Q&A with Pat Kerr Tigrett

Memphis musicians are the fabric of the Bluff City, but nowhere are they celebrated so much as at the Blues Ball. Now the largest annual ball in the country, the Blues Ball turns 15 on September 27 and promises to be the best ever, with 16 bands and seven stages spread throughout the Gibson Guitar Factory, The Westin, and Lt. George W. Lee Avenue. RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick met with Blues Ball founder Pat Kerr Tigrett as she shared the event’s history and divulged her admiration for those who make Memphis great, including the late Isaac Hayes, who was always an honorary co-chair. Tigrett said, "In my mind, there’s nothing you can really give another friend quite as powerful as a great memory, and that certainly applies to these musicians because they have contributed so much to the global music industry while they were in the middle of being ostracized at home - I love it because it’s really their ball."

For the full story and photos, pick up a copy of the September RSVP.