2011 INDUCTEES
Chuck Blackwell,
Roland Bowling,
Jesse Ed Davis,
The KBA in Education Inductee will be
Jim Davis,
Jimmy ‘Cry Cry’ Hawkins,
Sonny Hill,
Leon Rollerson,
Leon Russell.

Sponsorship awards will go to
Budweiser and Yaffe and
Love Bottling.
Media to the Current

Chuck Blackwell is the undisputed godfather of Tulsa rock ‘n’ roll drummers. Blackwell’s parents bought him a snare drum and a foot pedal attached to a cardboard box. With this Chuck tried to play along with the radio.
In California Blackwell found a gig with the hugely popular Everly Brothers. His simple but powerful style soon had him playing with a host of great bands around town. One group of particular note was the Wednesday-night band at the famed Palomino Club in North Hollywood. This ensemble contained the legendary musicians James Burton (Ricky Nelson, Elvis) on guitar, Delaney Bramlett (mentor to Eric Clapton, founder of Delaney & Bonnie & Friends) on bass, Joey Cooper (vocalist on dozens of albums) on rhythm guitar, and Blackwell on drums. T Through Leon Russell, the band was discovered by the television producer Jack Good of Shindig, who wanted a group to cover hits by acts that he couldn’t book on the weekly show. . . .every Wednesday night for two years. Blackwell and the guys also had a necessary quality for TV: They looked great. Later Blackwell started playing with the Sunset Strip favorite Taj Mahal. Chuck’s three albums with the venerable bluesman are classics.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen was rock ‘n’ roll’s first traveling road show, and we’re left with a great legacy of music and video from that tour; go to YouTube to see drummers Blackwell and Keltner playing on Cocker’s hit “The Letter.”
Blackwell spent the next few years doing sessions for various artists signed to Leon Russell’s Shelter Records. His playing on Freddie King’s Getting Ready album is an example of blues drumming at its finest. He favors a straightforward style, where the snare always seems to hit just a little behind the beat. Hearing Chuck play today, you can hear the embodiment of that unmistakable Tulsa feel.
ROLAND BOWLING
JUNE 2011 ROLAND BOWLING WILL RELEASE HIS THIRD ALBUM IN THREE YEARS.
ROLAND BOWLING VENTURED FROM MISSISSIPPI TO OKLAHOMA IN 1989 AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO THE OKIE STATE. IN 1998 ROLAND BOWLING FORMED THE ROLAND BOWLING BAND AND PLAYED THE OKLAHOMA BLUES CIRCLES.
ROLAND BOWLING HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED LOCAL BLUES AND SPONSORS THE KRXO BLUES CRUISE ON OKLAHOMA CITY RADIO SUNDAY NIGHTS.
IN 2009 AND 2010 ROLAND BOWLINGS’ ALBUMS MADE THE GRAMMYS ENTRY LISTS AND WAS VOTED ON.
RECENTLY ROLAND BOWLING SUFFERED THE CHALLENGE
OF COLON CANCER, HE SURVIVES AND CARRIES
ON TO SUPPORT THE BLUES IN OKLAHOMA. AFTER TWO HOSPITAL STAYS AND SURGERIES ROLAND BOWLING STILL IS THE FIRST TO VOLUNTEER WHEN IT’S OKLAHOMA BLUES.
HE SAYS “ LIFE IS SHORT, COMPLICATED, AND SURPRISING ME AT EVERY TURN…LIKE A GOOD BLUES TUNE.”

JESSE ED DAVIS

A Native American if Kiowa descent and more, Jesse Ed Davis was perhaps the most versatile session guitarist of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Whether it was blues, country or rock, Davis’ tasteful guitar playing was featured on albums by such giants as Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, John Lennon and John Lee Hooker, among others. It is Davis’ weeping slide heard on Clapton’s “Hello Old Friend” (from No Reason to Cry), and on both Rock n’ Roll and Walls & Bridges, it is Davis who supplied the bulk of the guitar work for ex-Beatle Lennon.
Born in Oklahoma, Davis first earned a degree in literature from the University of Oklahoma before beginning his musical career touring with Conway Twitty in the early ’60s. Eventually the guitarist moved to California, joining bluesman Taj Mahal and playing guitar and piano on his first three albums. It was with Mahal where Davis was able to showcase his skill and range, playing slide, lead and rhythm, country and even jazz guitar during his three-year stint.
The period backing Mahal was the closest Davis came to being in a band full-time, and after Taj’s 1969 album Giant Step, Davis began doing session work for such diverse acts as David Cassidy, Albert King and Willie Nelson. In addition, he also released three solo albums featuring industry friends such as Leon Russell and Eric Clapton.
In and out of clinics, Davis disappeared from the music industry for a time, spending much of the ’80s dealing with alcohol and drug addiction. Just before his death of a suspected drug overdose in 1988, Davis resurfaced playing in the Graffiti Band, which coupled his music with the poetry of American Indian activist John Trudell. The kind of expert, tasteful playing that Davis always brought to an album is sorely missed among the acts he worked with. — Steve Kurutz, All-Music Guide On his second solo album Ululu, Jesse Ed Davis does a cover version of “Strawberry Wine” from The Band’s Stage Fright. Present on this album are several Band cohorts like Dr. John, Jim Keltner, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and the great Stan Szelest.

