History of the Fargo Blues Festival
1st annual 
August 17-18, 1996

Jeff Healey Band, Keb Mo, Chris Duarte Group, Jonny Lang, Corey Stevens, Big Walter Smith, Lamont Cranston, Wallace Hartley, Mike and the Monsters, Shuffle Cats, and Merril Peipkorn's Really Big Show

2nd annual 
August 16-17, 1997

Delbert McClinton, John Mayall, Keb' Mo', Canned Heat, R.L. Burnside, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Sugar Blue, Big Walter Smith, Mike & the Monsters, Shuffle Cats, Deb Jenkins' Band, Skyblues Band

3rd annual 
July 25-26, 1998

Joe Satriani, RL Burnside, Long John Hunter, Big John Dickerson & Blue Chamber, Renee Austin, Shannon Curfman Band, Luther Guitar Jr Johnson, Corey Stevens, Chubby Carrier, Miss Lavelle White, Lamont Cranston Blues Band, and Deb Jenkins' Band

4th annual 
August 14-15, 1999

Eric Burdon & the New Animals, R.L. Burnside, Jimmy Thackery, Tinsley Ellis, Big Walter Smith & the Groove Merchants, Sugar Blue, Tab Benoit, James Armstrong, Bryan Lee Band, Big Dave McLean, Deb Jenkins' Band, and the Shuffle Cats

5th annual 
August 19-20, 2000

Shannon Curfman Band, Canned Heat, Bernard Allison, Indigenous, Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, Walter Trout, Otis Taylor, Reverend Raven & The Chainsmokin' Alterboys, Big John Dickerson,Wallace Hartley & the Titanics, Deb Jenkins' Blues Band, and Warped Melon Blues Band

6th annual
August 25-26, 2001

Double Trouble, The Jeff Healey Band, Roomful of Blues, AC Reed & the Sparkplugs, American Standard, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, The Keller Brothers, Reverend Raven & the Chainsmokin' Altar Boys, Big Walter Smith & the Groove Merchants, RJ Mischo, The Deb Jenkins Blues Band, The Skyblues Band, The Son Blues Band, Paul Holland, Ric Todd, and The Barstool Stompers.

7th annual
August 17-18, 2002

Charlie Musselwhite, Marshall Tucker Band, Indigenous, Walter Trout, Deborah Coleman, James Solberg, The Groove Hogs, Otis & The Alligators, Lamont Cranston, Renee Austin, Josh Harty, Deb Jenkins, The Strident Harpies

8th annual
August 16 - 17, 2003

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Allman Brothers legend Dickey Betts, Tommy Castro, John Hammond, Larry Garner, Corey Stevens, Eddie Shaw & The Wolfgang, Molly Nova & The Hawk, Big Walter Smith & The Groove Merchants, Deb Jenkins Blues Band, Moses Oakland Quartet, Lamont Cranston, Big George Jackson, Michael Ryan Blues Band

9th annual
August 20 - 21, 2004

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Lonnie Brooks, Jimmy Thackery, Coco Montoya, Walter Trout, Kelly Richey Band, Keller Brothers Band, Mick Sterling & The Stud Brothers, Big George Jackson, Warped Melon Blues Band, Deb Jenkins, Brennen Leigh & Seth Hulburt

10th annual
August 19 - 20, 2005

Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Savoy Brown featuring Kim Simmonds, Lonnie Brooks, John Lee Hooker Jr, Tinsley Ellis, Tab Benoit, Big Walter Smith, Joe Moss Band, Julie Stewart & The Motorkings, Inside Straight Band, Deb Jenkins Blues Band, Pop's Blue Rhythm Band,

11th annual
August 19 - 20, 2006

Johnny Winter, Walter Trout, Pinetop Perkins, Shannon Curfman Band, Duwayne Burnside, Smokin' Joe Kubek featuring Bnois King, T Albert Lloyd, Deep Water Reunion, Little Bobby & The Storm, Honeyboy & The Bluemoon Band, Deb Jenkins, 

12th annual
August 19 - 20, 2007

Maria Muldaur, Roomful Of Blues, Coco Montoya, Jimmy Thackery, Bernard Allison, Guitar Shorty, Mississippi Heat, Studebaker John & The Hawks, Joe Moss, Blues Tonic, Little Donny & The Groove Tones, Warped Melon

13th annual
August 15 - 16, 2008

Joe Bonamassa, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Tab Benoit, Ana Popovic, Lil' Bryan and the Travels, Shannon Curfman, Andrew "Jr Boy" Jones, Ross WIlliam Perry, Deep Water Reunion,  Sweet Paulie T & The Blues Blasters, Little Bobby & The Storm, Bryan Bailey Blues Band 

14th annual
July 31- August 1, 2009

Hubert Sumlin, Sonny Landreth, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Indigenous, Kelly Richey Band, Lamont Cranston, Big Walter Smith & The Groove Merchants, Lil' Dave Thompson, Brandon Scott Sellnar, T Albert Lloyd, & Stagedoor Johnny 

