Good Friday also means good music in El Dorado with a holiday edition of Grown Folks Nite Out, which is set for 9 p.m. Friday at the Union County Fairgrounds, 1430 E. 19th.
As with other installments of Grown Folks Nite, Friday’s lineup will feature some of the most popular names in blues and southern soul music, said Michael Jackson, of Mr. Mike’s Productions, who is promoting the event, along with Scott Banks Entertainment.
Headliners are Terry Wright, Summer Wolfe and Big Papa. The event will also feature DJ Banks in Da Mixx.
Jackson said the Good Friday edition of Grown Folks was scheduled after he received inquiries from South Arkansas natives who planned to come home for the weekend.
“It was a last-minute thing I put together for people who will be in town for the holidays and they were asking if I was going to do anything for the weekend,” Jackson said.
Attendance has been “real good” for Grown Folks, which is held at least once a month, he said.
Jackson explains that Grown Folks, which began as an event in the former Brick House nightclub, serves multiple purposes. In addition to bringing entertainment and live music shows to El Dorado, Jackson said Grown Folks showcases familiar names and up-and-coming artists on the blues and Southern Soul circuit.
Moreover, Grown Folks is a lead-in to larger, annual Mr. Mike’s events: Soul Fest and the Southern Soul Showdown.
Jackson said local audiences have grown fond of several performers who have made repeat appearances at local events.
For instance, Wright — also known as “The Anytime Man,” who is perhaps best known for his hit song, “I Don’t Lost My Good Thang” — has become a local fan favorite. So has Wolfe, a singer-songwriter who is known for crafting blues-flavored relationship anthems, such as “Slippin.”
“I have solid names and newer names that I want to bring to the area to see how the people will respond to them,” Jackson said.
He said he also regularly receives requests from blues and southern soul artists around the region to perform at Soul Fest and Southern Soul. The events draw hundreds of fans to the fairgrounds each spring and fall, respectively, with estimates for Showdown coming in at 2,500 — 3,000 attendees each year.
The 18th annual Soul Fest is set for June 8 at the fairgrounds and features a lineup that is jam-packed with local and regional singers and bands, including Carl Sims, Avail Hollywood, Kenne Wayne, Lomax, Jay Hammer, Lady Q, P2K, Vess, Beatrice, Mr. Nelson and Benito (Glosson).
Tickets for Grown Folks, a BYOB event, are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Reserved tables are available and fish plates will be sold on site. Tickets are available and Mr. Mike’s Music and Artwork in El Dorado; Special Touch in Camden; and LBK’s in Farmerville, Louisiana.
For more information about Grown Folks or Soul Fest, call Jackson at 870-866-6441.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862 6611 or [email protected].