Hey guys! I am so excited! The Osceola Heritage Musicfest will be making some noise this weekend. There is going to be a whole lot of dancing going on in downtown Osceola and I plan to be smack in the middle of the fun.
Thanks to our presenting sponsor Big River Steel, we have one of the best line-ups ever ready to take the stage Friday and Saturday nights.
This year, the festival will be held in honor of Osceola’s Willie Bloom.
Osceola's own "Sweet Man” captured Southern cotton workers' sentiment with his legendary Blues music dating back to 1918. Bloom, whose recordings included "Osceola Blues," played alongside musical giants such as W.C. Handy, Jimmy Lunceford, Fats Pichon, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Fats Waller.
During the late 1940s, Bloom opened up a club in Osceola. It was fittingly known as “Willie Bloom’s Place.” In it’s beginning, the club was a real juke joint complete with music, drinking, and lots of gambling. Surprisingly, it was eventually turned into a cafe and became the town’s popular teenage hangout. During the early 1960s, Bloom was persuaded to record with the Variety Recording Company of Jonesboro. In 1963, his first and only album was released with 13 songs. Bloom passed away in Jan. 1972.
The Osceola Heritage Musicfest is a non-profit organization. Serving on the board, along with myself, includes Michael Ephlin and Philip Adcock. We could never pull this off without all of our great committee members and volunteers.
We are expecting one of our biggest crowds ever to see country music star Clay Walker on Saturday night, but trust me you do not want to miss Friday night.
Come on Blytheville and Manila! I want to see you in Osceola this weekend! It’s all about unity and supporting each other. We are one county!
Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.