Blue Heaven Studios

11/06/2023

We are sad to hear about the passing of Kansas City guitarist and singer/songwriter D.C. Bellamy. Bellamy, 74, died Friday, Nov. 3 at his home in Kansas City, Kansas. He both recorded and performed at Blue Heaven Studios here in Salina.
Gregory "D.C." Bellamy was born on Chicago's West Side in March 1949. He grew up in a household surrounded by musical talent, as his half brother was the late Curtis Mayfield, who would often hold rehearsals for his group, the Impressions, in the family's living room.
After many years as a sideman to singers like Betty Everett, Donny Hathaway, Gene "Duke of Earl" Chandler, Brook Benton, and many other prominent classic R&B singers, Bellamy released his debut album for the Rooster Blues label, 'Water to Wine,' in the fall of 2000. And he followed it up in 2006 with 'Give Some Body to Somebody.' RIP.

06/30/2023

Thanks, everyone, for turning out. Fun night and a great show!

04/18/2023

Arthur Lee Williams, 86, an influential East St. Louis harmonica master and singer, has died. And for us at Acoustic Sounds the loss hits close to home; for our APO (Analogue Productions Originals) label, Arthur together with Jesse Hoggard, recorded a Direct-To-Disc session at Blue Heaven Studios. Arthur's acoustic harp work is a showstopper on the record, blending perfectly with the steady, simple, tasteful guitar fills from Jesse.
Arthur waited until his sixties to embark on a career under his name, and he embodied one of the last links with the founding artists of the Mississippi Delta. Born in Tunica, Miss. in 1937, he followed his parents to Chicago as a teenager, and made his recording debut backing Frank Frost on Jewel Records in 1966. In 1972 he moved to St. Louis; it didn't take long for him to make a name for himself on the local blues scene, recording with such notables as Big Bad Smitty, Boo Boo Davis, and Clara McDaniel. He waited until the end of the 1990s to embark on a true solo career, with two albums for the Fedora label, then for Rooster Blues, and together with Hoggard, for APO.
In 2004 he played with the Jelly Roll All-Stars, reuniting with old comrade Sam Carr, and Calvin Jones and Willie Smith. Arthur went to Europe on several occasions from the 1990s, first with Bennie Smith and Big Bad Smitty, then with his own group, Arthur Williams & The Bluesmasters, appearing at the Blues Estafette in 1991, 1997, 1999 and 2002. He continued to perform locally at least until the end of the 2010s.
"On Saturday afternoon Kevin (Gray) captured the great Leroy Jodie Pierson in a 'studio' session direct-to-disc, followed later that day by Arthur Williams and Jesse Hoggard...They captured the excitement and unique atmosphere of this very special event perfectly and you'll be in for an aural treat when you buy them." - Richard Foster, Hi-Fi+, Issue 38 — The duo's extraordinary D2D album is temporarily backordered; you can click the "Notify Me" link available here: https://bit.ly/3MNMP4l to be notified when the album becomes available again.
Arthur Williams Photos: André Hobus

04/21/2022

Master bluesman David Kearney, known to audiences as "Guitar Shorty," recorded 11 solo albums, and toured with luminaries Ray Charles, Guitar Slim and Sam Cooke. In 2013 he appeared in Salina at Bluesmasters at the Crossroads. He died Wednesday at the age of 87, in Los Angeles. RIP.

Photo: Guitar Shorty, courtesy of Alligator Records Bluesman David ‘Guitar Shorty’ Kearney September 8, 1934-April 20, 2022 Internationally Touring Artist Recorded Eleven Solo Albums Over Seven Decade Career Toured With Ray Charles, Guitar Slim and Sam Cooke From Alligator Records Award-winning ...

