Attention - We are no longer accepting inquiries for 2011.

The Louie Bluie Festival celebrates the life and art of Campbell County’s own Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong (1909-2003) who grew up in LaFollette in the 1920s and became one of the nation's finest African-American string-band musicians.  Armstrong was the subject of two documentaries and the recipient of NEA’s National Heritage Fellowship, and the Tennessee Governor's Folk Heritage Award.  

The Festival seeks musicians who knew and played with Howard Armstrong or whose musical style or genre are reflective of Armstrong’s.  Specifically the Festival is interested in:

• Musicians who play Howard Armstrong’s music or who play in the style of Howard Armstrong
• Musicians who knew Howard Armstrong and/or played with Howard Armstrong
• Musicians from Campbell County or from East Tennessee who play old-time stringband, mountain jazz, swing, Bluegrass, Gospel, or Blues 
• African-American string band musicians

If you meet our criteria we’d love to hear from you.