15th annual
July 30-31, 2010

David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Walter Trout & The Radicals, Tommy Castro Band, Tommy Castro, Duke Robillard Band, Debbie Davies Band w/Robin Rogers, Reverend Raven and the Chain-Smoking Altar Boys, Big George Jackson, Blue Wailers, Corey Stevens Band, Deb Callahan Band, The Big Bang Reunion, Big Bizness


16th annual
July 29-30, 2011

​Manzerek - Rogers,  Tinsley Ellis, Larry McCray, Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers, John Primer, Nora Jean Bruso, Ross William Perry, Little Donny & The Groovetones, Watermelon Slim, Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings, Scott Holt Band, Sena Ehrhardt

17th annual
July 27-28, 2012

​Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Bernard Allison, Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Eddie Shaw & The Wolfgang, Harper, Lightnin' Malcolm, Everett Smithson, Blue Dog Band, Blues Tonic, Levee

18th annual
Aug 16-17, 2013

​Charlie Musselwhite, Walter Trout, Little Ed & The Blues Imperials, Janiva Magness, Albert Castiglia, Big James & The Chicago Playboys, Daddy Mack Blues Band, Rusty Wright Band, Lisa Wenger, Brandon Sprague, Deb Jenkins Band, Blues Valley Band




​WINTER BLUES FESTIVAL

1st annual "Winter Blues Fest"
February 17th, 2001

Corey Stevens, Ottis & the Alligators, Smokin' Joe Kubek featureing Bnois King, Lamont Cranston Blues Band, and the Keller Brothers

2nd annual "Winter Blues Fest"
February 9th, 2002

Tinsley Ellis, Studebaker John & the Hawks, American Standard, Big Walter Smith, and The Big George Jackson Band

3rd annual "Winter Blues Fest"
February 8th, 2003

Canned Heat, Eddie Shaw & The Wolfgang, Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys, Cold Front Blues Band, and The Warped Melon Blues Band

4th annual "Winter Blues Fest"
February 14th, 2004

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, The Joe Moss Band, Big John Dickerson & The Celebrators, Molly Nova & The Hawk, Deb Jenkins Blues Band

5th annual "Winter Blues Fest"
February 12th, 2005

Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Kelly Richey Band, Lamont Cranston, T Albert Lloyd & The Kingpins, and Skyblues Band




3 time Grammy Award winning Keb' Mo'
Grammy Award winning Delbert McClinton
Sugar Blue played harp on the Stones "Miss you." Wrote part of the song
Grammy Award winning Sugar Blue
House of the Rising Sun!
Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame             Eric Burdon
Jeff Healey Band
1989 and 1996 Grammy        Nominee
Delbert McClinton calls them "The best blues band in the country."
Anson Funderburgh 
Winner of 8 prestigious 
W.C. Handy awards 
Luther "guitar jr" Johnson
Grammy Award winner
James Armstrong
2001 W.C. Handy
award nominee
Played with Clapton, Walter Trout, and Coco Montoya
   John Mayall & the BluesBreakers
Grammy Nominee.        
In 19 years, the Fargo Blues Fest has hosted nearly 50 Grammy Award / Nominated bands, 4 Rock N Roll hall of famers, numerous Blues Hall Of Famers, and a legend of the original Woodstock! 100+ WC Handy award quality bands that have graced our stage! 
W.C Handy winner
Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton (SRV) have won numerous Grammy and WC Handy's
AC Reed recently passed away at the age of 77
Roomful of Blues
Grammy Award Winning
 Grammy Award Winning AC REED 
     1926-2004        

Grammy Winning           Jonny Lang
Charlie Musselwhite
 Grammy and WC Handy award winner
Deborah Coleman
Grammy and WC Handy nominations
James Solberg
GRAMMY NOMINATED
WC Handy "Band Of The year!"

CONTACT US!
1-866-55-BLUES
287-7775


Grammy Award Winning
John Hammond
Allman Brothers legend & Rock N' Roll Hall Of FamerDickey Betts
Grammy Nominated         Lonnie Brooks
Grammy Award &
WC Handy Winning  Little Charlie & The Nightcats
WC Handy Nominated  
     Coco Montoya
WC Handy Award nominee 
Eddie Shaw 
& The Wolfgang
WC Handy Award
Otis Taylor
Grammy Award &
WC Handy Winning  Magic Slim & The Teardrops
     RL BURNSIDE
Johnny Winter
GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATED
Pinetop Perkins 
1913-2011
BLUES HALL OF FAME
GRAMMY NOMINATED
John Primer
GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATED
Hubert Sumlin
1931-2011
GRAMMY WINNER
HALL OF FAME
Rolling Stone voted #43 in 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Honeyboy Edwards
1915-2011
GRAMMY WINNER BLUES HALL OF FAME
Ray Manzarek of "The Doors"
Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame
 
Tab Benoit
2X GRAMMY  NOMINATED
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater
GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATED
Elvin Bishop
GRAMMY  NOMINATED
James Cotton

BLUES  HALL OF FAME 
GRAMMY WINNER
FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS
GRAMMY  NOMINATED
The Mayor of Fargo made a proclamation declaring August 15, 2015 as "Dan Bredell Day.' Dan is the founder and promoter of the Fargo Blues Fest.