02/07/2022

Sad news. Three prominent blues musicians with ties to the Chicago blues scene, two of whom also had ties to our own Blue Heaven Studios and Blues Masters at the Crossroads blues festival have died.
They are Syl Johnson, 85, a Chicago soul singer and blues artist, whose death was announced Sunday by his family. His death comes days after his brother, fellow blues artist Jimmy Johnson, died at 93. Lastly, drummer Sam Lay, 86, died Jan. 29 at a Chicago nursing home.
Sam Lay was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and he was considered one of the most influential and esteemed drummers in the history of popular music.
He made his mark here in Salina as a drummer for the inaugural Blues Masters at the Crossroads concert Sept. 18-19, 1998. He also recorded at Blue Heaven, playing drums for albums on our APO Records label by Eomot RaSun ‘Three Days Walkin,’ as well as Wild Child Butler’s ‘Sho’ ‘Nuff.’ Lay was a vital link to the history of the blues and he was featured on a mountain of other recordings, and in films.
Syl Johnson, a classic soul singer and accomplished guitarist, graced the Blue Heaven stage for our ninth Blues Masters at the Crossroads festival Oct. 13-14, 2006. Born in Holly Springs, Mississippi in 1936, he moved to Chicago as a young man and soon found jobs accompanying Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells, Elmore James, Willie Dixon, Shakey Jake and Howlin’ Wolf. He made his recording debut in 1959 backing Jimmy Reed for the Vee-Jay label, and he scored his own deal for Federal that same year, cutting a 45 using Freddie King as lead guitarist. In the 1980s and early ‘90s his work was sampled by top hip-hop artists.
Jimmy Johnson, Syl’s brother, grew up picking cotton and listening to the acoustic guitar of his native Mississippi before moving north. One of the great Chicago electric blues guitarists and singers of the late 20th century, he died at age 93 at his home in Harvey, Ill.
He bought his first guitar when he was 28, was just shy of 30 when he played his first gig, and 50 when he recorded his first album. But he went on to develop a vocal and jazz-blues guitar style that set him apart from his own blues heroes of the time, including B.B. King, Magic Sam, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Albert King.
Our condolences go out to the deceaseds’ families. Read more about their musical careers and legacies in the stories below.

Though the word “legend” is tossed around cavalierly these days, Chicago drummer Sam Lay was the real thing. “Sam does not just play the drums. He sings the drums.”

09/08/2021

Warren performed at the fifth Blues Masters at the Crossroads in 2002. Many knew him as the "Godfather of Swamp Pop."

Swamp pop musician Warren Storm died Tuesday at age 84, according to multiple sources, including KBON 101.1.

09/01/2021

Another legend of the Louisiana music scene has left us. Lafayette, Louisiana's soulful siren, Carol Fran, died Wednesday at the age of 87. A singer and pianist — she performed for the fifth Blues Masters at the Crossroads festival at Blue Heaven Studios in Salina — her musical repertoire encompassed blues, swamp pop, R&B, and jazz. She was best known for her string of single releases in the 1950s and 1960s, for the Excello label, and others.

Fran left her home in Lafayette to begin touring at age 15 and by 19 she was performing in clubs on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. She was discovered by a club owner from Juarez, Mexico, and subsequently spent a three-year performing residency at his club. She then returned to the states, touring up the Gulf and East Coasts with such artists as Guitar Slim, and began recording extensively.

Her later musical association with her husband, guitarist Clarence Hollimon, resulted in three albums cut for New Orleans-based Black Top Records: 'Soul Sensation' (1992), 'See There' (1994), and 'It's About Time' (2000). They toured together throughout the U.S. and Europe. After Hollimon's death Fran moved from Houston back to Lafayette.

She is one of the institutions of Blues Americana and one of the last lartists who shaped the unique “Swamp Blues and Pop” sound of South Louisiana. She was profiled in the film documentary Carol Fran: Tous Les Jours C'est Pas La Même (Every Day Is Not The Same) by anthropologist and filmmaker Becky Owens Schexnayder. And on September 25, 2013, Fran went to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. to receive a prestigious National Heritage Fellowship bestowed by the National Endowment for the Arts' Folk Arts Program. Two nights later she closed out the National Heritage Awards concert and brought down the house.

Throughout her career, she faced adversity as a black woman in the music industry. She was barred from venues or forced to enter through the back doors of clubs. At times she was duped out of royalties for her recordings or not recognized for her contributions. She also struggled with health problems; in 2007 she suffered a stroke.

Fran continued to perform around the United States and Europe, Mexico, and Brazil, into her 80s. She said she was touched that Schexnayder wanted to document her life. Fran said she was just doing the best she could while pursuing her love of music.

"Everybody has a lifelong dream and I suppose that was mine," Fran said in a 2020 published interview. "I never thought I would get it done but I did."

Here's a great video clip with towering blues music figures Henry Gray, Bobby Rush, Carol Fran and Lazy Lester jamming together: https://vimeo.com/392485131

Listen to the Carol Fran single "Knock Knock" on the Excello label: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utUVQdf5KW0

08/25/2021

We are sorry to report the death of writer and long-time friend and supporter of Acoustic Sounds Inc. Scott M. Bock.

In his profile of Acoustic Sounds CEO Chad Kassem for ABS Magazine, Scott wrote “Kassem is clearly a man on a mission focused on the quality of his product….” Scott showed just as much dedication and commitment to the subjects he wrote about.

