The Tri-State Blues Festival dates back to 1995 and Memphis' historic Club Paradise. After a stint in Tunica, the event moved to DeSoto County six years ago, and has since become a phenomenon.

"The first year was just outstanding, and now it's just gone to another level," says festival promoter Julius Lewis of the show which annually sells out the DeSoto Civic Center. "We've got people as far west as Nevada, as far east as (Washington) D.C. to come out for the show. I'm always surprised how many people we get from out of town."

The festival scheduled for Saturday has a stellar lineup headed by blues legend Bobby "Blue" Bland. Bland started as a member of the early '50s all-star band the Beale Streeters, with B.B. King and Johnny Ace. Beginning in the late '50s, Bland became a star in his own right with a string of singles cut in Texas -- including "Farther Up the Road" and "I Pity the Fool," -- that earned him the moniker "the Sinatra of the Blues."

This year's lineup also includes:

Willie Clayton who got his start in his native Indianola, Miss. In the '70s he recorded for Memphis' Hi Records label, where he cut now-classic songs such as "I Must Be Losin' You" and "Baby You're Ready." He recently released My Tyme on the Malaco label.

Bobby Rush, who at 68, puts on one of the most high-energy concerts in show business. After an early career as a sideman playing harmonica behind the likes of Luther Allison and Freddie King in Chicago, Rush went solo and established a reputation for bawdy, humor-filled music with hits like "Bow-Legged Woman" and "Lovin' A Big Fat Woman."

John Colbert earned his nickname J. Blackfoot as a child walking the hot Memphis sidewalks barefoot. In the late '60s, the aspiring singer wound up at Stax Records, where he joined the singing group The Soul Children. That group scored 15 R&B hits over its 10-year run. In 1984, J. Blackfoot went solo.

Part of a large musical family from the Natchez area, Theodis Ealey was playing by the age of 7. He has released nine solo albums since 1992, appearing on or producing countless more.

The son of legendary soul man Johnnie Taylor ("Disco Lady," "Who's Making Love"), Chicago's Floyd Taylor continues the family legacy in live shows and on recordings such as last year's Malaco release You Still Got It.

Sir Charles Jones, who is in his early 30s, is one of the youngest artists on the bill but already has the nickname "The King of Southern Soul." He had a minor R&B hit with "Better Call Jody" on his 2000 debut album. A year later he cemented his reputation by winning International Entertainer of the Year from the American Blues Network.

The daughter of Beale Street veteran Robert "Dr. Feelgood" Potts, Sheba Potts-Wright apprenticed with "The Queen of the Blues" Denise LaSalle before going solo. She trades in the same raunchy, updated Bessie Smith style, but brings her own considerable gospel and jazz chops to the table as well.

Though the artists on the bill are, for the most part, older, and the music they play linked to an earlier generation, Lewis says the festival sells out with little promotion.

"Each year the crowd tends to get younger," says Lewis. "They hear their parents talking about this kind of music and they want to check it out. They listen to their rap, but they also give us a chance, too."

The Tri-State Blues Festival

Who: Bobby "Blue" Bland, Willie Clayton, Bobby Rush, J. Blackfoot, Theodis Ealey, Floyd Taylor, Sir Charles Jones and Sheba Potts-Wright

When: The show starts 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: DeSoto Civic Center, 4560 Venture Drive, Southaven

Tickets: $35, $40.75 and $45.75 at Ticketmaster outlets

Information: Call (662) 280-9120 or visit desotociviccenter.com