27th Annual Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival

The major headliners for the 2024 Natchitoches 27th Annual Jazz/R&B Festival, which will be held on the downtown Natchitoches riverbank on May 10th - 11th, 2024, have been announced and organizers are calling it “Spectacular!” and “Maybe the best ever.”

Headlining on Saturday night and closing out the festival will be Country music superstar and Army Reserve soldier, Craig Morgan.

Opening for Morgan will be one of Nashville’s hottest new acts and America’s Got Talent stars, Chapel Hart, and before them local and regional favorites Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs.

The festival will kick off on Friday the 10th with “Tribute to Legends Night.” Appearing first will be Lonestar Skynyrd, an award-nominated Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute act from Texas that faithfully recreates the atmosphere and energy of Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts.

Closing out Friday will be Rumours, the award-winning Fleetwood Mac tribute band out of Atlanta, Georgia, which is widely known as the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute with its note-for-note recreation of the Mac’s hit songs.

Craig Morgan has made a name for himself as a country music icon, TV personality, author, celebrated outdoorsman, and patriotic Army veteran. One of country music's best-loved artists, Morgan has amassed more than 1.5 billion career streams and charted over 25songs on Billboard, thrilling massive crowds with signature hits including “Bonfire,” “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “International Harvester,” “This Ole Boy,” “Soldier,” “That's What I Love About Sunday” and his faith-filled tribute to his son Jerry, “The Father, My Son and The Holy Ghost.” Craig just released his newest project Enlisted, a six-song collection of reimagined hits and brand-new songs featuring collaborations with Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Gary LeVox, Blake Shelton, and Lainey Wilson. Craig received one of country music's highest honors when he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Before becoming a country music star and TV sensation, Morgan served seventeen years serving our country in the Army and Army Reserve and in 2023 enlisted in the Army Reserve, continuing his military career as a Warrant Officer. Morgan remains an avid supporter of America's military personnel and has made more than sixteen overseas trips to perform for our troops. He is a member of the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame and recipient of the USO Merit Award. In 2018, he was awarded the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, one of the highest awards the Department of the Army can bestow upon a civilian, in recognition of his significant dedication to our military men and women around the world. He remains committed to supporting active duty and veteran members of our military through work with Operation Finally Home, the USO, and more. Craig just wrapped his popular “God, Family, Country Tour 2023,” in partnership with Operation Finally Home, headlining run, which played thirteen theater and auditorium dates. God, Family, Country, Craig’s gripping new memoir, released last fall in partnership with Blackstone Publishing. He details all aspects of his inspiring life, revealing never-before-heard stories including how he worked alongside the CIA as a soldier in Panama, fought sex traffickers as an undercover agent in Thailand, forged his own path to country music stardom, and lives his life by the deepest values: God, family, country.

Chapel Hart is comprised of two sisters and a cousin out of Mississippi, who made a huge splash a couple of years ago when they reached the finals of America’s Got Talent, appearing before millions of people and drawing the praise of judge, Simon Cowell, and the other judges, and even receiving a “Golden Buzzer” from Cowell.

Their infectious song “You Can Have Him Jolene” soared to the top of the Country charts and was followed quickly by another hit, “Fist City.”

The energetic engaging trio is presently on a nationwide tour and always brings down the house with their super-high energy shows.

Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs, which has been hailed as “Louisiana’s Top Show Band,” is the only band to have appeared at all 26 previous festivals and are making this a stop on their 30th Anniversary “Over the Moon Tour.”

Festival Chairman, Rodney Harrington, is extremely excited about the artists announced so far but emphasizes that this is only the beginning.

“We feel that this is a spectacular lineup for this year’s festival,” said Harrington. “Probably the best from top to bottom that we have ever had.”

“Remember however,” Harrington continued, “that we will be having a total of nearly twenty bands on three different stages and will be booking many other artists and that the festival, as always, will feature a wide variety of music genres, such as Jazz, R&B, Zydeco, Rock & Roll, Soul, Gospel, Country, and more.

“Give someone the gift of music for Christmas,” said Harrington. “They’ll love you for it and you’ll never be able to buy the tickets more cheaply than you can right now. Merry Christmas everybody!”

In addition to the acts performing on the main stage, there will be more than 15 local and regional acts performing on other stages, appealing to a wide variety of musical tastes, including Rock & Roll, Country, Zydeco, Alternative, Swamp Pop, and yes, lots of Jazz and Rhythm & Blues.

The 27th Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival will be held on the downtown riverbank on May 10-11, 2024 and as usual, the Main Stage lineup features artists who will appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes.

Of course, there will be lots of food vendors and tons of activities for the kids at this family-friendly event.

*No umbrellas or ice chests are allowed*

* No chairs are allowed in front of or adjacent to the main stage. Chairs are allowed at the side stages. *

Host or Publisher Natchitoches Jazz R&B Festival