Although The Blue Shoe Project is well known for our educational enrichment programs, we are also known for producing a Grammy winning album Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen – Live in Dallas.

The live album represents the recordings of our first education program held in October of 2004. This project brought together the last remaining Mississippi Delta Bluesmen who ranged in age from 89 to 94 years old when the event was held – Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie Pinetop Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. and David Honeyboy Edwards to share their lives, their music, and their experiences with area students.

Founders Jeff and Michael Dyson felt it was critical to introduce these living legends to young audiences before it was too late. They assembled a team of volunteers to help stage the show and record the event. The resulting album went on to win a Grammy in 2008 for Best Traditional Blues Album and much deserved Grammy Awards for these national treasures. The Grammy award provided the much needed visibility to the entire Blues genre and the importance of the music to America’s cultural heritage.