It is not every day that you find a pioneer who performed alongside legends of American music such as John Lee Hooker or Frankie Lee walk through the SoBo roads. Alvon Johnson will do just that on Friday when he opens up the Soulful Blues Festival at NCPA.

The 73-year-old Blues performer is often called the ‘Ambassador of the Blues’ and made a mark alongside RnB and Blues bands such as The Drifters, The Shirelles and The Coasters. “I decided to start playing the Blues because I knew that it was part of my heritage,” writes Johnson. “The Blues are a cultural vehicle of expression,” he states.