If you’ve never been to Freedom Creek, it will only take one visit to make you a true believer in the power of the place. The 11th annual Freedom Creek Blues Festival will take place at Willie King’s home in Old Memphis, Ala., on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31. The festival begins at 4 p.m. on Friday with a performance by Cedric Burnside and Lightenin’ Malcolm. The Saturday lineup includes legendary bluesmen Sam Lay, Jerry Portnoy, Mudcat, “Birmingham George” Conner and, of course, Willie King and the Liberators. Tickets cost $6 on Friday and $12 on Saturday. Food and beverages will be available for purchase at the festival, and you are welcome to bring your own. Pickens County is a dry county, so festival organizers ask that attendees use discretion in order to ensure the festival’s continued success.Back in 2002, Birmingham Weekly contributing photographer Steve Kimble and I spent a weekend with King as he was preparing for that year’s festival. We talked about his album Living in a New World and what he meant when he called his music “crawling blues.”
