Oldest Swinger In Town

There may be disputes over which European festival has the biggest and best acts, but Norway’s International Notodden Blues Festival must surely have the most established.

Legendary Mississippi bluesman Pinetop Perkins will celebrate his 95th birthday less than a month before the July 31 to August 3 event.

Notodden won a Keeping The Blues Alive award in 2004. The annual prize handed out by The Blues Foundation.

"I would think this is our last opportunity to thank a man that has truly made an enormous contribution to live music and has been performing actively for over 80 years," festival booker Ed Murphy said.

"In addition we all owe his generation tremendous thanks for all the great music that they have given the world. He represents a hidden side of the music world that does not get enough attention nowadays."

Perkins began his career as a guitarist but switched to piano after injuring the tendons in his left arm, allegedly in a fight with a choirgirl in Arkansas. He wasn’t very old at the time.

The youngsters on this year’s Notodden bill include Ray Davis, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Little Feat and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.