Please join us in urging the Blues Foundation to induct "Sunshine" Sonny Payne into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Click here to sign the petition and show your support!
http://www.sunshinesonnypayne.com/
WHEREAS, living legends like "Sunshine" Sonny Payne are a rare breed whose character is as rich as any in folklore; and
WHEREAS, at the age of fourteen, this legend got his start in 1941 working at an Arkansas radio station, the following year he became a part-time announcer there, and in December 1942, in the midst of raging war in Europe, this sixteen year old joined the Army, where he served until 1948; and
WHEREAS, after honorably serving his country, he returned to his hometown of Helena, to become the full-time announcer at KFFA 1360 AM, and in 1951, he began hosting the "King Biscuit Time" blues radio show, and the legend of "Sunshine" Sonny Payne began; and
WHEREAS, today, "King Biscuit Time" is the longest-running daily blues radio show in the world having aired since 1941, and has aired more times than the "Grand Ole Opry", and has outlasted "American Bandstand" by at least a generation; and
WHEREAS, during Sonny's tenure, "King Biscuit Time" has been recognized by the prestigious "George Foster Peabody Award" for outstanding achievement in the field of radio and broadcast journalism, and originally featured other living legends, including Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Lockwood, Jr., playing live in the studio; and
WHEREAS, Sonny, himself, has also won his fair share of awards for his role in the show and for his other contributions to the blues having been awarded the Blues Foundation's "Keeping the Blues Alive" award for lifetime service, the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame, and the Arkansas Broadcasters Association 's "Pioneer" award; and
WHEREAS, the long-running radio show also played a big role in the start of the King Biscuit Blues Festival, now called the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, which celebrated its 21st year in October 2006, and during which big-time blues entertainers and hordes of music fans descend on Helena; and
WHEREAS, Sonny acts as Master of Ceremonies at blues music festivals across the nation; and
WHEREAS, Sonny's legacy is a cornerstone of the evolution of blues from a rural subtext of American folk music to the creative evolution of American pop music; and
WHEREAS, Sonny acts as an ambassador for and teacher of the blues by appearing with James "Super Chikan" Johnson to greet steamboat travelers at the historic Helena docks as they visit "The Cradle of the Blues"; and
WHEREAS, Sonny, a musician himself who has played bass with the likes of Tex Ritter, Ted Williams, Harry James, and others, at 83 young years of age continues to host the "King Biscuit Time" show from 12:15 to 12:45 Monday through Friday in the Delta Cultural Center's Visitor's Center in Helena, Arkansas,
WE THE UNDERSIGNED hereby respectfully petition the Blues Foundation to induct "Sunshine" Sonny Payne into the Blues Music Hall of Fame.
Click here to show your support! http://www.sunshinesonnypayne.com/
