Oxford Blues Festival Celebrates12th Year with Dynamic Lineup

This year’s festival is October 12–14 at the Lafayette County Arena
on Buddy East Parkway.

The 12th Annual Oxford Blues Festival is set to bring a lively beat to Oxford, October 12–14, 2023, at the Lafayette County Arena. Founded by Darryl Parker, the festival’s mission is to keep the blues alive by highlighting new and upcoming blues artists as well as underappreciated old-timers.

“Spreading the blues into new audiences is important—helping to foster and create not just listeners, but also musicians.”

This year’s three-day fest includes blues panels on Thursday and an “emerging artist” challenge on Friday, before the headliners hit the big stage on Saturday.

The festival kicks off on Thursday with two engaging blues panel discussions at the Ole Miss Blues Archives. The first panel titled “Blues Legends Unplugged: A Journey Through Time, Tradition, and Transformation,” features bluesman Willie Farmer, whose narrative from mechanic to musician encapsulates Mississippi’s deep blues roots.

The second panel, “Soulful Sounds: Blues Music and the Ongoing Pursuit for Justice,” highlights Brenda Luckett and Al White’s lifelong dedication to blues music and civil rights.
“The panels are just another way of telling a story,” Parker said. “You can tell stories through songs. You can tell a story through panels and interviews. It’s just a different way of expressing the blues.”

Friday evening transitions to the Emerging Blues Artist Challenge, a platform for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talents. The lineup includes acts like The Delta Project, Malach, Delo Brown, Cricket & The Boogieman, Steve Brewer, and The Blues Experience, offering a fresh take on classic blues rhythms. The challenge starts at 6:30 pm, with gates opening at 4:30 pm at the Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena.

“We just want to recognize all the great talent in this area and beyond,” Parker said. “We want to highlight and develop new talent and expose it. That’s how we’ll keep the Blues alive.”
Saturday offers a full-day blues extravaganza with each act bringing a unique flavor to the blues spectrum:

**Mizz Lowe**, born Loretta Harris in Mississippi, developed her passion for Blues music through her father’s café jukebox. Her journey eventually led her performing internationally with legends like Bobby Rush, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, and Buddy Guy. Mizz Lowe is renowned for her role as the “Young Hen” in the Chittlin’ Circuit.

**Little Willie Farmer** was born 1956 in Duck Hill, Mississippi. He learned the blues from his Uncle Waldo, who also influenced Leo Bud Welch. After honing his skills in church, Farmer has performed with Johnnie Billington, Bobby Rush, Lynn White, and others. He can play both country blues and funky blues songs.

**“Michissippi Mick” Kolassa** lives in Memphis but was born in Michigan and lived in Mississippi for nearly 30 years, where he was given his nickname. He has played blues in solo and duo acoustic formats and with his bands for years.

**Anthony “Big A” Sherrod** is a Delta bluesman who plays with tremendous fun and passion. Big A personifies what authentic blues sounds like in Clarksdale today. Currently, Big A has a weekly residence at Red’s Lounge, the famous authentic juke joint in Clarksdale. (Briggs Farm Blues Fest 2016)

**Wendy Jean Garrison** “msslideguitar” of Oxford, respects the blues, honors the lessons learned in a year-long apprenticeship with bluesman Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry, and has forged a style unique to her own life, through 25 years of performing in North Mississippi.

**Randy Ferguson** is a versatile lead singer/songwriter with well over 30 years of multi genre expertise. Randy has shared billing with dozens of music legends and has recently been playing duet gigs with Grammy-nominated artist Trenton Ayers.

**CadillacFunk** has been providing north Mississippi with original funky blues with a New Orleans twist on their sound. There is something fun and enjoyable about this group for all ages.

**Andrea Staten** is a Mississippi native who is known as a rhythm guitarist who has performed with Garry Burnside, Kenny Brown, Duwayne Burnside, among others. More recently, she’s embarked on a solo career focused on Mississippi Hill Country Blues.

Guitarist **Mark Doyle** and harmonica player **Bud Carson** have played blues together for over four decades, developing a rollicking style that’s all their own. Along the way, they’ve played with legends like Little Richard and Willie Dixon, seen the decline and resurgence of traditional blues, and never lost their enthusiasm for playing music.

For more information and the best prices on tickets, visit OxfordBluesFest.com. Student tickets are $10, general admission is $20, and VIP Admission at $180 for a single day’s entry. However, those prices increase to $15, $25 and $200 respectively at the gate.