National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is an award given by the US National Endowment for the Arts to people who have made a special contribution to the traditional arts. Similar to the Japanese "Living Treasure" award, the "Fellowship" in the USA is the highest honor given for services to the folk or traditional arts , and which can only be given once to each of the awardees. "Fellows" must be US citizens or at least permanently reside in the United States.
The program started in 1982 . Since then, "fellowships" have been awarded annually to between ten and fifteen artists or groups of artists in a solemn ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC .
Recipients of this honor were Indian basket weavers, Afro-American blues musicians , traditional fiddle players and Mexican-American accordion players , representatives of all other traditional arts of all ethnic groups.
"Fellows"
(Blues musicians only; see the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship website for a full list.)
2006
- Henry Gray , blues piano player, singer, Baton Rouge, LA
- Mavis Staples , gospel, rhythm and blues singer Chicago, IL
2004
- Koko Taylor , Blues musician, Country Club Hills, IL
2002
- David "Honeyboy" Edwards , blues guitarist / singer, Chicago, IL
2001
- Wilson "Boozoo" Chavis , Creole Zdeco Accordionist, Lake Charles, LA
2000
- Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins , Blues Piano Player, La Porte, Indiana
- Chris Strachwitz , Record Producer and Label Founder, El Cerrito, California
1998
- Roebuck "Pops" Staples , African-American Gospel / Blues musician, Dolton, IL
1997
- Charles Brown , blues pianist & composer, Berkeley, CA
1996
- John Mealing & Cornelius Wright, Jr., African-American Railroad Worksong Singers, Birmingham, AL
1995
- Robert Jr. Lockwood , African-American Delta Blues Guitarist, Cleveland, OH
1994
- Elder Roma Wilson, African-American Harmonica Player, Blue Springs, MS
1993
- Jack Owens, blues singer / guitarist, Bentonia, MS
1992
- Othar Turner , African-American Fife Player, Senatobia, MS
1991
- Etta Baker, African-American guitarist, Morgantown, NC
- Riley "BB" King , African-American Bluesman, Itta Bena, MS / Las Vegas, NV
1990
- Howard Armstrong, African-American String Band Musician, Detroit, MI
1989
- John Cephas, Piedmont Blues Guitarist / Singer, Woodford, VA
1988
- John Dee Holeman, African-American Dancer / Musician / Singer, Durham, NC
- Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew , African-American blues pianist / singer, Chicago, IL
1987
- Alex Moore, Sr., African-American blues pianist, Dallas, TX
1986
- Alfonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin , African-American Creole Accordionist, Eunice, LA
- Canray Fontenot , African-American Creole Fiddler, Welsh, LA
- John Jackson, African-American songster / guitarist, Fairfax Station, VA
1985
- Henry Townsend , Blues Musician / Songwriter, St. Louis, MO
1984
- Clifton Chenier , Creole Accordionist, Lafayette, LA
- Elizabeth Cotten , African-American songster / songwriter, Syracuse, NY
1983
- John Lee Hooker , blues guitarist / singer, San Carlos, CA
1982
- Brownie McGhee , blues guitarist, Oakland, CA
- Sanders "Sonny" Terry , Blues Musician, Holliswood, NY