By Portia Williams
GREENUP, Ky. — Greenbo Lake State Resort Park will host the Col. Bill Williams Heritage Music Festival on Sept. 12 from 5-10 p.m.
“It is dedicated to blues music in honor of Colonel Bill Williams who was from the Greenup area,” Stephanie Poplin, Greenbo manager, said. “During his time he had a huge impact on blues music, and being from this area, they formed this festival in honor of him as part of their music series,”
Admission is free to this event, which honors Williams, an African-American guitarist from Greenup who made a significant impact on blues music history.
This year’s event features blues music from these groups: Larry Whitt & Blue Eyed Soul; Bert Wills; Jeremy Short with Jeana Pillion and Cincinnati Blues Man Keith Little.
“Larry Whit, and Blue Eyed Soul, have played here before at other music events that we have had. Col. Bill Williams’s granddaughter, Laura Gentry is very active with this committee, and works with the music scene also, along with Anne Stephens who is the Extension Arts Council Agent to help get the groups lined up, and the two are them are very instrumental in putting this festival together,”she said.
The event is the last of the Greenbo Summer Music Series sponsored by Greenup Extension Arts Council. For more information, call the park at 606-473-7324.
“I personally have not heard any of the groups, but Larry Whitt, and Blue Eyed Soul, but I know that some of the music is a little more modern with blues, type music, and other bands are more of the traditional, soul blues that you would imagine would be from Col. Bill Williams’s time,”she said.
She said there will be food available for purchase.
“We will have the concession stand open, which is done by our Angler’s Cove Restaurant here at the park. They will also be doing some drawings,” she said. “There will be some give -aways that they have been taking chances on, and selling tickets on throughout the music series in July, August, and then again in September. At the end of this show, is when they will actually do the drawings for the prizes. I know that one of the prizes is a really nice guitar, and one is even a nice gift basket for a two-stay here at Greenbo State Park.”
Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is on KY 1, 18 miles north of Interstate 64 from the Grayson exit, or 8 miles south of U.S. 23, the Country Music Highway, on KY 1. The park features the Jesse Stuart Lodge, with 36 rooms, convention center and Anglers’ Cove Restaurant. The park has a 225-acre lake for boating and fishing, tennis courts, and 25 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The campground is open April 1 through Oct. 31. Greenbo’s amphitheater features musical concerts and plays during the summer and fall.
Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.
