Report of the Blues Foundation's event from Billboard magazine
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and the late Roosevelt Sykes were inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame on Tuesday 16 March, as were non-performers Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records, and the late producer and talent scout, Lester Melrose. Recordings by the late Junior Wells ("Blues Hit Big Town") and the late Blind Willie Johnson ("Dark Was The Knight") were also inducted, as was David "Honeyboy" Edwards' book, "The World Don't Owe Me Nothing."
In a move to heighten its profile, the Memphis-based foundation held its induction ceremony for the first time at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The gala, which was co-hosted by Issac Hayes and bluesman Rufus "Walking The Dog" Thomas, featured performances by Taj Mahal, Bobby Rush, and the children of the Clarksdale, Mississippi Delta Blues Education Program, among others. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), former Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume also participated in the ceremony.
