History and Evolution of The Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Commission
Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Commission, Inc.
P.O. Box 1129
Gautier MS 39553
(228) 497-5615 Cell: (228 )249-1668
Member of the Jackson
County Chamber of Commerce Since 2005
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On a spring day in March 1991, the MGCBC, Inc, came into being. The first meeting was held at the Long Beach, MS, VFW Hall at the invitation of the Post commandor, Isiah Edwards. Present were Isiah Edwards, Cora S. Balmat, Larry and Marry Brewster, Francine Busquito, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Smith, Francis Fredricks, Robert Casey, Eugene Dickey, Dorothy Shettlemore, Louis Maxey, and Rick Drago. Our present membership is comprised of forty working and retired civilians as well as military commissioned and non-commissioned officers.
At the original charter meeting, two principal goals were established: 1) to give an annual blues festival in September and to use the profits to help Mississippi coastal counties' youth, and 2) to promoted the blues as an art form originating in Mississippi and her Southern sister states, and to make an historic statement that we can work together to ensure the preservation of an important Southern heritage.
Eventually, we would like to establish a blues museum to store and preserve blues memorabilia-which we envision could be a valuable addition to the many attractions for out-of-state visitors to the Coast. We also envision that pictorially, music and history teachers could graphically illustrate the cultural riches of the state of Mississippi that have gone around the world as blues music, or hybrids of blues music, in the form of Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, and Gospel, where excerpts from encyclopedia state that many American composers-even classical composers such as Gershwin, borrowed from the blues of Mississippi cotton fields and Louisiana plantations.
We plan to bring top quality entertainment to the Gulf Coast, hopefully increase tourism, and make a solid contribution to a more creative and positive image. We also want to provide additional opportunity for enrichment of life, not only for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but also for the entire state of Mississippi.
Toward this end, an agreeable working relationship was established with Bill Holmes of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum to jointly present an annual blues festival in September. However, last year we departed from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum location to host our Blues festival in Pascagoula, MS due to mutual agreement and to enhance our location. We are grateful that the Coliseum afforded us the 7 years of grateful service and for that we are grateful. It is 2008 and this year marks our 17th annual Blues & Heritage Festival.
The Festival will be hosted again this year Come Rain or Shine at the Jackson County Fair Grounds since it has a covered pavilion. The Jackson County Fairgrounds are located at 2902 Shortcut Road, Pascagoula, MS 39563. We welcome all to attend and especially the folks whom supported us at the coliseum for so many years.
We intend our festival to be a family affair-attractive and acceptable to children, their parents, and grandparents. Our artists are requested not to distort a blues musical presentation with vulgarity of our times, not just out of respect for our family-oriented audience, but also because our research of the old recordings and original blues, there is total absence of vulgarity and simply a unique musical recitation of pain and anguish, hope and pathos-love lost or love gained, often tempered respectfully with humor and comedy.
This year's program, under the guidance and direction of the Nineth President, Mrs. Addie Brent, has been expanded to include two days of outstanding selections of blues bands.
Addie Brent President, Blues Commission
Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Commission
Officers
Sam Walley, President
Ruthie White, First Vice
Joann Fields, Second Vice
Phyllis Owen, Secretary
Finas Belk, Treasurer
Addie Brant, Past President