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Darryl Artison delivers some religious guitar playing at the 2009 Stone Soul Picnic at Tom Lee Park.
When an event has been around for 36 years, it pretty much qualifies to be an institution.
And so it is with WLOK's Stone Soul Picnic, Memphis' longest-running outdoor festival and a perennial gospel-loving, family-friendly occasion.
Linda Howard sings along with the Rev. Frank Ray of the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church at the 2008 Stone Soul Picnic. The Commercial Appeal file photo
The core is Saturday's performance extravaganza from 1 to 9:30 p.m. at Tom Lee Park. In past years, the picnic has brought such luminaries as Johnnie Taylor, Shirley Caesar and Al Green.
Even with such powerhouse acts in the past, Art Gilliam says of this year's event, "I expect it's going to draw one of the bigger crowds." As president of Gilliam Communications Inc., which owns WLOK-AM 1340, he has organized the picnic since the 1970s.
His prediction regarding this year's turnout is based partly on the top gospel acts performing Saturday. One is Lee Williams & the Spiritual QC's, the recipient of the 2010 James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stellar Awards.
The closing act on Saturday is Doc McKenzie & The Hi-Lites, a fixture in the gospel tour circuit since its 1982 hit "What A Wonder The Lord Has Done."
Other acts playing and praising on the river include the Billy Rivers Angelic Voices, the Melrose Baptist Church Choir and the Brown Singers. As in the past, there will be plenty of activities for children like carnival rides.
"Each year we try to make it bigger and better," Gilliam says. New this year is the presence of Hattiloo Theatre presenting vignettes and cultural activities between performances on the main stage.
Hattiloo, Memphis' black repertory company, has been staging productions in its theater at 656 Marshall since 2006 and earlier this week claimed an Ostrander theater award for Music Direction that went to Marsha Neely for her work in "God's Trombones."
What had been a one-day event for many years has grown to include the WLOK Gospel Comedy Show, a family-friendly evening of comic and entertainment talents that this year includes Irma Johnson, Sassie Seniors, Mzzz. Kecia, Jason Shorter and Marcus D. Wiley.
"This is the third year we've done a comedy show," Gilliam said. "Based on the response to the last couple of years, it was a good time to take it to the next level."
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36th annual WLOK Stone Soul Picnic
Saturday, 1-9:30 p.m. at Tom Lee Park. Gospel and theater performances will be staged throughout the day at 15-minute intervals. Lee Williams & the Spiritual QC's will perform 4:10-5 p.m. Doc McKenzie & The Hi-Lites take the stage from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is free.
WLOK Gospel Comedy Show
7:30 p.m. Friday at Rose Theater, University of Memphis campus. Tickets: $10 in advance. Call 527-9565.
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