King Biscuit Blues Festival

King Biscuit Time started broadcasting in December 1941 and helped define Eastern Arkansas' musical tradition. Helena with its' many jukes, clubs and bars had long been a hub for many area blues musicians, when they were in town knew they could play with an hear some of the best players in the area. When King Biscuit Time started broadcasting in 1941 with Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Lockwood, Jr. it was a reflection of the musical scene that was current in Helena at the time. The radio program enjoyed a huge following and was listened to religiously by many aspiring, soon to be famous, blues musicians. Blues popularity has ebbed and flowed over years with each new generation discovering the legacy of their musical forefathers. Even though there had been several rediscoveries of the blues, Helena's contribution never seemed to earn much attention from the blues community. It was this exclusion from recognition that was the kernel for the beginnings of the King Biscuit Blues Festival. Recognition for the artists that helped shape the blues on the Arkansas side of the Delta was sorely lacking. These performers, which played in and around Helena, have has a lasting effect on the landscape of modern popular culture, yet here was little acknowledgement for their contributions. To be continued: