (who accompanied Sam to the Mayo clinic in the months before his death, and stayed by his side when he was, shall we say, in a less than good mood. If that doesn't qualify you as an angel, I don't know what does.) There were a couple of others who's names I didn't catch, one man who Hash told me Sam lived with for the first few months when he moved to Dallas. For sure, a group that truly loved Sam Myers the man, not just Sam Myers the musician. I think he would have been proud to see us together, but then again, he might have wondered why we didn't call more people!!

Joanna brought a picture of Sammy (smoking) so he could be with us, but I knew already that he was with us all, and in fact, had never left our hearts and never will.

I thought our little meeting would be all about Sam, but in fact, it turned out to be a chance to catch up with each other and just chat in a way you can't do when you're playing your gig or even hanging at a jam. And it dawned on me that this was one of Sammy's greatest gifts to us all, because without him, this eclectic group of friends might never have been a group at all. And I wouldn't be suprised to find out that was his plan all along.

Thanks Sam. I still love you, and miss you, every day.

Viewing & Funeral Service Infomation for Donnie Mac

Here is the viewing and funeral information for those of you who were listening to the tribute to Donnie Mac on this mornings show:

Services will be held at the Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home, located in McKinney at 75 Central Expressway @ Ridgeview Drive (Exit 38) 972-424-7834 http://www.turrentinejacksonmorrow.com/

Viewing will be held Friday, July 13 from 6 pm until 8 pm
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 14 at 10 am

JANIVA MAGNESS ARTICLE IN REDBOOK

Those of you who listen to my radio show have heard Janiva Magness. Lately I've played cuts off her most recent CD "Do I Move You", and most often it's her awesome version of "You Were Never Mine". (I reviewed the CD for Southwest Blues Magazine in May 0f 2006 you can read it by going to the Reviews Archive link at http://www.southwestblues.com/ and clicking on Janiva Magness.) I was also thrilled to interview her on air last year the morning after she won "Best Contemporary Female Vocalist" at the 2006 Blues Music Awards, which she won again in 2007.

I was lucky enough to meet her in person in Grapevine a few days later, and luckier still to get to see her perform. She's a dynamic, beautiful (I mean really beautiful - I'm in envy of that gorgeous head of hair!), fun, sassy full-of-live DIVA in the best sense of the word. But you would never know from what you see and hear now the obstacles this woman has overcome. She shares her story in the latest edition of Redbook magazine, and you can read it yourself from this link http://www.redbookmag.com/parents-suicide-yl

Why am I sharing this with you? Because it's so easy to get caught up in the trials and tribulations of everyday life and think you should have a little pity party for yourself. I know - I've been doing it myself way too much lately.

I hope reading Janiva's story reminds you as it did me that there are far worse situations out there, and that you can not only triumph over your own personal battles, but that you can come out on top.

Oh, and check out Janiva's web site at http://www.janivamagness.com/ for much more on this amazing woman.

70TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROBERT JOHNSON RECORDING IN DALLAS

Those of you listening to my show this week heard me play all of the songs and alternate takes Robert Johnson recorded in Dallas on June 19 & 20, 1937. This is a huge event in blues history. It was the second of only two recording sessions Johnson ever did. (The first was held in San Antonio in November of 1936).

I have a gig of my own on Wednesday, but there is a celebration of the Johnson recordings going on that I really want to tell you about. Local guitarist Joel Foy has partnered with Pearl in downtown Dallas to present an evening celebrating the recordings. Read this from Joel's weekly e-mail:

Wednesday, June 20, Robert Johnson Dallas Sessions 70th Anniversary party. 8:00 - 11:00pm. Pearl at Commerce www.pearlatcommerce.com 2038 Commerce St, 214.655.8824 Dallas, TX 75201

I'm still getting a lot of calls about the Robert Johnson Anniversary show at Pearl at Commerce on June 20, 8-11pm. Because appearances are voluntary I can't make promises about who may or may not perform, and/or compete, but it's shaping up to look like nearly every guitar player who's not already gigging or out on tour will try to make a showing for this event. There's no cover, no entry fee for the song contest, and you don't even have to be a contestant to win a prize. Besides the song contest, there'll be a Robert Johnson trivia contest, and random door prizes handed out throughout the evening. There'll be a great cross-section of some of Dallas's finest traditional blues, so how can you lose? More info at www.pearlatcommerce.com Please pass the word.

As always, thanks for your support, and thanks to all who've helped me in various ways, large and small, to get my feet on the ground here in Dallas.


Best,

Joel

Unfortuantely for me, I'll miss the whole thing because my gig is scheduled 7 pm to 11 pm that same night, but there is nothing from stopping you from coming by my gig early to jam and have a delicious Purdy's burger, and then head downtown for this historical event.

