Charles Driebe

For Immediate Release
February 10, 2009

BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA WIN
FIFTH GRAMMY AWARD

ALSO HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

New DVD, Live In New Orleans,
Due February 24

(Fairfax, VA) – The Blind Boys of Alabama achieved an exceptional ‘perfecta’ at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles this past weekend. On Saturday, they received a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing the tremendous artistic success built during their 60 year-plus recording career. Then they won their fifth Grammy Award Sunday, taking home the trophy in the Best Traditional Gospel Album category for their 2008 release Down in New Orleans. Rarely has a band been honored for a lifetime of work and also for their most recent output at the same time. And they show no signs of slowing down. On February 24th, the Blind Boys of Alabama will release a new concert DVD, Live in New Orleans (Saguaro Road), filmed at Tipitina’s club during last year’s JazzFest and including guest performances by Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more.

“We've worked a long time for this and are thankful to be recognized," said founding member Jimmy Carter at the invitation-only ceremony on Saturday. In addition to the Grammy honors, the Blind Boys have also been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and awarded the NEA’s Heritage Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement, as well as many other prestigious honors, earning them the true distinction of “living gospel legends.” The Blind Boys of Alabama are Jimmy Carter, Eric 'Ricky' McKinnie, Joey Williams, Tracy Pierce, Billy Bowers and Ben Moore.

The forthcoming Live In New Orleans DVD was filmed at the city’s historic club Tipitina’s during the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Inspired by the Blind Boys’ critically acclaimed album Down in New Orleans, the DVD continues their heartfelt tribute to the Crescent City and includes guest appearances by old friend Susan Tedeschi as well as New Orleans-born acts the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dr. John, Henry Butler and Marva Wright. Live in New Orleans combines new songs and old favorites, with selections from the Down in New Orleans disc performed alongside songs from the Blind Boys’ four Grammy-winning CDs as well as several classic gospel tunes. The DVD also features bonus material: “The Making of Down in New Orleans” program which aired on BET earlier this year, and the music video for “Free at Last,” which was filmed in the Crescent City.

About Direct Holdings:
The DVD will be released on the new Saguaro Road Records label, launched earlier this year by Direct Holdings Americas Inc, the company that also markets and sells audio and video entertainment products under the Time Life trademark, which it uses under license from Time Warner Inc. Time Life and the Time Life logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies, used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc. Headquartered in Fairfax VA, Direct Holdings Americas Inc.'s history began in 1961 as a direct marketing division of Time Incorporated specializing in music and books. The business has been operated as a separate company since the mid-1970s when it relocated to Virginia, and has since grown to become one of the world's largest direct marketers of audio and video products throughout North America, Europe and Australia. The Company has set the standard in the direct response industry by pioneering direct marketing techniques and building one of the most trusted and recognized brands in commerce. The Company now also sells its products through major traditional and non-traditional retailers around the world as well as via the Internet. The Company was sold in 2003 to private investors. Saguaro Road Records is a trademark of Direct Holdings Americas Inc. Launched in June 2008, the label has signed American music icons Patty Loveless, Tanya Tucker and Dion.

For further information, please logon to either:
http://www.blindboys.com or www.timelifeentertainment.com

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