Welcome to the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival

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The symbolic leader of the Sunflower River Blues Association,
Early Wright, "The Soul Man," broadcast on WROX Radio for
52 years, and interviewed celebrities from Elvis Presley to Bobby Rush.

This year's Early Wright Award Winner- Catherine Clark

Num Year Recipient(s)

1 2004 Catherine Clark Treasurer of the Sunflower River Blues Association

2 2003 Sonny Payne - Long time host of King Biscuit Time on KFFA Radio Frank Ratliff - Owner of Riverside Hotel

3 2002 Sam & Doris Carr Lifelong promoters of Delta blues and Association members

4 2001 Yvonne Stanford Sunflower River Blues Association secretary

5 2000 Mae Smith Delta Blues Museum interpretation specialist

6 1999 Lew Houston Clarksdale businessman and festival promoter

7 1998 Johnnie Billinton - Master Blues teacher Howard Stovall - Blues Foundation director

8 1997 John Ruskey Delta Blues Museum curator

9 1996 Lilian McMurry Trumpets Records founder

10 1995 Panny Mayfield Journalist Writer & Photographer

11 1994 Jim O'Neal Founding editor of Living Blues Magazine

12 1993 Skid Graves Founder of the Delta Blues Museum

13 1992 Skip Henderson Music promotor & Historian