Press Release for June 14, 2008 Louie Bluie Festival in TN

Press Release from LaFollette Press, Tennessee
Featuring DJ Lyons - Author of Bell Witch Unveiled At Last
Performing at June 14, 2008 Louie Bluie Festival

Press
Release
for
DJ Lyons

June 2008 - From LaFollette Press in LaFollette, Tennessee
written by Charlotte Underwood (charlotte@lafollettepress.com)

PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLERS
TO BE AT LOUIE BLUIE FESTIVAL

Folk stories will come to life at this year's Louie Bluie Festival.

Two professional storytellers will be featured in the Norris Highlands
Folklife Tent at the Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival on June 14.

"I think this will add huge new dimensions to the festival," said festival
co-chair Joceyln Griffo. "The three main thrusts of our festival is to
enhance and present the music, storytelling and art of the regional
heritage," she continued.

One of the featured storytellers is Diane Hackworth. Though she has a
masters degree in storytelling, Hackworth earned her storytelling
credentials while growing up in Tennessee and hearing stories from her
parents and grandparents.

At the festival, Hackworth will tell "Jack Tales," which depict a fictional,
well-rounded, self-reliant hero named Jack.

The Jack Tales were brought to Appalachia by Scotch-Irish immigrants,
whose culture influenced the Appalachian notions of self sufficiency and
taking care of one's own, according to Hackworth.

Another featured storyteller will be Debbie Dunn
who is more widely known as DJ Lyons.

A professional storyteller since 1989, Dunn has spent
the years traveling the United States telling stories
and teaching storytelling. Her repertoire includes
ghost stories, a one-woman theatre piece titled The
Bell Witch Unveiled, as well as international and
Appalachian folk tales.

At the festival, she plans to present The Bell Witch
Unveiled, recounting the strange events, which
allegedly happened to the Bell family of Adams,
Tenn., from 1817 to 1935.

Not all the stories will be tall tales. There will be other storytellers
performing at the festival as well.

Former LaFollette residents Oscar Sheppherd and Fannie Kellogg will
be on stage talking about the African-American community in
Campbell County and what it was like when they were growing up in
the area.

Local Civil War historian and author Greg Miller will also be giving a
presentation about the Civil War and Campbell County.

There will be discussions and presentations about the stories and music
of the Cumberlands and the blues genre as well.

"These professional storytellers are just going to be amazing. I don't
think we've seen anything like this before," said Griffo.

For more information regarding the Louie Bluie Festival, log onto
www.louiebluie.org or contact the host organization at
CCCHighlanders@aol.com.

Louie Bluie Music & Art Festival:
Map, Show Times, You Tube, Etc.

11:30 am - 7 pm Norris Highlands Folklife Tent
Sit and hear regional history and folklore ...

11:30 am Dianne Hackworth (Jack Tales)

12:30 pm The History of Campbell County’s African-American
Community - Oscar Shepard and Fannie Kellogg

1:30 Pinnacle Mountain Boys

2:30 DJ Lyons (Bell Witch Unveiled)

3:30 Music on the Cumberland Trail panel

4:20 Dianne Hackworth (Jack Tales)

5:00 Musicians Panel: The Blues in East Tennessee
Sparky Rucker, Wallace Coleman and Hector Qirko

6:00 DJ Lyons (Bell Witch Unveiled)

Jack Tales - Folk tales depicting fictional well-rounded, self-reliant
hero named Jack who triumphs over stronger adversaries by use of his
wits or benevolent tricks. These tales were brought to Appalachia by
Scotch-Irish immigrants, whose culture influenced the Appalachian
notions of self-sufficiency and taking care of one’s own. Best known
heroes are David Crockett and steel-driving John Henry.

Bell Witch - The legend of the Bell Witch revolves around strange
events allegedly experienced by the Bell family of Adams, Tennessee,
from 1817-1935. Supposedly, John Bell, Sr. encountered a spirit in a
cornfield on his large farm in Robertson County that would take sugar
from bowls, spill milk, take quilts from beds, slap and pinch the
children, and laugh. At first it was a good spirit, but later proved
contrary.

Other Sites Advertising Festival:

Hablatn.wordpress.com: Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival

Posted by hablatn on June 14, 2008

A Celebration of the Life of Howard Armstrong

CARYVILLE, Tenn. – The Campbell Culture Coalition will be hosting the Second Annual Louie
Bluie Festival to celebrate the life of Howard Armstrong from 11a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 14 at
beautiful Cove Lake State Park. Admission is free.

