| The Sylvester Weaver
Award is given yearly to an individual who exemplifies the goals of the KBS and is
presented to the winner at the Louisville Blues Festival (formerly known as The
Garvin Gates Blues Festival, currently non-existent) or the Annual KBS General Membership Meeting & Birthday Party.
(The Blues Festival was held the second weekend in October,
the KBS Party is held in November.) Sylvester
Weaver was a Louisvillian who in 1923 made recording history with his "Guitar
Blues", the first blues guitar record. His career was short-lived, but his music
lives on. He retired as a recording artist in 1927, but the second record that he made,
"Guitar Rag", was appropriated by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in the early
1930s and reincarnated as "Steel Guitar Rag", which has become a country
classic.
In 1991 the KBS raised the funds necessary to right
a longtime wrong. We put a headstone on the grave of pioneering bluesman and Louisville
native Sylvester Weaver. A dedication ceremony took place on Sunday, March 29,1992. The
KBS has setup an award, The Sylvester Weaver Award, to honor the memory of a true pioneer
in the blues music world and is presented to those who the KBS feels has dedicated their
lives to presenting, preserving, and perpetuating the blues. Sylvesters grave is in
the Old Louisville Cemetery and is high on the hill facing Poplar Level Road. Take some
time to visit the site and pay tribute to a great blue musician. (From the November 1999
issue of the KBS newsletter "Blues News" - Text and Photos by Paul Schneider)
Sylvester Weaver Award Winners
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2004 - Keith Clements was quite surprised with
the presentation by Brenda Major, KBS Prez
Photo by Debbie D. Wilson |

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Mark Stein the 2002 winner is flanked by Brenda
Major, President of KBS (far left), his wife Beth, and Joey
Gillispie who was the 1998 winner.
Photo by Debbie D. Wilson |
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Then & Now |
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Henry Woodruff, far
left, received the Sylvester Weaver Award from Rocky Adcock at the
1989 Garvin Gate Blues Festival
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Rocky
Adcock 2000
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Photos by
Keith Clements |
Please see Keith Clement's article "Weaver
Winners" in the Jan 2005 Louisville Music News
- 2008 ??
- 2007 Sonny Sitgraves - Louisville
Artist
- 2006 da Mudcats - Louisville
Band members Mike
Lynch, Rob Pickett, Gene Wickliffe
- 2005 John Burgard - Louisville
Artist
- 2004 Keith Clements - former
President of KBS, Blues Journalist for Louisville Music News, Blues aficionado
and historian
- 2003 Sue O'Neil - Louisville
Artist
- 2002 Mark Stein - Louisville Artist
- 2001 Scott Mullins - Louisville
Blues Promoter & WFPK DJ
- 2000 Rocky Adcock - Co-Founder
of KBS, Musician, advocate of local blues musicians
- 1999 Tanita Gaines - Louisville Artist
- 1998 Joey Lamont Gillispie - Louisville
Artist
- 1997 Smoketown Red - Louisville Artist
- 1996 Mary Ann Fisher - Back-up singer
to Ray Charles 1950's
- 1995 Fred Murphy - 26th Street Blues
Band
- 1994 Perry Aberli - Promotion of the
Midwest Blues Fest, South Bend IN
- 1993 Winston Hardy - CD: Mumbo Jumbo
- 1992 Pen Bogert - Oral History Project
- 1991 Foree Wells - CD: It's a New Day
Brother (not yet released)
- 1990 Jim Rosen - CD: Let Me Play In
Your Big Brick Yard - and FOX 100.5 FM Radio Show
- 1989 Henry Woodruff - House Band at The
Pleasure Inn
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KBS sponsors an Unsigned Blues Talent
Competition annually. Among other prizes that include money, gigs and
notoriety, the winner has the opportunity to compete in the Blues
Foundation's Annual International Blues Talent Competition in Memphis. Past winners:
- 2008 ?? Your group here ??
- 2007 Velveeta Jones
- 2006 Stella Vees (Lexington
KY)
- 2005 * Contest Cancelled *
- 2004 Stella Vees (Lexington
KY)
- 2003 Rock Garden Blues Band
- 2002 Michael "Blind Dog"
Gatewood
- 2001 Blues Kravin (Marion
NC)
- 2000 Sofa Kings Deluxe (Richmond
KY)
- 1999 The Jimmy Roberts Blues Band (Salvisa
KY)
- 1998 Jim Diamond and the Blues Syndicate
(Franklin KY)
- 1997 Walnut Street Blues Band
- 1996 Tyler Henderson Blues Band
- 1995 Redd Snapper Blues Band
- 1994 Rude Mood (Dayton OH)
- 1993 MR2 Blue
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