More than a dozen of the nation’s leading gospel singers and local gospel greats will star in the 44th annual WLOK Stone Soul Picnic from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, September 1, at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park.
The daylong 2018 WLOK Stone Soul Picnic will feature gospel favorites, including Doc McKenzie & the Hi-Lites, the Echoaires, Billy Rivers & the Angelic Voices of Faith, and the Sensational Wells Brothers.
Other featured artists include the Southern Sons, Uncle Richard’s Puppets, the Gospel Four, Bishop Cooper, and Spiritual Excitement.
The 2018 Stone Soul Picnic takes on a new dimension this year, adopting the theme of community unity tied to the “glorious and heartfelt sounds of pure gospel.”
“Through the WLOK Stone Soul Picnic, we seek to create an understanding and appreciation for those cultural and sociopolitical differences within our community in an effort to develop a more harmonious city and nation,” said Art Gilliam, the president and chief executive officer of WLOK Radio and the Gilliam Foundation.
The Stone Soul Picnic is one of the oldest and largest free outdoor concerts in the Mid-South. With entertainment and fun for the entire family, the event has evolved into one of Memphis’ musical cornerstones since its founding in 1974 as a tribute to music-loving Memphians and their support for WLOK radio.
The event also will feature food vendors, rides for children, health screenings and a voter-registration booth. More than 100 prizes will be given to attendees, with many of them valued for as much as $100.
(WLOK is a Memphis, Tenn.-based radio station that broadcasts a gospel format on both AM and FM channels under AM 1340 and FM 105. For more information, contact Art Gilliam, 901- 527-9565, or [email protected].)
