Marquise Knox

Saturday July 24, 2010
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Main Stage
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Tent Stage

Marquise Knox is 18 years old, a native of Granada, Mississippi and a legend in the making. Marquise hails from a musical family deeply entrenched in the Blues tradition. He learned how to play guitar from his grandmother whose family were sharecroppers and whose great, great grandparents were slaves. For him, Blues is his heritage.
Knox spent his early teenage years in St. Louis mentoring under the late great Blues legend, N.E.A. Heritage Fellowship recipient and Grammy Award winner Henry James Townsend. His talents have already earned him performing rights with some of America’s most notable blues performers such as blues legend and Grammy Award winners B.B. King, Pinetop Perkins and David “Honeyboy” Edwards (the latter two also NEA Heritage Fellows).
While his musical peers hope for careers in hip-hop, Marquise decided to remain true to his heritage and share his musical journey not only with traditional blues audiences but with our youth. At 18 he finds it easy to relate to the challenges faced by today’s youth and it shows.
Marquise is truly a Manchild. At 18 he plays like he is 40. He can cook a chicken dinner for eight complete with greens like any you’ve ever had. He maintains a sizable garden at his home in urban St. Louis. And the number one question people ask Marquise is “let me see your driver’s license”.
To experience the blues, MANCHILD style, pick up a copy of his album MANCHILD and stay tuned, the MANCHILD has arrived…
“…already poised, confident, and brandishing an arsenal of powerful, no-nonsense vocal and guitar skills that projected not only way beyond his years, but way back to the spirits of the blues masters of yore.”
– Jim O’Neal Founding Editor / Living Blues Magazine