50 years of New Orleans Jazz Fest

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By m_x_ 22 Jan 2019, 8:57am

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a star-studded music lineup! The artists performing and ticket information were announced last week and legendary soul singer Diana Ross was just added to the list. And to make this '50 Years of Joy' anniversary even more special and memorable, the festival is expanding to four days each weekend.

The famous event is one of the oldest music festivals in the United States and pays tribute to New Orleans' legacy as the birthplace of jazz. The spirit of this unique festival came to life in April 1970 when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, having heard of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, came back to her hometown to perform there. Although she was not originally part of the lineup, the 'Queen of Gospel' was handed a microphone and together with Duke Ellington joined a parade singing along with the New Orleans Eureka Brass Band.

This year, legendary singer Diana Ross will be performing, her first-ever appearance at the festival! She is joining headliners such as Al Green, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, ~~The Rolling Stones~~ Widespread Panic, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Santana, Jimmy Cliff, Leon Bridges, Kamasi Washington, Katy Perry, Ziggy Marley, Pitbull, Logic, Ciara, Alanis Morissette.

Other notable acts include Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Nevilles, Tank and The Bangas, Tom Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Irma Thomas and many more.

For more info about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, visit www.nojazzfest.com and facebook.com/JazzFest.

Last.fm has been covering the festival for many years thanks to our photographer Steve Galli. Revisit the photos he has taken over the last 5 years below:

2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Flickr Collection

Our Photo Recap of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2018