In the wake of a burgeoning awareness of blues legends who have received little or no recognition for their contributions to the music, a group from Helena, Arkansas is making an effort to pay tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson, who gave us classics like “Ninety Nine,” “Nine Below Zero” and “One Way Out.” The Sonny Boy Blues Society has received approval from the Arkansas legislature for the Delta Cultural Center, which will be located several blocks from what will be the Sonny Boy Blues Museum.

One person who has been a major spokesperson for this project, Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, along with the Sonny Boy Society, are planning a benefit January 12 at Antone’s in Austin. Contributions can be mailed to The Sonny Boy Blues Society, P.O. Box 237, Helena, Arkansas 72342.

A note of interest: most of the society’s founding members are involved with The King Biscuit Blues Festival, which, after only three years, is considered to be one of the most successful and outstanding festivals of its kind in the nation. If the response to the Sonny Boy Blues Museum is anything like what was experienced in Clarksdale, Mississippi, tourism can be expected to jump dramatically for Helena in the future.

OTHER HONORS DEPT… Bonnie Raitt was named MusiCares 1991 Person of the Year by the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, the people who award the Grammys. According to Mike Greene, NARAS president, “Bonnie’s efforts on behalf of legendary recording artists and her love and deep respect of their work is well-known among music people. She exemplifies the heart, soul and purpose of MusiCares.” (Courtesy L.A. Times)

Inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which is slated for completion in 1994) were announced in November. Bobby “Blue” Bland will be honored along with artists like Sam & Dave, Booker T & The MG’s and the Isley Brothers. Elmore James and Professor Longhair were also selected as early influences of rock music. Leo Fender, developer of the electric guitar, and songwriter Doc Pomus were tapped as nonperforming inductees. Both Fender and Pomus passed away in 1991.

RECORD COMPANY NEWS… Blind Pig Records has announced the signing of guitarist Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater with a release due out this spring. The versatile showman, known for his stage costumes and flamboyant performances, is also related to Carey Bell, Lurie Bell and Lovey Lee (I hope they videotape those family gatherings!).

Blind Pig will also release Steppin’ Out by The Gospel Hummingbirds, with a special rhythm section comprised of three members of Robert Cray’s band; it was co-produced by singer/songwriter Bonnie Hayes (songwriter for Bonnie Raitt) and Jimmy Pugh (keyboardist for Cray). And look for Blue Ivory, a collection of blues and boogie-woogie piano treasures from the Blind Pig vaults featuring Roosevelt Sykes, Henry Gray, Mr. B and Boogie Woogie Red. Steppin’ Out will be released on compact disc and cassette format, while Blue Ivory will be available on CD only.

Tone-Cool Records, which evolved out of Boston’s great blues and intense live scene, has just released Boston Blues Blast (Vol. I), an 18-cut compilation of red hot blues featuring Luther ”Guitar Junior” Johnson, Sugar Ray, Jerry Portnoy and many more. New releases also include The Oven Is On by legendary blues singer/harp player James Montgomery and Blues on a Holiday by Boston blues scene underground hero Paul Rishell.

SEEING IS BELIEVING… we all know about the new B.B. King instructional videos, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Live at the El Mocombo, and Eric Clapton’s 24 Nights, but now there’s the new Masters of the Country Blues, available from Shanachie/Yazoo. This set includes three 60-minute videos with performances by six musicians filmed during the 1960s. The first volume highlights the playing of Texas bluesmen Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb. Volume Two features the Mississippi Delta blues of Bukka White and Son House, and the final volume of the set is devoted to Carolinians Rev. Gary Davis and Sonny Terry. All three segments have introductions by Taj Mahal.

According to Stefan Grossman, a folk-guitar virtuoso overseeing the project, future volumes will include legends like John Lee Hooker, Furry Lewis and Jesse Fuller, as well as several blues documentations. For those of us unfortunate enough not to have seen some of these pioneers in person, this could be just the thing.

A new “video magazine” has hit the streets, GuitarVision Monthly, the first of its kind to showcase great players from all genres. The tapes are 60 minutes of original footage with artists like Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Hubert Sumlin, Danny Gatton, John Campbell and Tom Prinicipato.

There will also be instructional segments, giveaways, guitar set-up and repair, and features on the newest in guitar and amp design. The first giveaway is a Fender guitar autographed by Jimmie Vaughan. For more information about the video, contact Christian Roebling Productions at 1-800-829-9198.

Until next month…Stay Blue!!