2007 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNERS

2007 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNERS

The Blues Foundation announced the winners of the 2007 Blues Music Award winners Thursday night in a gala event in Memphis. The big winner of the night was Charlie Musselwhite who took home four awards on the strength of his DELTA HARDWARE cd. The other multiple winner was Irma Thomas for her Soul Blues album AFTER THE RAIN. The complete list follows:
Comeback Album of the Year: Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year: Robert Lockwood, Jr.
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year: Etta James
Acoustic Artist of the Year: David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Acoustic Album of the Year: Rory Block - The Lady and Mr. Johnson
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year: Marcia Ball
Instrumentalist-Guitar: Hubert Sumlin
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year: Bobby Rush
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year: Irma Thomas
Soul Blues Album of the Year: Irma Thomas - After the Rain
Historical Album of the Year: Shout! Factory - Hooker - John Lee Hooker
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year: Guitar Shorty - We the People
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year: Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year: Tab Benoit
Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite
Instrumentalist-Bass: Mookie Brill
Instrumentalist-Drums: Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Instrumentalist-Horn: Eddie Shaw
Instrumentalist-Other: Robert Randolph
Best New Artist Debut: Slick Ballinger- Mississippi Soul
Song of the Year: "Church is Out" - Charlie Musselwhite
Traditional Blues Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware
Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware
Band of the Year: Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year: Tab Benoit

ANDREA DAWSON ON BIG TEXAS BLUES

I love the word Diva. But somewhere down the line, people have defined it to mean a "difficult" (and THAT's putting it nicely) female vocalist.

However, if you look up the definition, Webster says " a usually glamourous and successful female performer or personality: a popular female singer".

If you ask me, it should continue to read ":Andrea Dawson".

As any one who has seen her perform can attest, Andrea is a natural talent - this woman was born to sing. And nothing pleases me more than to see her out and about getting to do it so much these days! You go girl indeed! Aside from being an incredible vocalist with a warm, engaging stage presence, she's got a wicked sense of humor, making her one of my favorite running buddies and partners in crime! (The trouble we've caused - whoops - I mean seen!)

So I am thrilled that she is taking time from her incredibly busy schedule to be my special guest this Thursday on BIG TEXAS BLUES. Andrea's going to come in to do the "12 Bar Blues" series. Always articulate and witty, I can't wait to hear what songs she brings in as her influences and her explanation of why they have been so.

So don't forget to tune in to KNON 89.3 FM (or worldwide on the web at www.KNON.org)Thursday morning from 9 'til Noon so you don't miss a word of it!

JESSICA MUNN THIS WEEK ON BIG TEXAS BLUES

I hope you have enjoyed BIG TEXAS BLUES throughout the month of March as I've celebrated National Women's History Month by featuring the recorded works of Blueswomen, and by having local Blues Diva's Miss Marcy and Cheryl Arena in the studio as my special guests. Thanks again to both of them for taking a break from their busy schedules to share their time, talents and insights with all my listeners.

We've got one more Thursday in the month - the one coming up, March 28th. I'll be presenting a blues history segment on The Queen of the Blues herself - Dinah Washington, who strangly enough, died the day I was born - December 14, 1963. But what an interesting, life she had. Find out more about it in the first half of Thursday's show.

The last half of the show, my special guest live in the studio will be 17 year old blues guitarist Jessica Munn. Jessica will be making her very first (of what I hope to be many) appearance on BIG TEXAS BLUES doing the "12 Bar Blues" series.

If you've been lucky enough to see her play, you already know she is a talented guitarist. What you may not know is what an intelligent and gracious young lady she is. Always a pleasure to share a stage with, Jessica has a talent that ranks her right up amongst the much older, more experienced pros - she listens and plays WITH the band. Trust me, some people NEVER figure that out. Quite clever of her to get it so young. And that's part of the reason why so many of us - myself, Andrea Dawson, Jackie Don Loe - have taken her under our collective wings.

You know me, I'm a big believer that there's always room for another Blueswoman, and I can't wait to hear from Jessica herself what has influenced her to choose the Blues. Listen carefully folks. It's the young women like Jessica Munn and Kayla Reeves that are the future of the blues. (I'm thinking we're in good hands here.)

So set your alarm sleepyhead, and tune in Thursday at 9 am sharp so you don't miss the fun!

CHERYL ARENA THIS WEEK ON BIG TEXAS BLUES

As the celebration of Women's History Month continues on BIG TEXAS BLUES, my special guest in the studio Thursday morning will be harmonica queen Cheryl Arena. Cheryl will be presenting a blueswoman history segment on Sister Rosetta Tharpe, as well as bringing in and playing music by other influential blueswomen. Cheryl has taken the DFW area captive since moving here from Boston. Tune in and hear her discuss some of her favorite blueswomen.

My thanks to last weeks guest, the inimitable Miss Marcy. If you missed it, well, so sad for you. Boy, did we have some (naughty) fun!

And next week, Thurs. March 29th, my special guest in the studio will be 17 year old blues guitarist Jessica Munn. You've seen her out at many of the local jams, and she's played gigs with me and the T-Bonz at the Cadillac Pizza Pub in McKinney and also joined us for our set at last years Southwest Blues Heritage Foundation Festival in Irving.

