Ben Powell has made north county San Diego his home since 1991. He earned national notice after winning at Telluride and the 18th annual Blues and Brews Festival, taking first place in the acoustic-blues competition. Telluride’s Blues and Brews festival is a three-day mini Woodstock that draws thousands of fans to Colorado for competitions and headliners such as the Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzman and his Seven Walkers, Robert Cray, Eric Bibb, Marcia Ball, Mavis Staples, and Willie Nelson. He has also performed at festivals such as Gator By The Bay, San Diego Blues Fest, and SXSW, and he has opened shows for Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang.
In 2012, Powell won the IBC/International Blues Competition San Diego regional. His album Rise Up Singing was nominated Best Blues Album at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards. His other releases include New World Blues and a two volume set of country blues classics called Not Home Yet Volumes 1 and 2.