Threadgill Series to feature Texas music legend Delbert McClinton on October 16 in Greenville

Local favorites The Blues Doctors to open

Three-time Grammy Award-winner Delbert McClinton will bring his band to Greenville on Saturday evening, October 16 to headline the final installment of the 2010 Kenneth Threadgill Concert Series. Local favorites The Blues Doctors will open the concert, which will be at the historic Municipal Auditorium in Downtown Greenville.

Tickets for the October 16 concert can be purchased in Greenville at Cavenders and at the Magic Bubble and the Calico Cat downtown. Tickets are also available online at www.frontgatetickets.com or by calling (888) 512-SHOW. A limited number of seats are available in the reserved section.

Born in Lubbock, Delbert McClinton came of age in the Fort Worth juke joints. He received his music education playing harmonica with The Straightjackets, the house band at a local R&B club, backing blues legends such as Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson. McClinton was first known for his outstanding harmonica skills and even gave John Lennon a few lessons on the harp in the early ’60s. He first appeared on a hit record in 1962, when his distinctive harmonica playing graced Bruce Channel’s No. 1 single “Hey Baby.”

McClinton’s relocation to Los Angeles in the early ’70s inspired him to write the song “Two More Bottles of Wine,” which later became a hit for Emmylou Harris.

Beginning in 1975, McClinton recorded a series of LPs that seamlessly melded blues, R&B and country into a uniquely soulful blend. In 1980, McClinton scored the top 10 hit “Giving It Up For Your Love.”

After spending the late ’80s and ’90’s cutting consistently powerful albums and relocating again, this time to Nashville, McClinton recorded the wildly received Nothing Personal in 2001. That album won him his second Grammy and his first as a solo artist. McClinton’s first Grammy came ten years earlier when he won the Grammy for the best rock performance by a duo or group for his collaboration with Bonnie Raitt on “Good Man, Good Woman.” His most recent Grammy came in 2005 when he won the award again for best contemporary blues album.

McClinton’s latest studio recording 2009’s Acquired Taste, is a juke joint blend of country soul, infused with blues, rock and jazz. McClinton, one of the greatest American vocalists, showcases his versatile voice on ballads like “Starting A Rumor” and “Never Saw It Comin',” while he jazzes things up on tracks including “Mama’s Little Baby” and “Until Then.”

McClinton wrote or co-authored all songs on Acquired Taste. His co-writers included his longtime musical collaborator and producer Gary Nicholson, his keyboardist Kevin McKendree and guitarist Rob McNelley, Texas songsmith Guy Clark, Nashville ace and ex NRBQ axe man Al Anderson, and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers.

Acquired Taste was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt).

McClinton’s signature blend of rhythm and blues, country, soul, rock, and jazz owes in large part to his Texas roots. “I saw a chart once in the book Folk Songs of North America,” McClinton recalls. “You open it up, and there’s a map of the United States, with musical influences in color, showing where they came into this country and where they migrated. More colors come through Texas than anywhere - they come from everywhere. All these different cultural musics come together in Texas.”

Series coordinator, Larry Green, Jr. believes McClinton is the perfect fit for the Threadgill Series. “He personifies Texas music in the way he incorporates so many of the different sounds that are part of our music. I saw him perform at Bass Hall in Fort Worth a few years ago. He and his band deliver a powerful show. He has about as soulful a voice as anyone I have ever heard. The Threadgill audience is going to love Delbert McClinton.”

“And on top of that, anyone who taught John Lennon how to play the harmonica is part of pop music history!”

The Blues Doctors, featuring brothers Don and James Ward, will be performing for the second time on the Threadgill Series. Their father, the late Trig Ward, was awarded the inaugural Threadgill Award at a concert in 2009 recognizing his contribution to music education over many decades as a guitar instructor. His sons were invited to take the stage by the headliner, Texas blues singer Marcia Ball. On October 16, The Blues Doctors will play a full set as they open the concert for Delbert McClinton.

Violin students from local elementary schools will again perform at the concert. The Greenville Suzuki Strings Association sells bottled water at the concerts, with all proceeds being used to purchase new violins for the students.

The first Threadgill concert in 2011 is scheduled for February 26.

More information on the Threadgill Series can be found at www.greenville-texas.com.