It’s Musicfest Time!

Hey guys! I am so excited! The Osceola Heritage Musicfest will be making some noise this weekend. There is going to be a whole lot of dancing going on in downtown Osceola and I plan to be smack in the middle of the fun.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Big River Steel, we have one of the best line-ups ever ready to take the stage Friday and Saturday nights.

It is very hard to believe it has been 26 years since the night Mary Elizabeth Loveall and I “discovered” Julius Gibson and the Outcast Band playing blues in an actual garage in downtown Osceola. They were our inspiration as we planned the very first festival to give them a hometown venue in which to play.

It didn’t hurt that the idea of a festival had already been a dream of many local leaders like Dickie Kennemore, John Newcomb and Jim Shemwell. There will never be a festival in Osceola which does not remind me fondly of that one magical Tuesday night.

This year, the festival will be held in honor of Osceola’s Willie Bloom.

Osceola's own "Sweet Man” captured Southern cotton workers' sentiment with his legendary Blues music dating back to 1918. Bloom, whose recordings included "Osceola Blues," played alongside musical giants such as W.C. Handy, Jimmy Lunceford, Fats Pichon, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Fats Waller.

During the late 1940s, Bloom opened up a club in Osceola. It was fittingly known as “Willie Bloom’s Place.” In it’s beginning, the club was a real juke joint complete with music, drinking, and lots of gambling. Surprisingly, it was eventually turned into a cafe and became the town’s popular teenage hangout. During the early 1960s, Bloom was persuaded to record with the Variety Recording Company of Jonesboro. In 1963, his first and only album was released with 13 songs. Bloom passed away in Jan. 1972.

Our story is unique. Osceola is located smack in the middle of the route from New Orleans and Detroit; and in between Memphis and St. Louis. In the musical heydays of the 1940s-1960s, everyone wanted to play in Osceola. And, many of them did!

The Osceola Heritage Musicfest is a non-profit organization. Serving on the board, along with myself, are Michael Ephlin and Philip Adcock. We could never pull this off without all of our great committee members and volunteers. This year’s committee includes Megan Owens, Taylor Lucius, Jane Stanford, Bobby Ephlin, Jade Gonzalez, Billie Ann Huegel, Oscar Gonzalez, Linda Warshurst and Gloria Phillips.

And then there are the remarkable sponsors. You guys are generous and dedicated. We thank you for your continued support. It is because of you we can pay homage to our history and offer the Reggie Young Scholarship to aspiring musicians from the Osceola and Rivercrest School District.

I would say, let’s make this a festival to remember, but honestly, they have all been memorable. We are expecting one of our biggest crowds ever to see country music star Clay Walker on Saturday night, but trust me you do not want to miss Friday night. Head to the festival as soon as graduation is over! There are a couple new rules in place this year for the safety of everyone. Only clear bags will be allowed and there will be no re-entry!

I’ll see you at the fest!