LIMESTONE CITY BLUES FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD-WINNING HEADLINERS!

The Limestone City Blues Festival will once again bring Downtown Kingston alive with the sounds of the blues August 23, 24 ,25 & 26, 2012

Celebrating its 16th year, the festival is delighted to announce that Ruthie Foster, 2012 Blues Music Awards winner of the Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Female Blues Artist will headline the Springer Market Square stage Saturday night the 25th! Foster, from Gause, Texas comes from a family of gospel singers. She studied music at McLennan Community College and then worked in the US Navy, where she started performing. Her debut album was released in 1997 and she has performed in North America, Europe and Australia. She has often been compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. In June 2009, Foster toured with The Blind Boys of Alabama. In December 2009 her most recent CD, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. In May 2010, at the Blues Music Awards, Ruthie was announced as Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. Opening for Ms. Foster will be Canadian award winner David Gogo and local newcomers, Rhythm Haints.

2012 Blues Music Awards winner for Soul Blues Male Artist Curtis Salgado will headline the Princess Street (at Barrie) stage, Friday August 24th. Salgado was the inspiration behind John Belushi's creation of the Blues Brothers characters in the late 1970s. The Blues Brother's debut album Briefcase Full of Blues is dedicated to Salgado and Cab Calloway's character in The Blues Brothers film is named after Curtis. For six years he performed with Robert Cray's band, and sang lead on Cray's debut album. Salgado was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2005 and underwent a successful liver transplant in 2006. He continues to record and perform. On June 13, 2006 a benefit concert was held in his honor in Portland to raise funds for his medical treatment. Among those who performed were Little Charlie and the Nightcats, the alternative rock band Everclear, Taj Mahal, The Robert Cray Band, and Steve Miller. Opening for Mr Salgado will be Canadian award-winning guitarist Steve Strongman.

The festival opens on Thursday, August 23rd with Canadian sensation Roxanne Potvin headlining the Confederation Park Stage.