This Raise the Roof benefit concert will feature Joey Harris, Gregory Page, Sara Petite, Rockola, Four Eyes, Lisa Sanders, Cathryn Beeks, Bart Mendoza, Mark DeCerbo, Jeff Berkley (Berkley Hart),and others.

Blues legend and four-time San Diego Music Awards winner Earl Thomas and friends will play at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach on Sunday, July 7, 2013. Featuring performances by several diverse SDMA winners, this once-in-a-lifetime event will celebrate the blues as musicians from all genre pools sing and play in the style of one of America’s greatest and oldest traditions. Supporting Thomas, The Blues Foundation and the dream of opening a Blues Hall of Fame museum in Memphis, San Diego’s finest musicians are gearing up to put on a spectacular show for this special night of blues music.

The Raise the Roof concert series began with a stroke of inspiration as Thomas decided to support The Blues Foundation by donating his time and talents as a blues artist. Word quickly got out about Thomas’ project, and it wasn’t long before Thomas saw many of his fellow musicians across the country aligning with his cause and offering their help. As a result, the Belly Up show will feature Joey Harris, Gregory Page, Sara Petite, Rockola, Eve Selis, Lisa Sanders, Bart Mendoza & True Stories, Mark DeCerbo & Four Eyes, Berkeley Hart, Steph Johnson, Syreeta, and a rare southern California appearance by Princess, the former lead vocalist of Rebel Rockers! Billy Watson will also be joining Earl Thomas & the Blues Ambassadors for the evening; as the event draws near, the guest list continues to grow!

Thomas explains, “I’m excited to be part of this event and even more excited to have my long-time San Diego friends join me in supporting The Blues Foundation. We all sort of came up together and have known each other for many years. I think it is important for all of us to give back to the music that we love and to ensure that the history of the blues is preserved. I’m also grateful to the Belly Up and their staff for helping us put this show together. All net proceeds are in support of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum.”

"The Blues Foundation has been inducting performers and recordings into the Blues Hall of Fame since 1980 and a capital campaign is well underway to establish the Blues Hall of Fame Museum. We applaud Earl Thomas and his friends for their willingness to step forward in support of our efforts to bring this long-overdue dream to reality," explained Jay Sieleman, President of The Blues Foundation.