Memphis, TN - The Blues Foundation hosted the 47th Annual Blues awards in Memphis, Tennessee on May 7. The event honored the best artists in the Blues at a star-studded live event.
Ruston, Louisiana based D.K. Harrell won 'Album of the Year." Harrell' s Talkin' Heavy won out over other nominees including Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Tommy Castro. The album also took the 'Contemporary Blues Album' category.
D.K. Harrell, born D’Kieran Harrell in Ruston, Louisiana in 1998, is a rising talent in contemporary blues. Inspired by B.B. King at two years old and shaped by church choir singing and films like The Blues Brothers, Harrell picked up guitar at 12 and penned songs by 16, tirelessly studying King’s style and showmanship.
His big break came at the B.B. King Symposium, where he performed The Thrill Is Gone" on King’s legendary guitar, Lucille. In 2022, Harrell earned the prestigious B.B. King Of The Blues Award for his dedication to traditional blues. His debut album, The Right Man in 2023.
The 27-year-old performer tours the world as an ambassador of the blues. Harrell will spend the first part of the summer touring in the U.S. and Canada before heading to Norway, United Kingdon, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Romania, and Italy in late summer.
Harrell said ; "I am hell-bent on crossing the blues over to a new generation of fans.”
