The 43rd Annual Fountain Blues & Brews Festival stands as California’s longest-running blues event, with a history dating back more than four decades.
In 1981, organizers from the Associated Students Program Board at SJSU launched the festival as a one-day campus event, but ended up drawing about a thousand people with legendary acts like Sugar Pie DeSanto.
The response far exceeded expectations, leading to the immortal John Lee Hooker headlining the following year. The festival operated as a mostly free event during that era, giving students and residents access to live blues performances right in their backyard.
A hiatus, however, occurred around 2014 for organizational restructuring. The Fountain Blues Foundation, which included some original volunteers, then relocated the festival to Plaza Park in 2015. The move to public downtown space allowed the event to expand while couching itself in an urban setting. In 2019, founder Ted Gehrke passed away, but the foundation carries forth the tradition he started decades ago.
Suzanne St. John-Crane, current president of the Fountain Blues Foundation, expanded on the festival’s resilience: “This is the little festival that could. Truly. Forty-five years strong, only taking forced breaks in 2020-2021. It’s survived moving off of SJSU’s campus and needing a new home, a pandemic, the ups and downs of the economy and being bereft of staff now as an all-volunteer organization. The festival has showcased 176 different acts over 43 festivals. It’s like a who’s who of the blues scene.”
This year’s expanded, two-day lineup features artists connected to the soundtrack of the celebrated, Oscar-winning film, Sinners. Grammy winner Ruthie Foster brings a vocal style informed by gospel and soul traditions. Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue performs with the group’s Memphis-rooted ensemble sound.
The legendary Eric Gales headlines Saturday. The left-handed guitarist, who often plays upside down, draws comparisons to Jimi Hendrix. Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction once said, “How Eric Gales isn’t the hugest name in rock guitar is a total mystery.”
St. John-Crane also notes the uniqueness of Gale’s work: “Eric Gales has had many musical lives. He’s a rocker, and guitar aficionados have high respect for him. Eric is a lefty and he plays upside down. Jimi Hendrix vibes.”
Ronnie Baker Brooks bookends the festival on Sunday. The Chicago blues artist won the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award at the 2026 Blues Music Awards in Memphis. As the son of musician Lonnie Brooks, he brings family ties to the blues along with original material and celebrated energetic stage work. Limited meet-and-greet passes are still available for Brooks; those for Gales have long sold out.
The festival’s ongoing presence points to the area’s sustained interest in the blues. This 2026 edition follows increased, strategic promotional spending by organizers, which helped shape the current, emboldened lineup.
After more than 40 years, the Fountain Blues & Brews Festival endures as a summer staple that presents the blues through living legends, as well as contemporary artists, connected to tradition, and certainly connected to the local area.
As this year’s event approaches, St. John-Crane, already looking toward the future, concluded: “It always takes a village to pull the Fountain Blues & Brews Fest off, and we need to grow that village in order to build our capacity. Our hope is that we can grow to three stages, showcasing up-and-coming talent that is blues adjacent. We want to continue to book epic talent on our stage, keeping the entertainment and resulting economic impact, right here in San Jose.”
Blues and Brews Festival, June 27 & 28, Plaza Park. fountainblues.com
