Southern Heritage Festival

The Southern Heritage Festival is a two-day music festival organized by the African American Arts & Heritage Foundation, which is headed by promoter John Ray. The festival started in 2004 as the Original Southern Heritage Festival, drawing on the history of Ray's similarly-named festival that debuted in the 1960s. The festival largely took over the mantle of the Birmingham Heritage Festival which was held each year from 1993 to 2003.

The Southern Heritage Festival features R&B, soul, blues, funk, hip-hop and gospel acts.

2006

The 2006 festival was held on August 4 & 5 on a single stage at the site of the future Railroad Reservation Park used successfully by the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil. 2006 performers include Patti Labelle, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Clarence Carter, Jagged Edge, Kem, and the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra. According to early estimates, attendance was around 15,000.

2005

The 2005 festival was held August 6 and 7 at Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham's Civil Rights District. Featured performers included Frankie Beverly and Maze, Slick Rick, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Tausaunt, ConFunkShun, the S.O.S. Band, Midnight Star, the O'Jays, the Mississippi Mass Choir and Prince Yelder and the Disciples. Attendance was around 32,000 for the event.

2004

The 2004 festival was held at the Alabama State Fairgrounds and drew about 25,000 people, or a third of what organizers had hoped for. Performers included Ludacris, Bobby Womack, The Gap Band, The Isley Brothers and Byron Cage.

References

• Bryant, Joseph D. (August 6, 2006) "New venue, better view for Heritage Festival." Birmingham News
• Oliver, Robin (June 21, 2005) "Heritage downtown: Festival moves from fairgrounds in search of higher attendance." Birmingham Post-Herald.