W.C. Handy Music Festival/Songfest 2004 Means Great R&B, Rock, Country and Golf in North Alabama

Business Wire, June 30, 2004

NEW YORK -- ASCAP Joins with the Music Preservation Society and the Muscle Shoals Music Association to Present July Music Festival

ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) will be joining with two of Alabama's leading music organizations -- The Music Preservation Society and The Muscle Shoals Music Association -- in presenting the W.C. Handy Music Festival/Songfest 2004, a unique weeklong music festival (July 23-July 31), which celebrates the very fertile musical ground of northern Alabama. Florence, Alabama was the birthplace of W.C. Handy (1873-1958), revered worldwide as "the Father of the Blues," and composer of the enduring classic, "St. Louis Blues," recorded by everyone from Bessie Smith to Chet Atkins to Leonard Bernstein. Just across the river is Muscle Shoals, the legendary Alabama music center where countless memorable sides were committed to tape by the likes of artists ranging from Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Arthur Alexander, Tommy Roe, Otis Redding, Etta James and Bobby Blue Bland to Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, George Michael, Mac Davis, Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker and Willie Nelson, among many others. This year, Songfest is working in conjunction with the long-established W.C. Handy Music Festival.

W.C Handy/Songfest 2004 will feature educational seminars & panels and songwriters in the round as well as a golf tournament. In addition to the more than 200 W.C. Handy Music Festival events featuring jazz, blues and gospel, several Songfest events have been added as Songfest 2004. Highlights include:

--Celebrity Golf Tournament on Tuesday, July 27, at Cypress Lakes in Muscle Shoals.

--Concerts and events featuring Gary Baker and Friends (Jason Scheff - lead singer of Chicago, Steve Diamond); Muscle Shoals - The Next Generation (Gary Nichols, John Paul White, James LeBlanc, Brad Crisler); and the Anointed Jackson Sisters. More to be announced.

--A day of educational and musical panel discussions featuring top songwriters, recording artists, radio personalities, studio musicians and producers, sponsored by ASCAP at the Florence Event Center. Among those taking part are Norbert Putnam, David Hood, Jerry Carrigan, Jimmy Johnson, David Briggs, Sonny Burgess, Paul Burch, Sid Selvidge, Carson Chamberlain, Tony Mullins, Gordon Bradberry, Jeremy Spillman, and others.

--Other primary sponsors: American Airlines, Big River Broadcasting, Holiday Inn, Springfield Water, Crown Royal, Long-Lewis Limousine, MSMA, Mitchell Printing.

American Airlines is the official airline sponsor of SongFest.

The full calendar of events can also be found at

                   http://www.muscleshoalsmusic.org

                  http://www.wchandymusicfestival.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 23rd  (Friday)
Blues Ball - Florence Conference Center  (Mardi Gras theme)
Doors open at 5 p.m.
Performances by:  Gary Nichols, Karen Gruber & Charles Rose, Zack &
Angela Hacker
8 to 10 p.m. / The Decoys and special guests
Admission: $5 (proceeds go to MusiCares, MSMA, Music Preservation
Society
Sponsors: Jerry Damson Honda, Jerry Damson Nissan, Grand Rental
Station, Big River Broadcasting, Florence Conference Center, Teresa's
Day Spa & Salon, OBGYN & Associates of Northwest Alabama, FAME, MSMA
and Long-Lewis Limousine

July 24th
Music Blast - Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Admission $15.00 (advance) $18.00 day of event
Performances by:  Percy Sledge, Dennis Edwards and the Temptations
Review, The Midnighters, Debbie Ritter & 4-40 Blues

                          No coolers allowed

July 25th (Sunday)
Sunday Brunch with the Anointed Jackson Sisters
Florence Conference Center
11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sponsors:  Florence Conference Center, Malaco Music Group

July 26th  (Monday)
Gary Baker and Friends (Jason Scheff - lead singer of Chicago,
                        Steve Diamond)
Holiday Inn - Fizz Lounge
8-10 p.m. / admission: $5
Sponsors: American Airlines, ASCAP, Big River Broadcasting, Holiday
Inn, Springfield Water, Crown Royal, Long-Lewis Limousine, MSMA,
Mitchell Printing

July 27th  (Tuesday)
Golf Tournament - Cypress Lakes, Muscle Shoals
8 a.m. Registration / 10 a.m. Tee time
Contact: Nick Martin @ 764-8121
Sponsors:  International Paper, American Airlines, ASCAP, Big River
Broadcasting, MSMA, Bank Independent

Cal IV Entertainment (David Berg, Georgia Middleman,
                      Dylan Altman, Trent Tomlinson)
Holiday Inn - Fizz Lounge
8-10 p.m. / admission $5
Sponsors: American Airlines, ASCAP, Big River Broadcasting, Holiday
Inn, Springfield Water, Crown Royal, Long-Lewis Limousine, MSMA,
Mitchell Printing

July 28th (Wednesday)
Industry Panels - Florence Events Center
Admission Free
1:30 p.m.      Jim Steinblatt (moderator)
               The Memphis-Muscle Shoals-Nashville Triangle:
               Where Blues, Country and Gospel Collide.
Panelists:     (Sid Selvidge, Paul Burch, Sonny Burgess, Nick Spitzer)

2:30 p.m.      Dan Daley (moderator)
               Four Decades of Rock & Soul, Rhythm & Blues.
               Panelists: (Norbert Putnam, David Hood,
                          Jerry Carrigan, Jimmy Johnson, David Briggs)
Sponsors:  ASCAP, American Airlines, Big River Broadcasting, Holiday
           Inn, MSMA, Long-Lewis Limousine, Mitchell Printing

Universal Music Publishing (Carson Chamberlain, Tony Mullins,
                            Gordon Bradberry, Jeremy Spillman)
Holiday Inn - Fizz Lounge
8-10 p.m. / admission $5
Sponsors: American Airlines, ASCAP, Big River Broadcasting, Holiday
Inn, Springfield Water, Crown Royal, Long-Lewis Limousine, MSMA,
Mitchell Printing

July 29th (Thursday)
Muscle Shoals - The Next Generation (Gary Nichols, Brad Crisler
                                     John Paul White, James LeBlanc
Holiday Inn - Fizz Lounge
8-10 p.m. / admission $5
Sponsors: American Airlines, ASCAP, Big River Broadcasting, Holiday
Inn, Springfield Water, Crown Royal, Long-Lewis Limousine, MSMA,
Mitchell Printing

July 31st (Saturday)
Rollin' In The Hay- Florence Conference Center
8 p.m. until / admission $10
Sponsors:  Florence Conference Center, American Airlines, ASCAP, Big
River Broadcasting, Mitchell Printing, Holiday Inn, Long-Lewis
Limousine, MSMA