NATCHITOCHES - Hardrick Rivers and The Rivers Revue will perform at Northwestern State University Wednesday, Oct. 21 at noon in the Friedman Student Union Ballroom. Admission is free and open to the public.

     The concert is sponsored by the Louisiana Folklife Center and the Office of Cultural Diversity to promote international cultural awareness.

     Hardrick Rivers and The Rivers Revue, consisting of Waylon Salter, Sammy Nix, and Mark Roberts, have entertained at college events, weddings, town concerts, festivals and gatherings of all sorts. For nearly three decades Rivers has performed on stage with musicians including Z.Z. Hill, Lil Milton, Johnny Adams, Muddy Waters, Percy Sledge, Rockin’ Sidney and Aaron Neville and The Neville Brothers.

     At age 13, Rivers began to study under and play with one of the masters of Louisiana music, Overton Owens—sometimes called Dr. Drip Drop. Hardrick quickly joined Overton’s new group, Overton Owens and the Mustangs, which was formed during the late 1960s.  Hardrick worked hard in those early years to find his unique sound on the saxophone, and he has clearly succeeded. 

     Eventually, he formed his own group, the Lighthouse Crew, which he left in 1992.  In 1994, he formed a new group, Rivers’ Revue Band.  In 1996, a group of musicians decided to have a monthly jam session at Roque’s Grocery in Natchitoches and Owens joined many of these sessions.  From these jam sessions, grew the current Roque’s Blues Band.  Presently, Hardrick plays with both Roque’s Blues Band and Rivers’ Revue Band.

     Rivers was inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center’s Hall of Master Folk Artists in 2001.