Our BOBB winners did us proud in Memphis! Both Chris Simmons and John Bull made the semifinals. About half of the bands and solo/duos were eliminated in the quarter finals, so our entrants were in the top 50%. They didn’t make the finals, but only eight bands and eight solo/duos ended up making the cut out of about 200 entries.
The results were:
1st place band: The Keesha Pratt Band (Houston Blues Society)
2nd place band: Fuzzy Jeffries & The Kings of Memphis (Memphis Blues Society)
3rd place band: Artur Menezes (Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society)
1st place solo/duo: Kevin “B.F.” Burt (Central Iowa Blues Society)
2nd place solo/duo: Daniel Eriksen (Oslo Bluesklubb)
Gibson Guitar Award for Best Band Guitarist Winner: Artur Menezes (Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society)
Best Solo/Duo Guitarist Winner: Kevin “B.F.” Burt (Central Iowa Blues Society)
Lee Oskar Harmonica Player: Winner: Kevin “B.F.” Burt (Central Iowa Blues Society)
Best Self-Produced CD Winner: Blue Metamorphosis, Jontavious Willis (Atlanta Blues Society)
Yes, that is correct, young Jontavious Willis who has been booked for our next BlueStages concert on April 11 won Best Self-Produced CD.
Also of note: Bruce Andrews and George Dudley competing as 2Blu for the Music Preservation Society made the finals despite George playing with broken bones in his hand!