2025 Artists
Shakura S’Aida
Toronto, Ontario
The veteran Brooklyn-born, Switzerland-raised, Toronto-based entertainer extraordinaire has won over international crowds in over 30 countries. We first met Shakura on Beale Street, early in the week-long International Blues Challenge, in Memphis, in 2008, where she finished second in the band category, an incredible introduction to her talent. A truly international artist whose involvement in the Canadian music scene has been ongoing for the almost 25 years. Along the way, she has enriched the jazz, blues and classic R&B communities with her soulful voice, enthusiastic personality and commitment to her deep soul music. A multiple Juno and Maple Blues Award nominee, Shakura was most recently recognized with the prestigious “Her Music Award” from the SOCAN Foundation. She is touring in support of her most recent album, Hold On To Love.
Blackburn Brothers
Toronto, Ontario
Truly a “band of brothers”, the boys’ musical lineage traces back to their father, R&B legend Bobby Dean Blackburn, whose legacy in the Toronto music scene spans over six decades. Led by Duane (lead vocals, organ, piano), Brooke (guitar, vocals, writing), and Cory (drums, harmony vocals). Oldest brother Robert (guitar, vocal harmonies, writing) and cousin Nathan (bass guitar) can be heard on recent studio recordings. The Blackburn Brothers first played our Main Stage in 2017 and since then they have gone on to incredible success. Two-time Juno Award nominee for Blues Album of the Year, their most recent album, SoulFunkn'Blues, has received international acclaim, won the 2024 Blues Blast Award for Soul Blues Album and earned a nomination for Blues Band of the Year. The band set a new precedent for Canadian bands with three 2024 American Blues Music Awards nominations: Album of the Year, Soul Blues Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. Additionally, the Blackburn Brothers achieved a record-setting nine nominations at the 2024 Maple Blues Awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Electric Act of the Year.
Miss Emily
Kingston, Ontario
A fan favourite at our festival, Miss Emily played our Main Stage in 2019 and 2021. She has captivated fans across Canada, the US, the UK and Western Europe with her unique combination of impassioned performances and incomparable vocals that soar to emotional heights and span the genres from soul and classic Motown to jazz, gospel and blues. Most recently, in 2020 Miss Emily received three Maple Blues Awards including Female Vocalist, New Artist and Sapphire Blues Video of the Year, and in 2022 was nominated for a Juno, Blues Album of the Year. Miss Emily (born Emily Fennell) was raised in Prince Edward County by a gospel-singing father and piano-playing mama. Music was a staple, and Miss Emily fondly remembers listening to old soul and gospel records, but her father’s voice remains her favourite. Her fourth album, Defined By Love, was released in September 2022. With twenty years under her belt, Miss Emily feels her career is just starting to roll with plans to tour across Canada, the USA, and overseas. We’re so happy that a stop in Kincardine was included in her itinerary!
Chambers Deslauriers
Latana, Florida
A last-minute cancellation in our 2024 lineup due to the unfortunate passing of Annika’s mother, we are pleased that we were able to reschedule to this year. When Quebec born guitarist Paul DesLauriers met up with Texas born Annika Chambers in the lobby of the Orpheum in Memphis during the 2018 IBC, an impression was made though it took a year before they were able to re-establish their relationship at the 2019 IBC. By August that year they were married and renowned Canadian Blues-Rocker and acclaimed American Soul-Blues singer have unified their artistic destiny, much to the joy of everyone who's had the pleasure of hearing and seeing them together! You can expect to hear many of the tracks from their recent collaboration Good Trouble, a soul, blues, gospel, and rock album of eleven fine tunes. The powerful voice of Chambers coupled with the fiery guitar of DesLauriers makes for a superb mixing of talents, styles, and sounds. We’re confident their high energy, explosive performance will be a highlight of your weekend!
Davy Knowles
Chicago, Illinois
British born guitarist, Davy Knowles, started out with the blues-rock band, Back Door Sam, in 2003 on the Isle of Man. The band gained international attention with the release of their debut album, Roll Away, in 2007. In 2009 Knowles decided to venture out with a solo career, releasing Coming Up For Air, produced by Peter Frampton, and subsequently toured with acts such as Jeff Beck, The Who, Joe Bonamassa, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Thorogood, Brian Setzer, and guitar hero Joe Satriani. Knowles has several top 5 Billboard Blues charting albums under his belt, high profile TV appearances (Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Good Morning America among others), and has been praised with high accolades from heroes and press alike. Whether spending an evening onstage armed with just an acoustic guitar or wielding his well-worn and trusty Telecaster while fronting his blues/rock trio - and at any point in between the two - Davy Knowles is one of the most versatile and formidable songwriters, vocalists and musicians in the world today. A true artist in every sense of the word.
JP Soars Gypsy Blue Revue with Anne Harris
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The overwhelming, enthusiastic reception our fans gave JP Soars and Anne Harris after their Main Stage appearance in 2024 made the decision to bring them back a no-brainer! JP Soars is certainly not a typical blues musician or a typical musician by any right. He encompasses a multitude of influences. While Soars has been an avid student of the blues for many years in the late 90’s and early 2000’s he also immersed himself in the complex style of Django Reinhardt and Gypsy Jazz. Soars has been incorporating this style into his own shows for a long time and this certainly helps separate him from the rest of the pack. Accompanying Soars on this tour is Harris, a passionate, spell bounding violinist that toured in Otis Taylor’s band for ten years. They are musician’s musicians, each bringing a unique style and fresh translation of the great Southern soul, blues, and rock music that came before them. Together, their mutual chemistry, high energy and skill sets create a cohesive vision, with echoes of Muscle Shoals and Macon, that organically flows together into an entirely original and dynamic form of Americana, Southern soul roots music with a modern sensibility.
