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FOURTH ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT 35th ANNIVERSARY BLUESFEST, BYRON BAY

With only 15 weeks to go till Bluesfest kicks off its 35th anniversary special, another artist announcement has been unveiled. With an already star-studded lineup that includes the Welsh Crooner superstar Tom Jones and Australia’s favourite Hawaiian Jack Johnson, Portugal. The Man, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Taj Mahal, Elvis Costello, ARIA-winning Teskey Brothers, and fan favourites Matt Corby & Ziggy Alberts- to name a few, Bluesfest today announced the following artists:

PJ Morton 20 GRAMMY nominations and 4 wins

Allman Betts Family Revival featuring
Devon Allman, Duane Betts, and special guests Larry McCray and Ally Venable

PJ Morton, with 20 GRAMMY Nominations and 4 wins and a member of Maroon 5 is a soul singer, songwriter, performer and producer based in New Orleans. With four consecutive years of GRAMMY wins as a self-released, self-produced artist, chart-topping achievements and countless collaborations, his album Watch The Sun was the next step in a remarkable career that continues to bridge styles, traditions and generations.

Released in 2022 on his own Morton Records, Watch The Sun features Stevie Wonder, Nas, Jill Scott, JoJo, El DeBarge, Chronixx, Wale, Alex Isley and more. In August 2023, he released Watch the Sun Live: The Mansion Sessions, featuring Susan Carol, Shelea, Kenyon Dixon, and more.

Following the breakthrough of his Gumbo LP in 2017 and the six albums he’s released since then, PJ Morton has experienced a prolific and critically acclaimed streak that has also led to his first-ever NAACP Image Award and Soul Train nominations, BET Award nominations, sold-out shows at the historic Apollo Theatre and far beyond.

PJ also plays keys for the hugely successful Maroon 5 and has done so for over a decade. His resume also includes work with Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste, Yebba, and many others.

Allman Betts Family Revival: The Allman Betts Band is a Southern American rock band formed in 2018. The band was founded by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, both of whom are the sons of founding Allman Brothers Band members Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, respectively.

Devon and Duane came together to continue their fathers’ musical legacy while also creating their own distinctive sound. Joining their Australian shows are Ally Venable and Larry McCray. Larry McCray is regarded as one of the last electric Bluesmen who plays in the style of the Three Kings of the Blues (BB King, Albert King, and Freddie King). Ally Venable is a star of the future.

Larry McCray is a Rustbelt blues shouter and guitar slinger. He spent his early years on a farm as the second youngest of nine siblings. After trying his hand at saxophone in school, his older sister, Clara, introduced Larry to the guitar and the transformative music of the three Kings of the blues (B.B., Freddie and Albert).

By the late ’80s, Larry had attracted the attention of Virgin Records executive John Wooler, who had recently started a subsidiary label, Point Blank Records, featuring Blues, soul and Americana artists. He signed Larry McCray as his first artist. Larry’s debut album, Ambition—aptly named as it fused elements of Blues, rock, and soul to create a contemporary blues sound—was recorded in a friend’s Detroit basement studio and released in 1990 to critical acclaim.

Ally Venable is a Texas blues/rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who has made her fiery presence known worldwide since her debut album at 16. Now, with her fifth solo effort Real Gone! dropping on Ruf Records March 10th, 2023, Venable has come of age. At 23, Venable is already an important artist in the Roots music world. Her name has grown in stature with each new album and high-energy gig.

She’s an absolutely ripping guitar player with style and tone for days, a commanding singer, and a songwriter with the power to make blues music that speaks to contemporary fans. The new record, produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi), features guest appearances by Joe Bonamassa and living legend Buddy Guy.

Artists Already Announced for Bluesfest 2024

Jack Johnson I Tom Jones
The Teskey Brothers I Matt Corby I Tedeschi Trucks Band I Portugal. The Man I L.A.B I Ziggy Alberts I The Cruel Sea I Elvis Costello & The Imposters I The Dead South I Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos
I Taj Mahal I Tommy Emmanuel I Tim Finn
Snarky Puppy I Blind Boys of Alabama I Rickie Lee Jones
Ian Moss I  Drive-By Truckers I Dan Sultan I The Paper Kites
The Whitlams Black Stump I Meshell Ndegeocello I Coterie
Playing For Change Band I Newton Faulkner I Taj Farrant
19-Twenty I Lisa Hunt’s Forever Soul I Steve Poltz
Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers I The Turner Brown Band
Harry Manx I Erja Lyytinen I Jackie Venson I Pierce Brothers
Clayton Doley’s Bayou Billabong I Here Come The Mummies
Caravana Sun I WILSN I Little Quirks
Hussy Hicks I Blues Arcadia I Women of Soul Collective
ROSHANI I Sweet Talk
RocKwiz Live

Bluesfest 2024 continues its tradition of providing an eclectic mix of musical genres, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. These latest additions join an already impressive lineup that includes previously announced headliners and artists.

A word from our Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM

“We are thrilled to announce that PJ Morton and Allman Betts Family Revival featuring Ally Venable and Larry McCray will play Bluesfest 2024. The Allman Brothers were pivotal in creating the Southern Rock genre, and we can’t wait to hear this music played by their talented sons. PJ Morton is an artist who will shine at Bluesfest. He is one of the new generation of New Orleans artists taking on the world, and we can’t get enough of him. His 20 GRAMMY nominations and his four wins every year for the past four years mark the emergence of a major artist of the future.”

Keep in touch via Bluesfest’s Newsletter | Facebook|Twitter|Instagram

About Bluesfest Byron Bay
Bluesfest will occur over 5 days from Thursday, 28 March to Monday 1 April 2024 at the Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

5-Day, 3-Day and 1-Day tickets, including festival entry, camping & add-ons, parking and VIP, are on sale now via the Bluesfest website.

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