News Release

2/9/06
Patti LaBelle and Shinedown to Headline Festival; Organizers Announce 11 More Artists to Round Out Lineup

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Soul diva Patti LaBelle will bring her unique combination of girl group pop, space-age funk and lush ballads to headline Columbia’s 3 Rivers Music Festival on Saturday, April 22. Friday Night will find all the hard & heavy rockers in front of the main stage enjoying a lineup that will culminate with alternative rock band Shinedown, a young, contemporary hard-rock band based out of Jacksonville, Fla.

Also being announced today are newgrass musician Sam Bush, funk artist George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and Australian rockers The Little River Band. Also jazz musician Earl Klugh, singer/songwriter Edwin McCain, contemporary rock band Theory of a Deadman, and up-and-coming rock band Hinder. Finally, Columbia-native and up-and-coming country star Lauren Lucas, legendary Texas roots musician Delbert McClinton, funk party group Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band and stylish modern folk band The Ditty Bops will round out the festival’s lineup.

Music fans will enjoy the three-day festival in a new setting this year as the event moves to the banks of the Congaree River on both sides of the Gervais Street Bridge. The festival is planned for April 21-23, 2006.

“We are excited about the lineup we’ve secured for this year’s festival,” said Virginia Bedford, festival organizer. “This completes our lineup except for local musicians. We hope to have the final lineup for the festival completed by the end of the month.”

Early-bird tickets ($30) will be available beginning February 15 and ending March 1 only at festival headquarters, located at 1511 Taylor Street in Columbia. Beginning March 1, tickets for the 2006 3 Rivers Music Festival may be purchased at any Food Lion in the Midlands, festival headquarters at 1511 Taylor Street and online at www.etix.com. A three-day ticket will cost $35 and a one-day ticket will be $20. Tickets for kids 10 and younger are $5. After 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21, festival-goers can only purchase a one-day ticket at a gateway. Cost is $25.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 - MAIN STAGE
Shinedown will culminate a hard-rock lineup Friday night on the main stage. The group’s first hit single “Fly from the Inside” features raw guitar power and insightful lyrics. Also on that stage on Friday are Hinder and Theory of a Deadman.

Hinder is a new face in the rock world with strong ties to classic rock. Their hit single “Get Stoned” features blaring dual lead guitars, raging rock vocals, and unforgettable four-part harmonies. Theory of a Deadman hails from Canada and has toured with bands like Nickelback, 3 Doors Down and Saliva.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 – WEST COLUMBIA STAGE
On Friday night Earl Klugh will headline the West Columbia stage. Klugh is a jazz acoustic guitar icon and his style has been described as jazz-pop, crossover jazz, instrumental, pop and new age. Smooth, easy funk-style jazz has become his trademark. Over the past 25 years he has received 13 Grammy nominations and received one for his collaborative work with Bob James, “One on One.”

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 - RIVERWALK AMPHETHEATER
Headlining Friday night is Delbert McClinton, a legend among Texas roots music aficionados. He is known not only for his amazing longevity, but for his ability to combine country, blues, soul, and rock roll, as if there were no distinctions between any of them, in the best time-honored Texas tradition. McClinton is also a formidable harmonica player. Opening for McClinton is previously announced Pinetop Perkins.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 – MAIN STAGE
Patti LaBelle has won countless music awards including two Grammy’s and two American Music Awards as well as numerous humanitarian awards. Her live performances are legendary and consistently draw standing-room-only crowds. Perhaps her best-known single is “Lady Marmalade” which became a number one hit all over again when released by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Pink and Mya on the soundtrack of Moulin Rouge.

George Clinton, one of the greatest innovators of urban based soul, rock and funk, will open for LaBelle on Saturday night. Spanning half a century, the history of Parliament Funkadelic is as varied in its musical stylings as in the rotating cast of musicians that have graced Parliament, Funkadelic and the collective P-Funk stage. The P-Funk audience is a true melting pot including all cultures and generations. In 1997, Parliament Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 - WEST COLUMBIA STAGE
On Saturday Columbia native Lauren Lucas will join a country lineup that includes (already announced artists) Pat Green, Julie Roberts and Shooter Jennings. Lucas got started on her music career when she was three years old. By seven, she had debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and now she is quickly becoming one of the hottest live acts in Nashville. Lucas' convictions, passion and powerful voice are featured on The Carolina Kind, her debut album for Warner Brothers Records.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 – MAIN STAGE
On Sunday, Edwin McCain, a rootsy singer/songwriter with ties to jazz and soul, will play on the main stage, opening for Styx. McCain hails from Greenville, S.C. McCain is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, storyteller whose albums have gone gold and platinum.

Playing before McCain will be Australian rockers the Little River Band. The band has been around for more than 30 years having had 10 Top Ten hits from their 14 albums with sales exceeding $20 million. Some of the band’s most popular hits include: “Reminiscing,” “Lady,” “Lonesome Looser” and “Cool Change.” The band has been acclaimed “The best harmony band in the world” by Glen Frey of The Eagles.

Also on the main stage on Sunday will be Boone, N.C. band Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, a group that appeals to a wide range of music fans, as their style cuts across musical genres of soul, reggae, blues and funk.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 – WEST COLUMBIA STAGE
Sam Bush will open for contemporary bluegrass band Nickel Creek Sunday night on the West Columbia stage. Bush pioneered and guided the evolution of modern hill country music. As the founder and leader of the New Grass Revival, he incorporates everything from gospel and reggae to rock and modern jazz into a tradition-rooted sound. His decades of popularity at eclectic music festivals like Telluride and MerleFest stem from the fact that he’s also a stage dervish, a rhythm doctor and a party animal, not to mention an enthusiastic storyteller and a gifted mimic.

Also on Sunday, The Ditty Bops preceed Sam Bush on the West Columbia stage. The Ditty Bops are a band from Los Angeles, Calif. who play a blend of folk, bluegrass, jazz, swing music, ragtime and musical theater. Their upbeat blend of ragtime, swing, jazz, honky-tonk, bluegrass and cabaret, albeit with a modern alternative bent, is captivating. Stylish and attractive in costumes suggesting distant eras, The Ditty Bops offer something novel on the club circuit. But their pure, clear harmonies alone are worth the price of admission.

Three Rivers Music and Heritage Festival Foundation is a nonprofit corporation run by volunteers through the 3 Rivers Music Festival Board of Directors. The festival will be April 21-23, 2006 and will feature performers from a variety of musical backgrounds. Columbia artist Carl Crawford has created the art work for the 2006 3 Rivers Music Festival. Crawford uses collage and mixed media to depict the rich heritage of his neighborhood.