Jessica will be doing the "12 Bar Blues Series", and bringing in the songs that have influenced her as a musician. In the local blues community, we often talk about needing to get the younger generation interested in the Blues so that it does not die away, so I think it will be particularly interesting to hear what things have influenced this 17 year old young woman to choose blues. Maybe we can all learn something about what we need to pass on to the next generation to keep the blues alive.

All of these things and more (including the Weekly Live Blues Calendar at 11 am) on BIG TEXAS BLUES, Thursday mornings from 9 am until Noon on KNON 89.3 FM Dallas/Ft. Worth, and also worldwide on the web from the link at www.KNON.org

MY COVER ON SOUTHWEST BLUES MAGAZINE

I was so busy in December and January that I didn't even have time to post about one of the coolest things that's ever happened to me - making the cover of Southwest Blues Magazine.

I am so humbled and honored. Thanks are in order here.

Thank you Jackie Don Loe, for your devotion and dedication to writing my story. What an awesome job you did. Talk about getting our kicks in 2006! Boy, do I owe you one.

Thanks to Lon Buckley who shot the beautiful cover photo. You are such a sweet and talented man. You brought out the best in me. This is my very favorite picture of me ever. If only I looked that good everyday!

Most of all, I want to thank SWB publisher Joanna Iz for thinking my story worthy of being told. What a beautiful thing you have done for me. Thank you so very, very much. You, as always, have my utmost love and admiration for all you do for all of us in the blues.

You can see the cover and order a back issue if you didn't get a copy at www.southwestblues.com

MISS MARCY THIS THURSDAY ON BIG TEXAS BLUES

Those of you who are regular listeners to Big Texas Blues already know that March is Women's History Month.

In celebration of that, for the entire month I'll be playing all Blueswomen on the show. (For those of you who got your huff up there, how many times have you tuned into a blues show an heard nothing but bluesmen? Huh? And you never even thought about it, right? Thought so. So put on your big boy panties and deal with it.)

In celebration of fabulous females, I've asked a few other local blueswomen to come in and guest on the show. On Thursday, March 22nd, local blues harmonica queen Cheryl Arena will be my special guest from 11 am until Noon presenting a blues history segment on Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

And this week, March 15th, my guest will be the sensational and uninhibited Miss Marcy. What will that be like? Well, here from Marcy's website is her take on it:

*****
Miss Marcy KNON 89.3 fm - March 13, 2007
Thursday Morning. 9-12 pm. I am the guest DJ for KNON 89.3 fm. This will be a show dedicated to the fabulousness of Woman; her scent, her aura, her passion. I will be playing tunes that will make you want to call all your old girlfriends and confess that you were a fool. Women will want to stop everything they are doing and put on their red lipstick. These are tunes that celebrate a woman’s purpose, to be loved by a man. Whether you are going to work in the morning or just getting home, tune into KNON 89.3 fm. Live on the net www.knon.orgEvery Thursday 9-12pm Blue Lisa brings Dallas/ Ft. Worth the Blues!
*****

Check her out at www.MissMarcy.com Marcy is a woman's woman, so she's a perfect guest host choice for Women's History Month, but my God how the men lust for her! (Have you seen her lately - she's been working out and looks amazing. And all you boys be warned - she can run faster than she used to. No way you can get away from her now!)

So tune in for all the fun. Pity for you listeners is that no matter how much fun we have or what we say on air, you'll never get to hear the racy off-air talk. Maybe that's just as well. I think Marcy's last restraining order was just throw out. Best not get her right back into another!

FUNDRAISER FOR SOUTHWEST BLUES MAGAZINE

For those of you who do not know, Southwest Blues Magazine is owned, managed, edited, and published by one awe-inspiring woman, Joanna Iz. For 10 years now she has made sure Southwest Blues has kept you in the know with all the blues news you can use.

As you can imagine, it's no small task to keep a magazine coming out month after month. And it's not cheap either. It's free to you, the general public, but there are lots of costs associated with keeping it alive. (Not to mention blood, sweat and tears!)

So this Sunday, March 11, please join me in supporting Southwest Blues Magazine by attending the fundraiser taking place at Poor David's Pub , located at 1313 S. Lamar in Dallas - 214-565-1295. Cover charge is just $15 and gets you in to see an amazing array of blues royalty on stage for this special night - Smokin' Joe Kubeck, Bnois King, Anson Funderburgh, Hash Brown, Wanda King, Chris Ruest and Kirby Kelly.

My educated guess is that the celebrities in the audience will actually out number the ones on stage - all the local musicians love Joanna and SWB and will be out in full force showing their support. I say it all the time, but we have such a fabulous blues scene here in the DFW area, and that it due to a number of things: the plethora of Blueswomen and Bluesmen who make the DFW area their home, KNON's blues programming and Southwest Blues Magazines coverage of the musicians and events. Most of all, you, the Blues loving audience. Without you, there is no need for any of us.

So, if like me, you eagerly await the new issue of Southwest Blues Magazine every month, can't wait to see who made the cover, read the stories and reviews, check out the calendar to see who's playing where, try to master the licks in Jackie Don's monthly guitar column and love the fact that we have such a cool magazine in the local area, join me at Poor David's Pub this Sunday, March 11.