Blue Shoe 2004 Delta Bluesmen Legends Program
The “Blue Shoe Legends” program is an exciting live and interactive concert event that brings Legends and high profile artists of the music industry into an educational setting to share their lives, experiences, music and wisdom with students.
About the participating artists:
Blues Legend David “Honeyboy” Edwards
Grammy Award winner and National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Recipient David “Honeyboy” Edwards was born June 28, 1915 in Shaw, Mississippi. To listen to Mr. Edwards and his skilled slide guitar playing is to journey back in time to the Mississippi Delta and the street corners of Clarksdale, Mississippi. There, Honeyboy played a pivotal role in shaping the seminal moments of blues history. He is sought after by documentary filmmakers for his detailed accounts of blues folklore, especially his recollections of the day Robert Johnson died. He describes Deep Ellum, east of downtown Dallas, as if it were yesterday. He recounts with incredible accuracy his escapades near the “Central Track” (now Central Expressway) that bordered the west side of this area known for its colorful nightlife in the 30’s and 40’s.
In 2002 Honeyboy received The National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Award, the highest award bestowed upon an American Traditional Artist.
In 2008, Honeyboy received a Grammy® Award for his appearance on The Blue Shoe Project’s Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen – Live in Dallas. Also appearing on the album were blues legends Henry James Townsend, Robert Lockwood, Jr. and Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins. All of the artists were in their late 80’s and early 90’s at the time of the recording.
Honeyboy has been the subject of numerous films including most recently, WALKHARD: The Dewey Cox Story, Martin Scorsese’s PBS series The Blues, Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and in his own award-winning documentary film Honeyboy. Edwards is one of the most sought after bluesmen in the world.
*Due to circumstances which may arise out of the The Blue Shoe Project’s control, the artist is subject to change. Once tickets have been purchased, no refunds will be issued.
The Blue Shoe Legends Program and TEKS:
What the Texas Music Educator’s Association says:
The Historical/Cultural Heritage strand of the Music TEKS echoes the value of introducing students to the blues as part of the student’s musical heritage. For example, the following Grade 8 TEK could be achieved in part through instruction on blues history and musical structure: (A) classify aurally-presented music representative of diverse genres, styles, periods, and cultures; (B) describe music-related vocations and avocations; (C) perform music representative of diverse cultures, including American and Texas heritage; and (D) identify the relationships between the content, the concepts, and the processes of the other fine arts, other subjects, and those of music. For more guidance on developing instructional sequences to teach the Music TEKS, go to www.tmea.org/smlinks/musicteks .
About The Blue Shoe Project
Blues has made a profound impact on evolution of American Music and our society and all students should experience the lessons blues have to offer. The blues is a historical record of life’s journey. The Legends of the Blues and those influenced by it are aging or passing and with it their rich history and culture.
Founded in 2004 with the mission to expose America’s youth to the profound impact that The Blues has made on the world. The Blue Shoe Project has presented programs to over 27,000 youth to date through workshop, assembly and concert event programs.
