"JUNTEENTH CELEBRATION" Hello Blues and Southern Soul Fans. First of all please allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Denise Grant, known to the blues world as ìBluz Queenî. Big K9 was booked this weekend so I have the distinct pleasure of taking you on this blues and southern soul ride. This weekend I attended the annual Junteenth Festival held at Simms Scott Park in Columbus, MS. The lineup for this show was local blues singers Keith and Margie Brown, Floyd Taylor (the son of the late great Johnnie Taylor), and the one and only,Shirley Brown. This was a much-anticipated show for me because I have been looking forward to seeing MY GIRL Shirley Brown. I was accompanied by my home girl Evelyn Davis and Yulondra Topp.Yulondra and I met for the first time at this show and hit it off really well.When we first entered the park we looked around for the perfect place to watch the show and we found a nice spot down by the stage.Everybody in attendance was getting in party mode. I had my cooler with a combination of mixed drinks in it.To the great fans of this blues and southern soul thang,kick back and relax while The Bluz Queen take you on this blues and southern soul journey. First to the stage was the local blues duo of Keith and Margie Brown. People let me tell you now that this dynamic couple are bad.They performed a combination of songs from various artists,starting with Clarence Carter's "Slip Away", Marvin Gaye's "Lets Get It On", and "Sexual Healing", and B.B King's "The Thrill Is Gone".After this song Keith went into a solo set with his bass guitar and it brought all of us to our feet.Not to be out done by her husband my girl Margie performed Betty Wright's ìTonight Is The Nightî and this being one of my all time favorite songs I almost found myself on stage with them.They closed their show with Selena Johnson's ìGuess Whatîand you know the ladies in the house were feeling it.Keith and Margie represented Columbus well on this day and I look forward to seeing them again in the near future. Next to the stage was Floyd Taylor.He opened his show with some of his fatherís greatest hits."Whoís Making Love To Your Old Lady", "Little Blue Bird", "These Last Two Dollars","Big Head Hundreds", and "Just Because" to name a few.Then out of no where the rain came but not to my surprise no one left. We found refuge with towels and lawn chairs.We had already decided it would take more than a few drops of rain to put a damper on our good time.Floyd Taylor being the man that he is came back out of him limo to give the crowd his closing number "If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time". This was my first time seeing Floyd Taylor live but it will not be my last.The girls and I were in full party mode by now.Patiently waiting and anticipating Shirley Brown's arrival. By this time we spotted Ms. Equal Opportunity, Pat Brown and let me tell you people she has to be the coolest female on the blues and southern soul scene.We talked with her and took a couple of photos and we promised her that we would be in attendance at her next show. Boy I tell you this was shaping up to be the best show I ever attended. Finally my girl Shirley Brown had arrived.She was escorted on stage by a couple of young tenders.She opened her performance with R-E-S-P-E-C-T.Her next song wasìToo Much Candyî and this brought everyone to their feet.Then came ìJoy And Painî and "Chances",by the time she started singing ìThis Use To Be Your House Now Its Another Man's Homeî we had formed a dance floor and we really began to get our partying on.Anybody that has seen Shirley Brown perform,know that her show is not complete if she is not trash talking so she told us about her new young lover.She told us how he like to spread her BIG thighs, one to the east and one to the west and how the man like to wake up at all times of the night to make love so now she have to ìSleep With One Eye Openî and the crowd erupted. She has even convinced me to find me a young man.Then came "Poontang Man" and a woman in the crowd asked her,what is a poontang man?She answered by saying that a Poontang man is a man who specializes in good lovin.Then she asked if there was any poontang men in the audience?Nearly all the men in attendance threw their hands in the air.There was this older couple sitting beside me and everytime the man had to get up we had to help him.Even he had his hands up proving young men are not the only ones that specialize in good lovin.Her next song was "Cheating In The Next Room".She closed her performance with two of her all time greatest hits, ìWoman To Woman" and "You Ainít Woman Enough To Take My Manî.I know that there are a lot of younger divas arriving on the blues and southern soul scene but Shirley Brown is still 'THE ULTIMATE DIVA".It has been a long time since I partied this hard and my fingers are sore from snapping and my voice is hoarse from singing and shouting,but I tell you good people it was well worth it.My girl Shirley Brown didn't disappoint us.She showed up and did the damn thang. Well good people this concludes by blues and southern soul journey.I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you but before I leave I must give a shout out to a couple of people. First,Mr. Leroy Brooks take a bow because the festival was the bomb and please rest assure that we will be back again next year. The good people of Columbus,you made us feel right at home and for that we thank you.To my girl Evelyn thanks for having by back and traveling with me.To my new blues partner Yulondra, girl you are the best.Thanks for taking the time to show us around and making sure that we had a good time.You can kick it with me anytime and we will go bluzing together again real soon. And to my boy Big K9, I like to thank you for having the faith in me and entrusting me to handle one of your reviews. If you ever need me again you know you can holla at ya girl. As we always say in closing may God bless each of you. Peace! The Bluz Queen For all questions, comments, and statements you can reach the Bluz Queen at bluzqueen06@hotmail.com
