Bluesfest’s Peter Noble on being honoured by American blues community

After touring and showcasing the best of blues acts from around the world for three decades, the American blues community has awarded Bluesfest Director Peter Noble OAM with one of its major awards.

The Blues Foundation in Memphis Tennessee presented him on January 19 with its Keeping the Blues Alive Award.

Which he certainly has, first as a promoter of blues tours, and then with Bluesfest which traditionally attracts 100,000 each year over the Easter long break, helping introduce the blues to a younger age group.

Noble said: “When I arrived in Memphis during a snowstorm.... where temperatures reached minus 11 and stayed below zero for the first few days, it was brutal. I didn’t get out at all.

“However, a few days later in a room full of my peers, along with eleven other recipients, I received the ‘Keeping the Blues Alive Award’ from the Blues Foundation for Bluesfest.

“I accepted the award on the behalf of everyone who has worked on and performed at the festival over the past 29 years.

“It is so amazing to travel to America and be honoured in this way.

“I started my speech paying tribute to the original custodians of the land, the Quapaw Indians.

“I then got to tell my music story, of playing in bands in the US, and of my first concert promoting B.B. King at the Paramount Theatre in Portland Oregon, and how his sound system blew up during his first song.

“I also spoke about how privileged I felt to travel across Australia and New Zealand in a van over the decades with artists like John Mayall, Canned Heat, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Dr Feelgood, Johnny Copeland, Albert King and so many, many more.

“One of the highlights of my career was working on the Blues Legends of the Mississippi Delta Tour which featured R.L. Burnside …  the first time he toured anywhere!

“ Learning from them, and being a part of the Blues community has been an honour.

“I finished my speech describing my visit to Ghana last year and going to the Elmina slave fort.

“A place of such sadness and horror... yet from those and other slavery castles the African people who came to the US in chains would bring with them their music, which became the Blues in this strange new country, which enslaved them.

“They created Blues and along with Jazz the first unique music forms in America.

“The contribution to the arts by African Americans is so immense, we just cannot conceive a music industry the way it is without their multiple ongoing contributions –  they created the music which created the music industry we have today.

“So, I pay tribute to the African American people who gave us Blues, and all the other music that has grown out of it - Rock ‘n Roll, Soul, Funk, R&B, Hip Hop, Rap…and on and on.

“As well as to Indigenous people, all over the world, and the music they have blessed and enriched our lives with through their cultural expression.

“On this day, I am so happy to have found my life’s work in music.... all those years ago. And I still love being a part of it.”

Among those performing at the 29th Bluefest at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, just outside Byron Bay (Thursday March 29 to Monday April 2) are Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Lionel Richie, Ms. Lauryn Hill, John Butler Trio, Tash Sultana, Seal, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crowe, Melissa Etheridge, Gomez, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jimmy Cliff, Ásgeir, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Youssou Ndour, Juanes, Seu Jorge, and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, among others.