SAFFIRE SINGS THE GERMANNA BLUES

A MAKE-UP TEST AT GERMANNA LAUNCHED SAFFIRE--THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN. 25 YEARS LATER, THE NATIONALLY KNOWN BAND KICKS OFF ITS FAREWELL TOUR AT GCC'S DANIEL CENTER

They regularly headline at major music venues like Wolf Trap and the Birchmere, but the nationally known SAFFIRE—THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN got their start at Germanna Community College.

Now, 25 years later, they’re kicking off their farewell tour where they got started—at Germanna, with a 7 p.m. show at the Daniel Center in Culpeper this Saturday, Feb. 21. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the all ages show.

Pianist/guitarist/songwriter Ann Rabson was on faculty at Germanna, teaching computer science, when one of her students had a death in the family and missed an exam. So Rabson took the exam to student Earlene Lewis’ home. Turned out that Lewis had a piano and a bass --and Saffire was conceived from a Germanna makeup exam.

Rabson and Lewis convinced singer Gaye Adegbalola, a Virginia Teacher of the Year at James Monroe High School, to join them. The rest is blues history. Saffire—The Uppity Blues Women developed a cult following, not just in America, but around the globe. And they remain relevant after a quarter of a century of touring and recording. Adegbalola has just been nominated for honors as 2009 Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist at the 30th Annual Blues Music Awards to be held May 7 in Memphis.

TICKETS FOR GERMANNA FACULTY AND STAFF ARE JUST $5. That’s quite a deal, because tickets for a Saffire show at the hallowed Birchmere next month are going for $35.

Tickets are available at GCC Workforce offices at both the Fredericksburg Area Campus and at the Daniel Center, or by calling the numbers below:

7 p.m, Saturday, February 21st

The Daniel Center

18121 Technology Dr.

Culpeper

540-937-2900 Daniel Center

540-891-3095 FAC II

$15 General Public/ $5 Faculty & Staff/ $3 Students