The Willie Dixon Memorial Scholarship is endowed by the fund raising activities of the Southern California Blues Society and the generous private donations of interested individuals and corporations.
ABOUT WILLIE DIXON:
Songwriter, musician, producer and arranger Wilie Dixon played a seminal role inthe development of American music. Born in Mississippi in 1915, he has been called a symbol of blues music and history. In spite of humble circumstances and the impediments of racial discrimination, Dixon rose to become one of the most prolific and influential composers in popular music. He wrote, arranged, produced and played on many songs which have become acknowledged classics for such important blues artisits as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter Jacobs, Otis Rush and KoKo Taylor.
Wilie Dixon was also a pivotal player in the emergence of rock music, with key roles in landmark recordings by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddiley. Many of the tunes in his catalog of over 500 songs have been recorded and performed by an amazing range of blues and rock artists, including the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and many more.
Dixon's creations show a sense of wit, inventiveness and love of life while touching on essential truths. "The blues", he explains, "are the true facts of life expressed in words, song, inspiration, feelings and understanding." Willie Dixon's indelible mark endures as new generations of musicians continue to record or be influenced by his songs.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY:
The Willie Dixon Memorial Scholarship will be presented to a deserving Southern California students on the basis of their area of studies, scholastic achievement and financial need.
Enrollemnt: Applicants must have full time enrollemnt status in an under graduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university in California.
Area of Studies: Eligible students must be pursuing a degree in Music, Music Education and Performeing Arts.
Scholastic Achievement: The award criteria considers the applicant's scholastic aptitude and extracurricular activities, including grade point average and honors programs.
Financial Need: Special consideration will be given to applicants demonstrating a need for financial assistance.
DEADLINE: Applications are available February 1st. All applications must be post marked nop later than April 25th. The recipient willbe announced at our annual festival, The Topanga Canyon Blues and Heritage Festival. Funds are availble for the fall semester upon documentation of enrollment.