The KBA in Education Inductee will be
Mr, JIM DAVIS
The KBA in Education Inductee will be Jim Davis.
A master teacher and an inspiration to all Mr. Davis runs the music programs in the Checotah Schools. The Jazz band this year had perfect scores in the final competition the Symphony band won and also the marching band. Students from his program regularly receive music scholarships. He recently carved an 8 foot bear out of wood and made $3000.00 on raffle tickets with it. He took 50 students on a field trip to Colorado for several days of music competitions and also skiing!
Jimmy ‘Cry Cry’ Hawkins, JIMMY “CRY CRY” HAWKINS – Blues
Born in Beggs, Oklahoma, Jimmy “Cry Cry” Hawkins later met Frank Berry and Harry D. Gatewood, who encouraged him to share his singing talent with others.
In the 1940s, Hawkins formed his first band and played at several Tulsa venues, including the Flamingo Club and Berry Park. His band in the early ‘50s, “The After Hour Boys,” played after dances, from about 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. every weekend. Many local musicians had an opportunity to play with ‘Cry Cry’’s band. The group played in Wichita, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and other surrounding towns. In 1953, Hawkins changed the name of his band to “Jimmy ‘Cry Cry’ Hawkins and the Teardrops,” and in 1954, the group went to Georgia with one of the top recording groups of that time, The Midnighters. “Cry Cry” got his nickname from one of his fans, who said, “His voice makes a woman want to cry.” And when he sang the blues, “Cry Cry” would do just that – but tears would only flow from one eye. Hawkins died in 1976.
Sonny Hill, Sonny Hill harpist out of Sapulpa and friend to Rudy Scott

LEON ROLLERSON

Leon Rollerson is a bass player, vocalist, writer, performer and producer from Tulsa, Ok. Every since he was two years old his whole world was centered around music. Starting out on the drums and then going to the guitar, bass, trumpet, piano, keyboards, congas and on. Leon Rollerson is the owner of many musical and production companies such as Rollerson Broadcasting, RBN, and Rollerson Productions which includes television, radio and internet shows that can be seen and heard all around the world. He owns full production and recording studios and has in his company thirty two artist that not only perform but also produce. He has taken his music overseas to places such Amsterdam, Paris, London, Germany and Rome as well as over forty states in the USA. His talents have put him on stage with such known artist as Ernie Fields, Albert King, Temptations, Louie Belson, Billy Preston, Ronnie Laws, Al Green, Jr. Parker, Jay McShann, Sam Cooke, Buddy Miles and Ike Turner. In Elementary school, Leon Rollerson trained on many instruments but the trumpet allowed him to get his many scholarships throughout college. In his bands he has had such great players as Slim Malone, Oscar Estell, Ronnie Wilson, Eric Rollerson, Roscoe Dabney, Roscoe Smith, George Dennie, Paulette Parker, Tommy Lokey, Catherine Rollerson, Odell Stokes, Tom Richards, Rudy Scott, Spike Gore, Harry Williams and Lena Lucky. Although Leon Rollerson plays all the different styles of American music, his favorites are Jazz, Blues, Funk and Gospel. His musical and talents has allowed him to be awarded and presented honors and recognition from the State of Oklahoma Recognition award, The City of Tulsa Honored Citizen award, inductee of the Entertainers Hall of Fame,
His lounge act group holds 3 pieces. His club act group holds 6 pieces.
Tulsa is still number one on his list because it is his home.
Leon Rollerson performances can also be seen locally in Tulsa on RBN, the Rollerson Broadcasting Network, on air FM Radio, 107.9, 94.9 and on Television cable channel 20,
Leon Rollerson Productions POBox 3162 Tulsa, Ok. 74101 — 918 402-7721

LEON RUSSELL

Master of Space & Time
2011 INDUCTEE TO THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

Concert for Bangladesh, Rock, Country, Gospel, and the roots of most music that is recorded today. Musical Director for Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour in the 1970’s. Founder of Shelter Records, also Paradise records. Russell, who has worked in every genre of music for almost six decades, is one of the most prolific studio musicians, songwriters and record producers in the world. Along with a fruitful solo career, he has collaborated with Sir Elton John, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Ike and Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Wayne Newton, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Phil Spector, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, George Harrison, Marvin Gaye, and so many more artists. It is very hard to find one artist today, whose music hasn’t been influenced in some way by the Master of Space and Time.

Elton John has made it very clear that he considers Leon Russell THE MAN and a great inspiration.
Don Nix in his Book Road Stories and Recipes chronicles the role Leon played in assisting MANY Tulsa musicians with their start in the Music Business as they moved to LA and stayed at his house, and benefitted from his connections. His label Shelter Records in an old church in Tulsa put the Tulsa sound more firmly on the map…
Budweiser for a $3000.00 in kind printing contribution which created the photo Exhibit From Black Town to Blues Festivals. This exhibit has shown at the OK Music Hall of Fame, the Checotah and Eufaula Libraries and will premier in Tulsa at the OK Jazz Hall of Fame on July 2nd for two months with a exciting opening performance by Selby Minner and Blues on the Move, Miss Blues and 5 or 6 OK Blues Hall of Famers
YAFFE and
LEVE BOTTLING for financial contributions to the Blues festival and the F.O.R. Blues educational programs .
Media:
THE CURRENT (Currentland) for assistance with the Sponsorship Campaign development and an 8 page spread in the Current celebrating the 20th annual Dusk til Dawn Rentiesville Blues Festival.