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It's long been said that you have to live the blues in order to play them. Louisiana Red, born Iverson Minter in Bessemer, Ala., has seen more than his share of the adversity and hard times, and his songs are powerful, passionate reflections of his life. He'll share his talents during Augusta's second blues concert at 8 p.m. Thursday.

From childhood, he found solace in music, making his first instrument at age 9 out of an old cigar box and rubber bands. He was encouraged by his grandfather, a self-taught bottleneck guitarist who gave Red his first real guitar - an old Kay acoustic that he still has. While living in Pittsburgh, he became a protege of local guitarist Crit Walters, and received encouragement from John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, who gave him a Hohner Old Standby harmonica.

At the age of 16, he lied about his age and joined the U.S. Army, serving in Korea. After his honorable discharge, he recorded a few tracks for the Chicago's Checker label, a subsidiary of Chess Records. The band featured Little Walter on harmonica and Muddy Waters assisting on guitar. This experience allowed Red to hit the thriving Southside blues joints, where he played with Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann and Baby Face Leroy, learning from them, and helping to develop their styles. Perhaps his greatest inspiration, however, came when he moved to Detroit and played with John Lee Hooker, the final piece of the puzzle that would make up Red's style.

With more than a dozen albums under his belt Louisiana Red continues to record and write new material.

He still connects with audiences throughout the world, and as he puts it, "Plays the blues - hard." This Thursday, Augusta's traditional blues concert will also showcase performances by many other talents who have come to Elkins this week including Joe Filisko, Ann Rabson, Fiona Boyes, Eleanor Ellis, Ian Walters, Richard Smith, Elijah Wald, Rick Franklin, Erwin Helfer and Gaye Adegbalola.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7:30 p.m. in Harper-McNeeley Auditorium on the Davis & Elkins College campus. Concert admission is $10 for adults or $8 for seniors older than 60 and youths younger than 12. A blues dance will be in the open-air pavilion immediately following the concert. Dance admission is included in the admission price of the concert and $5 per person for those who don't attend the concert.

For more information, visit www.AugustaHeritage.com and click on the Events Calendar tab or call 304-637-1209.

Next week's concerts will feature many of the great Irish musicians in the United States, Canada and Ireland