Fred T to appear at Catfish blues
Fred T & The Band will perform at the Catfish Friday Blues & Soul Night from 6-9 p.m. May 24 at the Freedom & Blues Exhibit inside the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Business Support Incubator, 615 S. Main St.
Held on the fourth Friday of every month, Catfish Friday Blues & Soul Night is a live music series sponsored by the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission/Explore Pine Bluff and is free to the public.
Fred T, the frontman and lead guitarist of Fred T & The Band, hails from Harrisville, Miss., and currently resides in Vicksburg, Miss. Over his career, Fred T has played in the bands of Bobby Rush, D’Mar & New Funk Society, and Coupe de Belle, according to a news release.
He has also played on stage with the noted musicians King Edward, Eddie Shaw, Otis Clay, and the late B.B. King at the Medgar Evers 50th Year Anniversary. Fred T received recognition in 2015 as the Jackson Music Awards Musician of the Year and was a semi-finalist in the 2017 International Blues Competition held annually in Memphis.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Over the span of his career, Fred T was heavily influenced by artists such as Taj Mahal and Keb Mo’.
“He is the epitome of talent when it comes to music and is on his way to becoming one of the greats in the Delta blues scene,” according to the release.
Catfish Friday Blues & Soul Nights started in 2019 by Pine Bluff native Jimmy “Catfish” Cunningham. This event aims to highlight the region’s vibrant music scene. It also helps to underscore the music traditions of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway.
Musicians from the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta bring down-home blues and soul music to the crowd, who also feast on catfish dinners from an on-site food truck.
For details on upcoming Catfish Friday Blues & Soul Nights and other events, visit the events calendar at www.ExplorePineBluff.com.
Gun Violence Awareness Day set
Stay safe. Stay alive. Stay free.
This is the theme for Gun Violence Awareness Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
This event is presented by the Jefferson-Lincoln County Circuit Court – 6th Division in conjunction with Pine Bluff Group Violence Intervention.
Highlights include workshops, a rally with speakers, family activities and free food. Free parking will be provided. A clear bag policy will be enforced, according to a news release from StuffinTheBluff.com.
Vendors and participants are encouraged to wear orange to honor more than 43,000 Americans who are killed with guns and approximately 76,000 more who are shot and wounded every year.
GVI is a collaborative initiative designed to reduce gun violence in the city of Pine Bluff by identifying group-involved individuals most likely to shoot or become the victim of a shooting, according to the release.
GVI centers on several elements, including “custom notifications,” which are in-person visits or direct calls to those driving violence in the community or victims who may be highly likely to retaliate. The main message is to stop the violence, don’t retaliate and instead, take advantage of wraparound services offered through GVI.
Gun Violence Awareness Day sponsors include Jefferson Regional, Simmons Bank, Super 1 Foods, Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield, Pine Bluff First Assembly of God, Jefferson-Lincoln County Circuit Court – 6th Division, United Family Services, the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, Pine Bluff Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, First Ward Living Grace Food Pantry and Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
For vendor information or other details, the Rev. Eric Walden, Jr. at ewalden@jeffersoncircuitcourt6.org or (870) 541-5455 or 718.5123.
U of A board to meet at Stuttgart
The board of trustees of the University of Arkansas will hold its regularly scheduled board meetings in person and via videoconference May 22-23 at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Stuttgart Campus.
The meetings will be held at the Grand Prairie Center (Salon B), located at 2807 U.S. 165 in Stuttgart, according to news release. Details: https://uasys.edu/leadership/board-of-trustees/meetings/.
Housing board to meet
The Housing Authority of the city of Pine Bluff will hold its board of commissioners meeting Wednesday at noon at the authority, 2503 Belle Meade. Details: (870) 541-0706.