MICHAEL “IRON MAN” BURKS AND SHEMEKIA COPELAND HEAD
FOR IRAQ AND KUWAIT
AS PART OF SECOND 2008 BLUZAPALOOZA TOUR
Press Release from
Alligator Records, posted August 6, 2008
Beginning October 26, 2008, guitarist/vocalist Michael
“Iron Man” Burks and powerhouse blues singer Shemekia
Copeland will perform for U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait
as part of the second Bluzapalooza tour this year.
During the 12-day tour, they will join blues artists
Deanna Bogart, Zac Harmon, Moreland & Arbuckle and Tony
Braunagel and The Bluzapalooza All-Star Band.
The tour was created by blues producers Steve Simon and
John Hahn and is presented by Armed Forces
Entertainment. The first tour, featuring blues/soul
vocalist Janiva Magness, legendary R&B singer Bobby Rush
and harmonicist Billy Gibson, began on April 1, 2008.
Burks
feels privileged to be making the trip. “I’m happy for
the chance to show my appreciation for what the troops
are doing. For me to play for them is a small gesture
compared to the sacrifices they make every day.”
Copeland agrees. “I am deeply honored to be going over
there to entertain our troops -- and Lord knows I love
to hang out with men in uniforms.”
Bluzapalooza founder and producer Simon states, “We are
thrilled to be going back to Iraq and to have so many
great blues artists volunteering to go to a war zone.
This is certainly an historic event for the blues and
for our men and women who so proudly serve our country.”
Co-producer Hahn adds, “Our October tour’s lineup would
sell out any blues festival in the country. It's an
honor to be able to bring it to our troops.”
Renowned New York photographer, Joseph A. Rosen, a
recipient of the “Keeping The Blues Alive” Award from
The Blues Foundation, will document this historic tour.
A free
limited edition 14-track blues sampler CD will be
distributed to the troops, featuring songs from artists
on the upcoming tour, the previous tour, as well as
other blues stars. All the recorded performances and all
the costs involved with the CD, from manufacturing and
printing to song publishing and artwork, were donated
free of charge.
Artists
on the CD, simply titled BLUZAPALOOZA, are,
from the first tour: Janiva Magness, Bobby Rush, and
Billy Gibson; from the upcoming tour: Michael “Iron Man”
Burks, Shemekia Copeland, Moreland & Arbuckle, Zac
Harmon and Deanna Bogart; and also The Homemade Jamz
Blues Band, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Tinsley
Ellis, Watermelon Slim & The Workers, Smokin’ Joe Kubek
& Bnois King, and The JW-Jones Blues Band.
The
Bluzapalooza tour is made possible with the help of
Armed Forces Entertainment, The Blues Foundation,
Blues Revue, Alligator Records, NorthernBlues
Music, Blind Raccoon, Delta Groove Records, Blind Pig
Records, Hohner Harmonicas, Telarc Records, Sony
Corporation, Ruf Records and Entertainment Support
Systems, LLC.
Armed
Forces Entertainment (AFE) is the lead Department of
Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S.
military personnel serving overseas. Founded in 1951,
AFE brings entertainment to more than 500,000 troops
each year.
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