W.C. Clark
Marcia Ball
Chris Cameron
Tyrannosaurus Chicken
Voodoo Sauce
Shannon Boshears
Earl and Them featuring RJ Misho
Mark Albertson
Wanda Watson
Oreo Blue

The Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society recently announced the official lineup for the 21st Annual 2011 Riverfront Blues Festival, which will be held at Harry E. Kelley Park on June 24th and 25th. This year’s event headliners will include the legendary W.C. Clark and singer/pianist Marcia Ball.

Master guitarist/vocalist W.C. Clark – known as “The Godfather of Austin Blues” – has been playing the blues right and cleansing souls from the east side of Austin to stages around the world for over 40 years. He's been mentoring countless young blues and soul players in the finer points of the music for almost as long. Blues stars from Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan to Angela Strehli to Lou Ann Barton to Marcia Ball have all perfected their craft under Clark's tutelage. Clark's mix of modern Texas blues, searing guitar and heartfelt, Memphis-style soul vocals have made him a favorite of blues and R&B fans alike. Clark will headline Friday night’s show.

Four time Grammy nominee Marcia Ball knows how to raise roofs and tear down walls with her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues and heartfelt ballads. Over the course of her three-decade career, Ball has earned a huge and intensely loyal following all over the world. Her exquisite piano playing and passionate, playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin's deep songwriting tradition into a sound No Depression described as "a little rock, a lot of roll, a pinch of rhythm and a handful of blues." Ball headlines Saturday night’s festivities.

Other regional artists set to perform during the two-day event include Chris Cameron, Tyrannosaurus Chicken, Voodoo Sauce, Shannon Boshears, Earl and Them featuring RJ Misho, Mark Albertson, Wanda Watson and Oreo Blue.

The Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society was formed in 1993 by area blues fans with the mission of supporting the American form of music known as The Blues, and the redevelopment of historical downtown Fort Smith. The general funding is provided through membership dues, corporate and private donations, and fund raising events. A volunteer board of officers, representing a broad cross section of the local community, governs the society. In addition to the blues festival, the group holds fund-raisers to support the festival, maintains the Barry Ratliff Memorial fund that provides educational funds to young musicians in the form of annual college scholarships, and provides the "Blues in the Schools" educational program to local schools.