Blues artist Keith Johnson and the Big Muddy Band will play for the Midtown Blues concert series at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at RJ’s Grill & Bar, 128 S. Main St.
The doors will open at 7 p.m. Admission is free for Port City Blues Society members and $5 for others, according to a news release.
Johnson will be coming to Pine Bluff fresh from the experience of playing with Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience tour.
Born in Glen Allan, Miss., Johnson, “Prince of the Delta Blues,” is carrying on and upholding a family legacy in the entertainment industry as the great-nephew of blues icon Muddy Waters. He is also the grandson of Texcellar Fields, a blues singer from the early 1950s and ’60s.
Johnson is an experienced blues vocalist, guitarist, harmonica player and songwriter. He has amassed a songwriting catalog with multiple songs released on his debut album, “Come to Mississippi.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
He graduated from the DMI Entertainment Industry program at Delta State University, where, in 2015, he was invited to play at the International Conference on the Blues alongside Grammy Award winner Dom Flemons.
Johnson has performed at the Chicago Blues Festival, Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival, the King Biscuit Blues Festival, the Great Delta Bear Festival, the Charlie Christian International Music Festival and on international stages throughout Europe and Latin America, according to the release.
In 2023, Johnson and the Big Muddy Band performed original songs for the first episode of Hulu’s “Searching for Soul Food.” He was also featured in a YouTube series presented by Huckberry titled “Ramble On.”
Johnson published his first book, “Freeman: Opening the Case,” in 2022. In 2024, he released the single “Nephew Muddy,” paying homage to his great uncle Muddy Waters, and published his second book, “Come to Mississippi: The Birthplace of the Blues.”
The Midtown Blues series is made possible by Midtown Tire & Auto and Explore Pine Bluff. Port City Blues Society, an affiliated member of The Blues Foundation, promotes the series. The society seeks to preserve and promote blues music, the culture of Delta blues and educate the public about the history of the blues in the region.
Port City Blues Society hosts a free blues jam every Wednesday from 8-11 p.m. at RJ’s Grill & Bar. Details: pc-blues.com or facebook.com/PCBluesSociety.