2025 BOARD LEADERSHIP
Hailing from a family of musicians, Kenya has spent the last 2 decades immersed in Blues culture and music. Having spent many summers in Mississippi since 2012 sitting at the feet of those who help create the genre and who are personally invested in keeping the music alive through their own family legacies. Gaining first hand knowledge by listening to music in shot houses, fields and original juke joints, Blues
music and culture has been a way of life that can't be identified with one moment of discovery. Receiving a certificate in artist management in 2010 and managing The Bush League since 2007, creating opportunities for Blues artists has been at the forefront. Co-produced two The Bush League albums submitted for Grammy consideration and consulted on albums for other artists not limited to Blues or local/regional artists.
Royce is co-founder, bass player and keeper of the groove of The Bush League. His career started 17 years ago after playing around to familiar music on CDs then to the radio for the surprise of what would play next. As he's been exploring creating and performing on both electric and acoustic/ electric basses with this versatile band he continues to "tell his story" through this music.
Paula is a music lover from RVA. She has an MBA and is the owner of Hello, Inc. Her husband, Mark, is a guitarist who has played with several Richmond-based bands.
Anita is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in forensic psychology. She is also a writer for Blues Blast Magazine and, with Tab Benoit, co-authored the book Blues Therapy. That book raised awareness about mental illness and also raised money for the HART Fund, (which reimburses blues musicians for medica/mental health expenses they cannot afford).
Shelly is a Richmond native who dove into the RVA music scene upon returning from college in 2007. She’s worked on multiple projects, in a variety of genres, over the years. Most notably, she’s been the lead vocalist for the Mike Lucci Band for the past 16 years. She’s also served multiple positions on the RCBS board, including President and Vice President.
Music has taken Kurt throughout the United States with stops in Kansas City, Washington, D.C., Macon, Chicago, Seattle and most recently Richmond, Virginia. After living in Kansas City and touring throughout the Midwest, he moved back to the East Coast. While in D.C., he played regularly with Jesse James Brown (former bass player for Bo Diddley). After just one year in D.C., Kurt relocated to the Deep South, where he spent three years playing with the Macon Blues All-Stars which included several alumni from Otis Redding's band. Kurt left Georgia and moved to Chicago to immerse himself in the city's storied blues scene as well as travel nationally and
internationally to promote his debut album – True Story. During his tenure in Chicago, he landed on the regular rotation at the House of Blues, Shaw's Crabhouse, Andy's Jazz Club, Wise Fools Pub and Smoke Daddy and played with blues heavyweights Dave Specter, Kenny Smith, Barrelhouse Chuck and Jimmy Sutton. He is currently promoting his 4th recording - STARTS ON THE STOPS - and looks forward to touring
the country and abroad to promote the album.
Although he is wholeheartedly a "Hip-Hop" kid, JohnJason is not only a fan of the Blues but even more so, he is a student of it. He knows that it is so much more to the Blues than just 12-bar "My baby done left me" banality. While there is, for sure, some sadness to the music there is also joy and a lot of knowing "nods & winks" within
the music. As the frontman of THE BUSH LEAGUE, the Richmond, VA based "Baddest Bada** Blues Band this Side of the Mississippi", JohnJason and his merry crew of otherworldly
talented miscreant musicians represented Richmond in various locales from New York
City to the Gulf of Mexico. Their brand of #RVABlues is still being played all over the
world. JohnJason looks forward to supporting RCBS in its endeavors to open Richmond up to
the vast breadth of all of the human condition that the the Blues covers. And maybe get a beer or two in the process.
H. Carrie is a dedicated advocate for preserving and promoting blues music, bringing over eight years of experience in grants administration, strategic planning, and program development to the River City Blues Society. As a grants management professional, she has managed multi-million dollar federal, state, and private grant initiatives, equipping her with expertise in financial oversight, compliance, program management, and capacity-building. Passionate about the storytelling power and cultural significance of the blues, Carrie leverages her skills to support the Society’s mission, foster partnerships, and enhance opportunities for local musicians through
initiatives such as educational outreach, youth musician mentorship, and community events.
A native of New Kent County, VA, Junior Wilson was born into a family rooted in Gospel and the Blues. Junior Wilson's mother was a local gospel singer through his family church and his father a musician and bassist who played gigs across
the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in his spare time. Mentored by his father, Junior Wilson began playing anything that made noise and at about the age of 12 began a love affair with a guitar given to him by his father. Influenced by the sounds of the church, accompanying his father on gigs, and generally the music of his parents' generation,
Junior gravitated towards legendary artists such as Son House, Snooks Eaglin, Bobby Womack, Robert Cray, Bob Marley and countless other genres. Under the influence of these artists and genres, Junior Wilson has become a musician, singer, and songwriter with what can be coined as a "gospel, blues, folk rock, and soul" sound.