BLUES MUSIC AWARDS CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SEVEN-HOUR BLOWOUT IN MEMPHIS

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MARATHON PARTY FEATURES SURPRISES GALORE AND PERFORMANCES BY B.B. KING, BETTYE LAVETTE, TAJ MAHAL, IRMA THOMAS, KOKO TAYLOR AND OTHERS
BIG WINNERS INCLUDE BUDDY GUY, B.B. KING, AND ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR JANIVA MAGNESS

GET THE FULL WINNERS LIST HERE: http://tinyurl.com/BMAwinners

The 30th annual Blues Music Awards were held Thursday night, May 7, at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis and the biggest and brightest in the blues firmament were on hand. The seven-hour blowout featured historic pairings, poignant moments, and plenty of unforgettable music. Here are some highlights.

* Mara Muldaur inducted Taj Mahal into the Blues Hall of Fame Wednesday, telling personal stories about him. She performed with Mahal at the BMAs on Thursday.
* Recent Obama inaugural performer Bettye LaVette wowed the audience with a fierce version of Lucinda Williams' "Joy."

* B.B. King made an unscheduled appearance performing with Curtis Salgado before presenting his namesake award.

* Accepting the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award, Janiva Magness told the moving story of her personal journey from foster care to the blues.

* Two of New Orleans' finest, Irma Thomas and Marcia Ball, shared the stage for an elegant set. Ball inducted Thomas into the Blues Hall of Fame the night before.

* The Mannish Boys - who led this year's pack of BMA nominees with six - were joined onstage by surprise guest Koko Taylor.

* Memphis' own Billy Gibson won in the Instrumentalist-Harmonica category, and delivered the highest energy performance of the night.

* Watermelon Slim closed the Awards with a performance of "Black Water," a song he wrote after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.

The Blues Music Awards are produced by The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. In addition to the Blues Music Awards, the Foundation also produces the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. It fosters education through its Blues in the Schools programming and supports the medical needs of Blues musicians with its HART Fund. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the worldwide Blues community with answers, contact information and news.

For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto www.blues.org