Fans fight to save "biscuit" fsetival

[blues]

Fans of the Helena, Arkansas based Blues Festival formerly known as the
"King Biscuit Blues Festival" started a grassroots effort to "Keep the
Biscuit" in Helena after a New York Company and Memphis based Performa
Entertainment forced the non-profit Helena festival to stop using the
name. .

"The grassroots efforts started with personal letters to the two
businesses from talent agents and artist" stated Wayne Andrews, Director
of the Festival in Helena," but now the fans are angry and have started
an online petition to alert music fans to the confusion about the name
and it's move to Memphis." The petition has quickly circulated and has
now reached Europe with 2,000 names and comments. New comments are
being added every minute.

The King Biscuit name started in Helena when a local flower company
sponsored the first blues show which featured African American
performers.
This radio show introduced the blues to a wide audience and made many
of the blues legends we know house hold names. In the 1980's a non
profit group launched the "King Biscuit Blues Festival" honoring this
ground breaking radio show, and the blues. "The town thought they had
the right to use the name after signing a contract with the radio
station that broadcast the King Biscuit radio show." But a New York
Company acquired the name through purchases and court action against the
Helena radio station owner and stopped the festival from using the name
after failing to reach a licensing deal.

"Fans are letting the new owners of the name know that it is not just a
name but something very personal to music fans. New York and Performa
of Memphis may own the name but they don't own the history of the name."
commented Wayne Andrews

A grassroots effort launched by a musician who has played the festival
in the form of an online petition is quickly circulating and garnering
names and nasty comments for New York and Memphis. Music fans from
around the United States and Europe have pledged not to visit Memphis
which has built tourism on it's music heritage.

"This on-line petition has enabled us to share with music fans the story
of how our name was taken from us and give the fans a voice." stated
Wayne Andrews. "It has become such an emotional issue that fans have
produce t-shirts that express their feelings and are selling them to
raise money for the Helena." (see the t-shirts:
http://www.bluesandheritage.com/)

The New York Company and Performa have announced plans to launch a King
Biscuit festival in Memphis in October, and a restaurant using the King
Biscuit name. The signers of the petition have pledge to boycott the
event. "I don't know why you would want to take a brand name that has
such value and legacy and turn the 100,000 fans that have attended the
festival in Helena for the past 20 years against them." added Mr.
Andrews

To see the petition: http://new.PetitionOnline.com/Biscuit/petition.html