Scott was a fixture at the Blues Masters at the Crossroads concerts for many years. He wrote regularly about the blues and blues performers for such magazines as Living Blues, ABS, and others. As you’ll read in the obituary published by the Boston Globe, he published more than 400 feature stories on musicians ranging from Millie Jackson and Lazy Lester, to Robert Randolph and Gary Clark Jr.

He wrote liner notes for dozens of albums, including several for APO Records. Scott was a true gentleman and a dedicated student of blues history. On his visits to Blues Masters he always had great stories and a broad smile to share. We offer our prayers and condolences to his family.

Memorial contributions for Scott’s passing may be made to Riverside Community Care: 270 Bridge Street, Dedham, MA 02026 or via this link: https://www.riversidecc.org/.giving/. For 40 years Scott, a trained therapist, served as Riverside’s leader and oversaw its mission as a mental health and human services provider.

View SCOTT BOCK's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

08/12/2021

Musician, singer and — as others have already expressed — all around great human being Mike Finnigan passed away yesterday. The noted keyboard player and vocalist died at age 76 from cancer, in Los Angeles.
Mike worked primarily as a freelance studio musician and performed with a wide variety of artists in pop, rock, blues, and jazz. He was twice a winner of a Blues Music Award (formerly the W.C. Handy Award) for his work with Taj Mahal as a member of the Phantom Blues Band. He was also nominated twice, in 2013 and 2014, for a Blues Music Award in the ‘Pinetop Perkins Piano Player’ category.
His mastery of the B3 Hammond organ was second to none and he could sing the blues like nobody's business.
To us here at Acoustic Sounds and Blue Heaven Studios Mike was both a good friend as well as a musical colleague. On the 2001 APO Records release 'It's Time' recorded by guitar master Jimmy D. Lane at Blue Heaven Studios, Mike played the Hammond as part of a master rhythm section that also included Chris "Whipper" Layton (drums) and Tommy Shannon (bass) of Double Trouble. Those sessions also featured recording engineer and producer Eddie Kramer, best known for his timeless work as engineer and producer to such legendary artists as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Mike also played in concert on the Blue Heaven Stage while in Salina for those sessions.
Mike sessioned and toured with heavyweights Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Sam Moore, Crosby Stills and Nash, Dave Mason, Buddy Guy, The Manhattan Transfer, Taj Mahal, Michael McDonald, Peter Frampton, Cher, Ringo Starr, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Tower of Power and dozens of other noteworthy musicians.
MIke was born in Troy, Ohio, and attended the University of Kansas on a basketball scholarship. He recorded 'Early Bird Cafe' with the Serfs in the late 1960s, with Tom Wilson producing. The Serfs were the house band at a nightclub in Wichita, at the time. Mike became a noteworthy club performer at gigs throughout the Wichita and Lawrence areas. He recorded two solo records in the 1970s, one with Jerry Wood.
He later collaborated with two other Columbia artists, Les Dudek and Jim Krueger, with whom he formed DFK (Dudek, Finnigan, and Krueger) in 1978. Subsequently, his work featured on a CD by The Finnigan Brothers (NashFilms Records), a collaboration with his younger brother Sean and founding member of Bread, Robb Royer.
Finnigan was always active politically and was, for several years, a regular contributor to the weblog Crooks and Liars.
He was married for 50 years to his wife Candy Finnigan, an intervention counselor. They have two children: a daughter, Bridget, and son, Kelly. Our deepest condolences go out to the family.

05/26/2021

From the Blues Masters at the Crossroads stage, and 'America's Got Talent' to musical success.

Robert Finley had given up on a professional music career – and then glaucoma took his eyesight. How a health crisis led to Finley's astounding rise as a critically acclaimed performer.

03/30/2021

Robert Finley is back and he's got rhythm to share.

Available now for preorder! Fans of Robert Finley who saw him perform at Blues Masters at the Crossroads and those who caught him on 'America's Got Talent' can order his new album co-written and produced by the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach — 'Sharecropper's Son.' The album is a soulful masterpiece, rooted in the vintage sounds of southern harmony, rhythm and blues. Recorded at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville with legendary music studio veterans, Finley's formidable vocals and lyrical stylings take center stage. Order: https://bit.ly/2PnLENz

03/09/2021

Our friend and Blues Masters alum Robert Finley has a new album set for release in May.

Blues singer Robert Finley has announced a new album called 'Sharecropper's Son' produced entirely by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.