Charles Driebe

DRAFT ONLY
NOT FOR PUBLICATION

For Immediate Release
February 24, 2009

BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
CONTINUE WHIRLWIND YEAR
WITH APPEARANCES ON
THE VIEW (March 25th),
WORLD CAFÉ (February 27th)
And At A
SPECIAL CONCERT FOR UNITED NATIONS (March 25th)

SONG IN #1 FILM
AND
TWO GMA AWARD NOMINATIONS

NEW DVD
Live In New Orleans
IN STORES TODAY

Fairfax, VA (February 24, 2009) - The Blind Boys of Alabama add a slew of appearances, honors and events to their already remarkable year just as their new concert DVD, Live In New Orleans, hits stores. Filmed last year during JazzFest, the DVD is a companion piece to the group’s critically acclaimed, award winning album Down In New Orleans and features guest appearances by Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The band also continues to tour throughout the world, showing no signs of slowing down almost 65 years after playing their first professional concert (which for the record, was on june 10, 1944).

On the heels of winning their fifth Grammy and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award last month, the Blind Boys have just been nominated for two Gospel Music Association Awards, one in the Traditional Gospel Recorded Song category for “Free At Last” from Down In New Orleans, and another for best Traditional Gospel Album. The Dove Awards will be held in Nashville, TN on April 23rd.

In the midst of their current US tour, The Blind Boys will perform a song from their new DVD on the top rated morning talk show The View on March 25th, then appear in a very special concert event later that day at the United Nations in New York, commemorating the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They are also being featured on the critically acclaimed national radio show World Café on February 27th and have a song in the new #1 box office hit, Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail.

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. Portions of Live in New Orleans also aired as a special program on the Gospel Music Channel on February 23rd and will continue to be shown there exclusively for the next two months.

About Direct Holdings:
The DVD will be released on the new Saguaro Road Records label, launched in 2008 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: http://www.blindboys.com

or contact:

Jolyn Matsumuro
The Brookes Company
jolyn@brookescompany.com
(310) 558-3000 x202

Sue Schrader
Blind Ambition Management
sue@blindambitionmgt.com
(262) 377-4180

###