(AUGUST 22, 2016):

The West Tennessee Blues Society (WTBS) has announced the call for bands and solo/duo acts to compete in the WTBS qualifier for the International Blues Challenge (IBC). This year’s competition will be held on Saturday, October 15, during the Hatchie Fall Fest in Brownsville, Tenn. The contest begins at 1 p.m., at the Brownsville Amphitheater on South Lafayette St. The first 10 applicants who meet eligibility requirements will be selected to compete that day. Application deadline is September 30.

This qualifier will select one band and one solo/duo act to represent West Tennessee Blues Society. Applicants must reside in one of the 21 counties of West Tennessee and be members of the WTBS. You must also have a social media presence and be free to compete, if chosen, at the IBC January 30 – February 4, 2017.

With a mission to promote and preserve Blues music and educate the public to the diverse forms of Blues music in West Tennessee, the WTBS is one of about 200 societies worldwide who are affiliated with the International Blues Foundation in Memphis and who host preliminary competitions. IBC takes place annually in January on Beale Street with more than 220 music acts from all over the world participating in several categories.
Complete rules and application form can be found on the society’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WTBluesSociety, or by emailing [email protected].

About the WTBS: The West Tennessee Blues Society (WTBS) is dedicated to preserving the “West Tennessee Blues” by educating the public on the influences and traditions of our Blues heritage and promoting the area’s Blues music through live performances of local and regional artists. The society encompasses the rural areas of West Tennessee that lies between the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers.