The Windy City Blues Fest 2026 is a FREE, two-day outdoor celebration honoring 250 years of blues music, spanning various eras and regions of America. Scheduled for September 19th & 20th 2026 at Veterans & Smith Park , next to Village Hall in Lyons, IL. The festival will have two stages, be accessible, with a wide variety of blues styles in a welcoming environment.
featuring : Bob Stroger, Billy Flynn, Kenny Smith, Oscar Wilson, John Primer, Willie Buck, Lil Ed
5:30 – 7:00 Open Jam
4:00 – 5:00 Bob Corritore, Jimi Primetime Smith, Billy Flynn
3:00 – 3:45 Downtown Charlie Brown / Donna Herula
2:00 – 2:45 The Miles Minor Band
1:00 – 1:45 Gail Storm
5:30 – 6:30 Open Jam
4:30 – 5:15 Rusty Ends & The Hill Billy Hoo Doo
3:30 – 4:15 Sonia Astacio / Donny Vleck
2:30 – 3:15 Windy City Rev Ups Duet W/ Gail Storm
1:30 – 2:15 Some Years Later
Bring your own lawn chair
Headlining Sunday
You see, Mud’s father was the immortal Muddy Waters. For the last couple of decades, Mud has followed in his beloved dad’s mammoth footsteps, staunchly keeping the traditional Chicago blues flame alight by faithfully singing Muddy’s songs as well as plenty of his own originals in front of an all-star band of local heavy-hitters.
Performing Sunday
Born in Chicago 1956, Bob Corritore is one of the most active and highly regarded blues harmonica players on the scene today. His style passionately carries forward the old school of playing that Corritore learned as a young man directly from many of original pioneers of Chicago Blues. His sympathetic, yet fiery harmonica playing is featured on over 50 releases to date. Many of Bob’s acclaimed releases have been nominated or winners for various Handy, Grammy, and Blues Music Awards and Blues Blast Music Awards. Bob is also widely recognized for his many roles in the blues, as band leader, club owner, record producer, radio show host, arts foundation founder, and occasional writer. His amazing website www.bobcorritore.com and his weekly e-newsletter reflect a life thoroughly invested in the blues. In 1991, Bob opened the now famous Blues and Roots Concert Club, The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, Arizona.
Headlining Saturday Stephen Hull started playing blues at age 14 and never stopped, taking cues from Albert King and B.B. King as he developed his sweet, soulful guitar sound. Balancing that with his absolutely stellar lead vocals and infectiously buoyant personality, Stephen has been rising fast in the blues clubs of Chicago and venues across southeastern Wisconsin. Appearing in blues magazines such as Living Blues (U.S.) and Blues & Rhythm: The Gospel Truth (UK), Stephen has been interviewed by a myriad of media including Lake Effect (broadcast on Milwaukee’s NPR). From the Chicago Blues Fest to the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, The Stephen Hull Experience is making headlines.
Awards
2024 IBC 2nd Place Winner
2024 IBC Best Guitarist Winner
2024 Just Blues “King of The Blues” Winner
Performing Saturday, Main Stage
Dwayne (Dopsie) Rubin hails from one of the most influential Zydeco families in the world. Although inspired by tradition, Dwayne has developed his own high energy style that defies existing stereotypes and blazes a refreshingly distinct path for 21st century Zydeco music. This singer/songwriter and accordionist has performed all over the world since debuting his band, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, at age 19.
Performing Saturday.
Keeshea Pratt is a powerhouse vocalist whose performances transcend genre and stir the soul. Rooted in Mississippi and now based in Houston, Texas, Pratt moves effortlessly through blues, soul, gospel, and jazz—delivering every note with passion, vulnerability, and purpose.
Crowned the 2018 International Blues Challenge winner she quickly became a rising force in modern blues.
Their debut album "BELIEVE" earned Living Blues Magazine’s Best Debut Album,
Performing Sunday.
Demetria is the daughter of the great Chicago Bluesman Eddie “The Playboy” Taylor, a man that shaped the Chicago Blues. Her mom Vera, was a singer and the whole Taylor family are a known musical family.
In 2012 she was nominated best debut artist by the Blues Foundation. In 2022 received the Koko Taylor 'Queen of the Blues' Award by the Jus' Blues Foundation.
Demetria is full of energy and passion, she feels what she sings and brings that feeling to you. Her band is smoking hot!
Performing Saturday,
Shirley Johnson is a gritty, big-voiced Chicago blues, soul, and gospel vocalist known as the "Sweetheart of the Blues" at Blue Chicago. Born in Franklin, Virginia and raised in Norfolk, she began singing gospel at age six before moving to Chicago in 1984 to build a legendary career on the city's club and international touring circuits.
Performing Sunday
Morry Sochat (pronounced Socket) and The Special 20’s are bringing a fresh sound to the Chicago Blues scene. They mix classic Chicago Blues with Swing and Rock N’ Roll into a sound all their own. The band celebrates their 20 year anniversary in 2025!
Performing
They lay down all kinds of blues music but specialize in COTTON PATCH SOUL BLUES AND HILL COUNTRY BLUES
Performing Saturday.
Joined together by a love of early swingin’ rock and roll, the Hungry Williams play music that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Legendary Midwest drummer and leader John Carr has assembled a group of like-minded R&B gurus who deliver the goods. Lead singer Kelli Gonzalez belts it out of the park with sass and charm, while the rest of the core group including Mike Sieger on bass, Joe Vent on guitar, and Jack Stewart on keys make it jump all night long. With a sax section adding grease to the skillet, the Hungry Williams rock, swing, jump, and stroll at every show, making sure everyone takes some time to leave their worries behind and have some fun.
Performing
Matt & Greasy Gravy (a trio) will be playing Pre-War blues from the 1920's and 1930's
Matt Hendricks is a Chicago based artist who is keeping the blues alive with his blend of heartfelt singing, unique finger style guitar playing, and genuine original songs.
Matt won The Chicago Blues Challenge in both 2009 & 2016.
Bob Corritore and Jimi “Primetime” Smith first met in 1978 when Smith was playing at B.L.U.E.S on Halsted as part of Big Walter Horton’s regular Sunday night gig 28 years later, in 2016 that they joined forces as a musical team. That’s when Smith moved to Phoenix and joined Corritore for an essential partnership of two like-minded traditional blues practitioners. Smith’s deep-rooted blues guitar comes straight from his Chicago blues upbringing as the son of Johnnie Mae Dunston and tutelage from Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor and others. Now, that Smith’s established himself in Phoenix, he and Corritore have been collaborating on some amazing recordings as they continue to uphold their beloved Chicago blues tradition. Their set on Saturday will feature a stripped-down version of this sound with additional guitar support from Billy Flynn.
Guitarist Rusty Ends spent his Kentucky youth absorbing blues, rock, and country. He began playing Louisville roadhouses professionally at age 15, guided by local guitar wizard Virgil Clopton. This background shaped his signature "Hillbilly Hoodoo" sound—a blend of Kentucky roots, rockabilly, and New Orleans swamp beats.
Over a multi-decade career, Ends became a prolific songwriter, releasing three albums through Earwig Music. For over 25 years, his trio with bassist Dave Zirnheld and drummer Gene Wickliffe has translated a lifetime of musical memories into high-energy performances.
Downtown Charlie Brown and Donna Herula form a powerhouse acoustic roots duo bridging Deep South traditions with classic Chicago Blues. Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee Donna Herula is a multi-award-winning singer and resonator guitarist known for her superlative prowess. Multi-instrumentalist Downtown Charlie Brown, "Chicago’s Delta," shines on blues piano and slide guitar. Together, they draw packed houses with playful onstage banter, historical storytelling, powerful dual resonators, and a captivating "beauty and the beast" vocal contrast that injects fresh energy into folk-blues.
The Windy City Rev Ups are a premier Chicago-based band known for a high-energy blend of traditional Chicago-style R&B, soulful harmonica, and guitar-driven rock 'n' roll. Founded by singer-songwriter Rich "Rev," this dynamic group has spent over 15 years tearing up the Midwest music scene. With more than 1,000 live performances under their belt, they regularly headline major festivals and iconic venues like the local House of Blues. Their impressive discography includes 12 streaming releases worldwide, earning them numerous local music awards and building a highly dedicated global fanbase.
Sonia Astacio is a regular on the Chicago Blues scene playing at long established-world renowned clubs. She combines powerful vocals and a hard driving Chicago Electric Blues style with a burlesque delivery. Her boisterous voice, entertaining persona, and effortless talent have captivated audiences far and wide. After 35 years in the corporate world, she says her retirement plan is “to sing the Blues to whoever will listen.” She truly is a messenger of the Chicago Electric Blues.
Gail Storm is a New York based singer/songwriter/pianist. Her blues stylings embrace the root music she cherishes and provide a refreshing frame to other genres. The "Storm" is known to have a “heavy left hand” as demonstrated by her strong, rhythmic bass lines-particularly evident in the “boogie woogie”. Repertoire ranges from traditional blues and boogie woogie to swingin' classic jazz standards, ballads, pop, and originals thrown into the mix. It is the blues stylings that provide the frame for Storm's renditions.
The Windy City Blues Fest 2026 is a FREE, two-day outdoor celebration honoring 250 years of blues music, spanning various eras and regions of America. Scheduled for September 19th & 20th 2026 at Veterans & Smith Park , next to Village Hall in Lyons, IL. The festival will have two stages, be accessible, with a wide variety of blues styles in a welcoming environment.
