A-Town Get Down Festival-goers are in for a treat this year. Five-time Grammy Award-winning gospel group, The Blind Boys of Alabama, will be performing during this 5th annual music and arts festival on Saturday, February 21, 2015. The Blind Boys of Alabama came together in 1944 and have seen many members come and go through the years. However, two of the group’s original members, Jimmy Carter (not that Jimmy Carter) and Clarence Fountain still perform with the other six members.
They started recording in 1948, but the group didn’t reach the mainstream until the nineties, earning their first of five Grammy Awards in 2001 for the album Spirit of the Century. Gospel music may be their primary musical style, but the Blind Boys of Alabama’s loose definition of gospel allows them to be inspired by other genres, including pop, folk, blues, rock and funk. You can listen to their latest Christmas album, along with 20 other albums, right now on Spotify.
Savannah’s A-Town Get Down is one of the fastest growing festivals in Savannah. Orchestrated by the Alex Townsend Memorial Foundation, it is an art and music festival dedicated to providing access to the arts for Savannah’s youth. Located at the Charles H. Morris Center in the Historic District of Savannah, the event runs from noon to midnight on Saturday, February 21. Along with the Blind Boys of Alabama, there will be over 25 live bands and visual artists. In addition to the live performances and exhibits, guests can expect a plethora of family friendly activities from workshops to jam sessions.
Since its inaugural festival in 2011, A-Town Get Down Music & Arts Festival celebrates the life of Alex Townsend, who tragically died in a car accident on Valentine’s Day of 2011. The event is designed to inspire both established and aspiring musicians and artists. For more information regarding the festival, please visit A-TownGetDown.com.