Bettye LaVette, Bobby Rush among Chicago Blues Festival 2019 headliners

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Bettye LaVette | Mark Seliger / Verve Records

Bettye LaVette, Bobby Rush and the Jimmy Johnson Blues Band are among the headliners set for the Chicago Blues Festival, June 7-9 in Millennium Park.

The festival also marks the 90th birthday of Johnson, who’s on the bill June 7 along with Rush, Charlie Musselwhite and Billy Boy Arnold.

On June 8, headliners will include LaVette at the Pritzker Pavilion, Don Bryant and Latimore.

Headliners slated for June 9 include Ruthie Foster, and a special tribute to the late Mike Ledbetter featuring The Connection —Mike Welch and Friends, and Venom & Faith. Ledbetter passed away in January at the age of 33.

The free festival runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at four stages, including the Pritzker Pavilion, the Budweiser Crossroads Stage, the Visit Mississippi Juke Joint stage and the Front Porch/Park Grill Stage.

The complete schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. Information is available at chicagobluesfestival.us.

In addition, music fans should mark their calendars for Chicago Gospel Music Festival May 31-June 1 at the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park, and the Chicago Jazz Festival Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and various neighborhood venues. Schedules and lineups will be announced at later dates.


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