The Festival prides itself on offering a diverse presentation of music, art, crafts and food.
There will be storytelling with The Bell Witch, fiddle contests, fireworks and off-beat fun to
go along with the incredible Blues, Jazz and traditional Mountain Music.

This year’s Festival will feature a special performance of “Between a Ballad and a Blues,” a
new play about Armstrong’s life presented by the Carpetbag Theatre of Knoxville, Tenn.
In 1930, Armstrong recorded for the Vocalion label in Knoxville, Tenn. at the landmark St.
James Hotel field sessions. His confidence was given a great boost when opera legend and
movie star Grace Moore encouraged him to pursue a career in music following a command
performance in nearby Jellico. After moving to Knoxville, he quickly became known as the
backbone of the Martin, Bogan and Armstrong trio, a group that folk artist Steve Goodman
called “the best string-band ever!”

For more information, visit www.LouieBluie.org or call the information line at (423) 566-0329.

Seymour Herald.com: Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival

By Web Support

websupport@theheraldnewspapers.com

published: June 12 2008 09:29 AM updated:: June 12 2008 09:21 AM

The Campbell Culture Coalition will be hosting the Second Annual Louie Bluie Festival to
celebrate the life of Howard Armstrong from 11a.m. - 9 p.m. on June 14 at beautiful Cove
Lake State Park. Admission is free.

The Festival prides itself on offering a diverse presentation of music, art, crafts and food.
There will be storytelling with The Bell Witch, fiddle contests, fireworks and off-beat fun to
go along with the incredible Blues, Jazz and traditional Mountain Music.

This year's Festival will feature a special performance of "Between a Ballad and a Blues," a
new play about Armstrong's life presented by the Carpetbag Theatre of Knoxville, Tenn.
For more information, visit www.LouieBluie.org or call the information line at (423) 566-0329.

Dianne Hackworth telling "Jack Tales"
at the 2008 Louie Bluie Festival
in the Folk Life Ten - June 14, 2008
http://www.diannehackworth.com/

Pinnacle Mountain Boys performing
at the 2008 Louie Bluie Festival
in the Folk Life Tent - June 14, 2008

DJ Lyons telling "The Bell Witch Unveiled"
at the 2008 Louie Bluie Festival
in the Folk Life Tent on June 14, 2008

June 2008 - From LaFollette Press in LaFollette, Tennessee
written by Charlotte Underwood (charlotte@lafollettepress.com)

NORRIS HIGHLANDS TENT BROUGHT THE PAST TO LIFE
AT THIS YEAR'S LOUIE BLUIE FESTIVAL

This year's Louie Bluie Festival had it all, including music, history, tall tales and ghost
stories.

During the festival on Saturday, the Norris Highland's Folklife tent was abound with
regional history and folklore.

"It was a great success this year. There were large crowds for each performance. I think the
storytellers did great and drew a lot of attention," said Norris Highlands co-chair Nancy
Green.

Professional storyteller and Anderson County native Dianne Hackworth entertained the
audience with old-fashioned "Jack Tales" and musical ballads. Many of her stories depicted
life as it was in the Appalachians years ago. Hackworth used storytelling not only as
entertainment, but also as an educational method and a way of preserving the past.

Debbie Dunn, better known under her pen name of DJ Lyons, also brought the past to life
with her theatrical performance of the Bell Witch Unveiled.

Dunn told the story of the strange events which happened to the Bell Family in Adams,
Tennessee, from 1817 to 1935.

Children and adults alike sat with rapt attention as Dunn recounted the historical tale of
the haunting of the Bell family. She added a new twist on an old story by portraying Cate
Batts. Batts was the woman who was wrongly accused of haunting the Bell family, according
to Dunn.

"I had a great time at the Louie Bluie Festival. I would love to be a part of it every year,"
said Dunn.

The Norris Highlands tent had music and history too.

The Pinnacle Mountain Boys performed traditional Bluegrass music and recounted the
history of Bluegrass as well.

The history continued when Cumberland Trail Park Manager Bob Fulcher presented music
and history from the Cumberland Trail.

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker rocked the stage with their eclectic sound and the musicians
panel provided an in-depth look at the history of music and the African American
community in Campbell County, according to Green.

"It was fabulous and so well organized. The Louie Bluie Festival is heading for something
big. I think it's going to become very well known," said Hackworth who plans on coming
back next year and bringing some friends.

Photos shown above by Charlotte Underwood