The Lead Belly Blues for Blue Children’s Music Festival will be at the Rutherford County Boys and Girls Club (820 Jones Blvd.) on Saturday, September 1st. The gates will open at 11:00AM, and the event will be noon to 5:00 that evening. Funds raised from the $5 admission and vendor fees at Blues for Blue will provide music lessons through the Lead Belly Foundation at the Boys and Girls Club.

When Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County Director Todd Bale is asked about the upcoming blues festival for children and their families, he is not at a loss for words. “Get off the couch and come support the kids!” he says.

The Lead Belly Blues for Blue Children’s Music Festival: A fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club will be held on Saturday, Sept. 1, on the grounds of the Boys and Girls Club in Murfreesboro. Gates open at 11 a.m. with music performances from 12–5 p.m.

“We are excited to partner with the Lead Belly Foundation to bring this great cultural opportunity to our club youth, their families and the entire Rutherford County community,” Bale says. “We hope all residents will take a little time over the holiday weekend to come out and support the Clubs and help continue to promote Blues music in Middle Tennessee. It’s a wonderful opportunity and a great family destination over the Labor Day weekend with plenty to do for both adults and youth.”

“When I became a board member of the Boys and Girls Club,” said Tanya Singh, president of the nonprofit Lead Belly Foundation, “I knew we were going to make great music together!”

As a member of Lead Belly’s family, Singh is passionate about passing along the history, love and skill of music. Funds raised from the $5 admission and vendor fees at Blues for Blue will provide music lessons through the Lead Belly Foundation at the Boys and Girls Club.

The lineup includes performances by headliners The Homemade Jamz Blues Band from 3:30–5 p.m. and The McTell Brothers at 1 p.m. Other performers include locals such as the Stones River Pilots, Satin Mockingbird, Lead Belly scholars, a Middle Tennessee school band and members of the Lead Belly family.

As the Reverend wrote in Blues Revue magazine, “The Perry teens are bringing youthful enthusiasm and a fresh vision to blues traditionalism, and [their CD] The Game represents another big step forward for this young Mississippi band.”

Families will also enjoy art activities hosted by Dr. Barbara Hodges, a bounce house, food and business vendors, face painting and storytelling.

For more information on Blues for Blue, call Rebecca Derchy at (615) 430-8091.

For more information on the Lead Belly Foundation, visit: www.leadbelly.org.