Edition timeline
The 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival was organised by University of Michigan students including John Fishel and Cary Gordon.
The 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival was organised by University of Michigan students including John Fishel and Cary Gordon.
It is widely cited as the first major North American festival devoted primarily to blues, but that 'first' remains attributed to scholarly/official histories.
It is widely cited as the first major North American festival devoted primarily to blues, but that 'first' remains attributed to scholarly/official histories.
The 1969 bill included major blues figures such as B.B.
The 1969 bill included major blues figures such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, T-Bone Walker, Magic Sam and Big Mama Thornton.
After financial problems and a 1971 cancellation, Peter Andrews and John Sinclair revived and broadened the concept as the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival in 1972.
After financial problems and a 1971 cancellation, Peter Andrews and John Sinclair revived and broadened the concept as the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival in 1972.
Permission problems forced the 1974 edition across the border to Windsor, Ontario, where border enforcement and arrests contributed to severe losses.
Permission problems forced the 1974 edition across the border to Windsor, Ontario, where border enforcement and arrests contributed to severe losses.
Why this event matters
This is one of the archive's strongest music-history pages. Centre the artists and the politics of genre recognition rather than treating blues as a prelude to white rock. The 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival was organised by University of Michigan students including John Fishel and Cary Gordon.
Place, site and audience
It is widely cited as the first major North American festival devoted primarily to blues, but that 'first' remains attributed to scholarly/official histories. The 1969 bill included major blues figures such as B.B.
What the audience experienced
After financial problems and a 1971 cancellation, Peter Andrews and John Sinclair revived and broadened the concept as the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival in 1972. Permission problems forced the 1974 edition across the border to Windsor, Ontario, where border enforcement and arrests contributed to severe losses.
What happened afterward
Ann Arbor Blues / Blues & Jazz Festival 1969–1974 is followed through later editions, institutional change and its documented endpoint.
Follow the festival beyond the field
Timeline
Related genres
More routes will be connected as the archive grows.
Related band guides
More routes will be connected as the archive grows.
Explore by sound
More routes will be connected as the archive grows.
Essential listening
Sources and further reading
- University of Michigan Press – Blues in Black & White research leadEditorial source spine · accessed 23 July 2026
- Ann Arbor District Library historical collectionsEditorial source spine · accessed 23 July 2026
- General cross-check – Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz FestivalEditorial source spine · accessed 23 July 2026
Image credits5 licensed images
Pee Wee Crayton by JT 1970 AABF. The item-level source record connects this licensed image directly to Ann Arbor Blues / Blues & Jazz Festival 1969–1974 — Eatonland — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source record · CC BY-SA 4.0
Converted to WebP and resized; no generative or compositional alterations.
B.B. King, Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969. The item-level source record connects this licensed image directly to Ann Arbor Blues / Blues & Jazz Festival 1969–1974 — University of Michigan — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0 · source record · CC BY 4.0
Converted to WebP and resized; no generative or compositional alterations.
AABF 1969 Magic Sam JT. The item-level source record connects this licensed image directly to Ann Arbor Blues / Blues & Jazz Festival 1969–1974 — Eatonland — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source record · CC BY-SA 4.0
Converted to WebP and resized; no generative or compositional alterations.
Juke Boy Bonner AABF 1970 JT. The item-level source record connects this licensed image directly to Ann Arbor Blues / Blues & Jazz Festival 1969–1974 — Eatonland — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source record · CC BY-SA 4.0
Converted to WebP and resized; no generative or compositional alterations.
Hound Dog Taylor 1970 AABF JT. The item-level source record connects this licensed image directly to Ann Arbor Blues / Blues & Jazz Festival 1969–1974 — Eatonland — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source record · CC BY-SA 4.0
Converted to WebP and resized; no generative or compositional alterations.