ASU Museum to Host Benefit Rockabilly Concert, 'Rockabilly Boogiefest,' on Saturday, March 2, 2013
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University Museum will host “Rockabilly Boogiefest,” a concert to benefit a future exhibit focusing on the history and heritage of Rockabilly in the region. ASU representatives, Museum personnel, members of the Museum’s Advisory Council and Rockabilly Committee, and others joined with KASU’s Michael Doyle and a representative from Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin’s office to make the announcement.
The event will be held on Saturday, March 2nd, 2013 at the ASU Military Science Building (formerly the National Guard Armory), 1921 Aggie Road in Jonesboro. A proclamation from Mayor Harold Perrin was read to declare March 1–3, 2013 Rockabilly Boogiefest Weekend in Jonesboro, in support of the activity. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 7, and are available through the ASU Central Box Office on-line at http://www.astate.edu/tickets/ or by calling (870) 972-2781.
The ASU Museum’s Rockabilly Boogiefest line-up will include Narvel Felts, Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers, Stan Perkins, and The Stunning Cunning Band—all acclaimed regional names.
Sonny Burgess and Narvel Felts hail from the original Rockabilly era (mid 1950s) and have been in continual performance up to the present day—both regionally and abroad. Stan Perkins, who started out backing his father, Rockabilly legend Carl Perkins (“Blue Suede Shoes”), grew to become an artist in his own right. The Stunning Cunning Band represents a second generation of Rockabilly musicians dedicated to perpetuating this unique style of music.
Rockabilly got its start at the intersection of rhythm & blues (R&B) and country in the Memphis-West Memphis area, where it was first widely broadcast on radio by Sun Studios and KWEM. The popular style was short-lived with the general public, but still continued to thrive as a musical genre.
New Rockabilly music was being produced in studios in Northeast Arkansas, notably in Jonesboro on the Alley Records label owned by Joe Lee. Today, Rockabilly enjoys a resurgence through live performances and new “Rockabilly style” productions.
“The purpose of this event is to preserve, promote, and celebrate the rich Rockabilly heritage of Northeast Arkansas,” said Dr. Marti L. Allen, ASU Museum director. “The concert will be a benefit to raise money for development and production of a new and permanent museum exhibition on the subject of Rockabilly in Northeast Arkansas.”
Sponsorships are available for the ASU Museum’s Rockabilly Boogiefest. Current sponsors include KASU and Suddenlink. For more information contact Marti Allen or Valerie Ponder at the ASU Museum, (870) 972-2074.
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