My name is Denise Grant, known to the blues world as ìBluz Queenî. Big K9 was booked this weekend so I have the distinct pleasure of taking you on this blues and southern soul ride. This weekend I attended the annual Junteenth Festival held at Simms Scott Park in Columbus, MS. The lineup for this show was local blues singers Keith and Margie Brown, Floyd Taylor (the son of the late great Johnnie Taylor), and the one and only,Shirley Brown. This was a much-anticipated show for me because I have been looking forward to seeing MY GIRL Shirley Brown. I was accompanied by my home girl Evelyn Davis and Yulondra Topp.Yulondra and I met for the first time at this show and hit it off really well.When we first entered the park we looked around for the perfect place to watch the show and we found a nice spot down by the stage.Everybody in attendance was getting in party mode. I had my cooler with a combination of mixed drinks in it.To the great fans of this blues and southern soul thang,kick back and relax while The Bluz Queen take you on this blues and southern soul journey. First to the stage was the local blues duo of Keith and Margie Brown. People let me tell you now that this dynamic couple are bad.They performed a combination of songs from various artists,starting with Clarence Carter's "Slip Away", Marvin Gaye's "Lets Get It On", and "Sexual Healing", and B.B King's "The Thrill Is Gone".After this song Keith went into a solo set with his bass guitar and it brought all of us to our feet.Not to be out done by her husband my girl Margie performed Betty Wright's ìTonight Is The Nightî and this being one of my all time favorite songs I almost found myself on stage with them.They closed their show with Selena Johnson's ìGuess Whatîand you know the ladies in the house were feeling it.Keith and Margie represented Columbus well on this day and I look forward to seeing them again in the near future. Next to the stage was Floyd Taylor.He opened his show with some of his fatherís greatest hits."Whoís Making Love To Your Old Lady", "Little Blue Bird", "These Last Two Dollars","Big Head Hundreds", and "Just Because" to name a few.Then out of no where the rain came but not to my surprise no one left. We found refuge with towels and lawn chairs.We had already decided it would take more than a few drops of rain to put a damper on our good time.Floyd Taylor being the man that he is came back out of him limo to give the crowd his closing number "If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time". This was my first time seeing Floyd Taylor live but it will not be my last.The girls and I were in full party mode by now.Patiently waiting and anticipating Shirley Brown's arrival. By this time we spotted Ms. Equal Opportunity, Pat Brown and let me tell you people she has to be the coolest female on the blues and southern soul scene.We talked with her and took a couple of photos and we promised her that we would be in attendance at her next show. Boy I tell you this was shaping up to be the best show I ever attended. Finally my girl Shirley Brown had arrived.She was escorted on stage by a couple of young tenders.She opened her performance with R-E-S-P-E-C-T.Her next song wasìToo Much Candyî and this brought everyone to their feet.Then came ìJoy And Painî and "Chances",by the time she started singing ìThis Use To Be Your House Now Its Another Man's Homeî we had formed a dance floor and we really began to get our partying on.Anybody that has seen Shirley Brown perform,know that her show is not complete if she is not trash talking so she told us about her new young lover.She told us how he like to spread her BIG thighs, one to the east and one to the west and how the man like to wake up at all times of the night to make love so now she have to ìSleep With One Eye Openî and the crowd erupted. She has even convinced me to find me a young man.Then came "Poontang Man" and a woman in the crowd asked her,what is a poontang man?She answered by saying that a Poontang man is a man who specializes in good lovin.Then she asked if there was any poontang men in the audience?Nearly all the men in attendance threw their hands in the air.There was this older couple sitting beside me and everytime the man had to get up we had to help him.Even he had his hands up proving young men are not the only ones that specialize in good lovin.Her next song was "Cheating In The Next Room".She closed her performance with two of her all time greatest hits, ìWoman To Woman" and "You Ainít Woman Enough To Take My Manî.I know that there are a lot of younger divas arriving on the blues and southern soul scene but Shirley Brown is still 'THE ULTIMATE DIVA".It has been a long time since I partied this hard and my fingers are sore from snapping and my voice is hoarse from singing and shouting,but I tell you good people it was well worth it.My girl Shirley Brown didn't disappoint us.She showed up and did the damn thang. Well good people this concludes by blues and southern soul journey.I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you but before I leave I must give a shout out to a couple of people. First,Mr. Leroy Brooks take a bow because the festival was the bomb and please rest assure that we will be back again next year. The good people of Columbus,you made us feel right at home and for that we thank you.To my girl Evelyn thanks for having by back and traveling with me.To my new blues partner Yulondra, girl you are the best.Thanks for taking the time to show us around and making sure that we had a good time.You can kick it with me anytime and we will go bluzing together again real soon. And to my boy Big K9, I like to thank you for having the faith in me and entrusting me to handle one of your reviews. If you ever need me again you know you can holla at ya girl. As we always say in closing may God bless each of you. Peace! The Bluz Queen For all questions, comments, and statements you can reach the Bluz Queen at bluzqueen06@hotmail.com