Shawn Kellerman
Kitchener, Ontario
As he enters his third decade as one of Canada’s most celebrated blues artists, Shawn Kellerman continues to find new ways to play the music that has fuelled his creativity since his early teens. He’s taken another major step forward on his latest album, Kell’s Kitchen, a 14-track collection that highlights all his influences, with his incendiary riffing tying it all together. Raised in Kitchener, Ontario, he was encouraged by his parents to play blues, particularly his father who ran Kitchener’s famous Pop The Gator club. Through that connection, Kellerman was quickly taken under the wing of the legendary Mel Brown, and by the late ‘90s, he was ready to hit the road, moving to Mississippi when he began his stint with Bobby Rush. Still more experience lay ahead when he was invited to join Lucky Peterson’s band, which boosted Kellerman’s already healthy touring schedule to close to 200 nights a year. Now touring with his own band supporting Kell’s Kitchen, Kellerman demonstrates his serious respect for the blues, saying that the record reflects his deep admiration for his roots – Mel Brown, Lucky Peterson, Albert King and Albert Collins.
Cheryl Lescom & Tucson Choir Boys
Kitchener, Ontario
No stranger to our Main Stage, Cheryl Lescom has performed at our festival more frequently than any other artist, simply because fans love her, no matter what band she’s coming with! Lescom has been part of the Canadian Blues Scene for over 30 years. Starting off as a back-up singer for Ronnie Hawkins and Long John Baldry, Lescom has recorded, toured and performed with the likes of Jeff Healy, Matt Minglewood, Dutch Mason, Downchild Blues Band and more. Currently, she performs with the Shewolves of London, who played here in 2024, frequently as a duo with Chuckee Zehr and of course, with the Tucson Choir Boys, Ray Walsh & Dave the Cat, who she first collaborated in 2008. Their album Cheryl Lescom & the Tucson Choir Boys – a mix of acoustic Blues, Roots & Pop – was released in 2009 to critical acclaim. Their second collaboration, 1953, was released by Busted Flat Records in 2015.
Larry Kurtz & The Lawbreakers
Orangeville, Ontario
Larry Kurtz, well known as the founder and Artistic Director of the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival, also enjoys a considerable reputation as a blues harp player! He performs with his own band, The Lawbreakers, and co-front man in the award-winning band Trouble & Strife as well as frequently performing with Murray Kinsley and Wicked Grin from Ottawa. Kurtz has also played hundreds of shows, events and festivals across Ontario performing with such talented bluesmen as James Cotton, Lee Oskar, Muddy Waters drummer, Willie ”Big Eyes” Smith, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rick Estrin, Texas Blues Legend WC Clark, John Nemeth, Jeff Healy’s Blues Band, Downchild, Guy Davis, Curley Bridges, Little G Weevil, Jimmy D Lane, Jack DeKeyzer, Fathead, David Gogo, and Paul Deslauriers.
Mackenzie Blues Band
Owen Sound, Ontario
Hailing from just over the county line, in Grey County, we claim this band, the Mackenzie Blues Band, as one of our own! Led by phenomenal guitarist Trevor Mackenzie and incredible vocalist, wife Tara, the band has performed frequently here at The Bruce as well as Main Stage festival appearances in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 while the Trevor Mackenzie Band also performed in 2018 and 2019. So ya, we love this band and if this is your introduction to them, we’re confident you will too! The band includes a tight rhythm section of Joel Dawson (bass) and Mike Weir (drums) along with Pete Devlin (guitar) and John Hume (organ/keyboard)
Joel Dupuis Band
London, Ontario
Our introduction to Joel occurred back in 2018 at a performance by Scott Holt at the London Music Club. Joel, just a young, emerging guitarist was invited to the stage by Scott and literally tore the roof off the club. We brought him and his high school band, The Coattails, to our youth stage that summer. We kept in touch as he went on, fronting different bands in the London area and we offered him an opportunity to play one of our street stages in 2021 and again in 2023. He has continued to grow with experience and extensive gigging across southwestern Ontario, including touring with the Ghost Town Blues Band. Most recently he competed at the IBC in Memphis, representing the Canada South Blues Society, Windsor. The Joel Dupuis Band, awarded London Blues Band of the Year in 2024, is an electrifying three-piece band that gives an energetic performance, and a straight shot of pure, no filler, rocking blues in the form of soulful originals as well as an original take on old favourites.
Greg Ritchie Band
Saugeen First Nation #29, Ontario
Greg Ritchie first played our festival back in 2011, with Tyler Pantlin and again the following year, 2012 with Nina Folino. Subsequent performances as a solo artist occurred in 2022 and 2023 and in 2024 with his band, which represented the Bruce County Blues Society at the IBC in Memphis, reaching the semi-finals! Greg has also performed in 2023 and 2024 at our Indigenous Artist Showcase. He is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, comfortable sitting at a drumkit as well as wailing on a guitar. Together with his vocals and backed by his rhythm section, Mike Campbell (drums) and Adrian Mitchell (bass), Greg brings a strong, blues infused performance to whatever venue he’s playing. We’re proud to have him on our Main Stage in 2025!