49 Union Avenue Memphis, Tennessee 38103 Phone (901) 527-2583 Fax (901) 529-4030 www.blues.org

Wednesday, March 11, 1998

Curtis Hewston
www.thebluehighway.com
7794 Country Place
Winter Park, FL 32792

Dear Curtis:

As you are no doubt aware, each year The Blues Foundation hosts the premier weekend in Blues for fans and the industry -- the Handy Awards Weekend in Memphis. Beginning Thursday April 30 with the internationally renowned 19th Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards and culminating on the following Sunday with our wonderful Blues Brunch cruise on the Mississippi River, the 1998 Handy Weekend promises to be the biggest and best yet.

One of the highlights of the annual Handy Weekend is the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards banquet ceremony scheduled this year for Friday May 1 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. While the Handys honor the top performers and artists in the last year, the Keeping the Blues Alive ("KBA") Awards honor the non-performers who have exhibited extreme dedication to the cause of promoting and preserving the Blues. I am pleased to inform you that this year, our panel of select professionals and previous winners has awarded you with the 1998 KBA Award for Blues on the Internet.

You and our other 1998 honorees are invited to be guests of The Blues Foundation at this year's banquet ceremony in Memphis. The KBA evening starts at 5:30 p.m. with a pre-banquet reception honoring our 1998 recipients, as well as former recipients of KBA awards. You will receive a formal invitation to this reception, which will be held in the Peabody immediately prior to the banquet. The banquet itself commences at 7:30 p.m.

Please give some consideration to whom you would like to present you your KBA. Many of our KBA recipients choose to select their own presenter, choosing someone who is closely acquainted with the honoree and who can shed light on his or her accomplishments. Presenters are asked to provide a brief (2 minute) introduction of the honoree during the ceremony, and are also invited to the pre-banquet reception. I look forward to seeing you in May!

Regards,

Howard Stovall (Congrats!)
Executive Director