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- The Madera Tribune

Don Heflin, who started the San Joaquin Blues Society in 2002, plays the bass guitar on a Thursday night at Porky's. Heflin works as a supervisor for a machine manufacturer, but hopes one day to retire and be able to play blues music more often.

Photo by: Wendy Alexander

By Michael Battipede

The Madera Tribune

Don Heflin has the blues and he wants to make sure you get afflicted, too.

Not just you, but everybody in the Central Valley.

Show up at Porky's Rib House in Fresno for the Thursday night happy hour featuring rhythm and blues legend Ron Thompson and you are bound to see Heflin. There he is, grooving on the bass guitar, playing for the lively crowd. When the set ends and the musicians take a break, Heflin grabs the microphone and becomes the Don King of the blues.

At the top of his lungs, Heflin, 52, gets the attention of everyone as he yells about upcoming blues shows and CDs for sale. Most of all, he implores everyone to come back.

"We know everyone can't make it out every time, so if you can't make it, go out and tell at least 10 friends to take your place," Heflin says after each set.

As soon as his announcements are over, Heflin jumps off the stage and does a whirlwind around the floor, greeting old and new faces while passing out flyers promoting another show.

"What you have to do is take advantage of a captive audience, when you have them there you tell them what is going on," Heflin said. "They are there, so tell them. No one else is going to tell them unless you do."

It is just another day for blues fanatic Heflin who often is praised as the number one friend of the blues in the Central Valley.

"What Don has done for this town is amazing," said Randy McEowen, a 48-year-old math teacher and fellow blues promoter. "The guy is an awesome person, not just working the blues or telling the blues, (but) his integrity on dealing with people surrounded with the blues."

Heflin plays in the band Deja Blues, but he is better known as the main mover in the Central Valley Blues Society, which he founded in 2002.

McEowen credits Heflin with creating a more hospitable blues atmosphere in the valley. "Fresno has really grown in the past few years since Don put this blues society together," McEowen said. "Every time we do have a band coming to town, it is always a sell out." He said that because of Heflin, there are more clubs booking blues bands because the owners realize there is an audience for the music now.

Born and raised in Fresno, Heflin eats, sleeps, and breathes the blues. "The blues has always been to me, the music with the most feeling, the most groove and it seems to reach out at you," Heflin said.

When Heflin was very young, he started buying albums by some of the legendary blues performers and loved them. When he gets a new album, Heflin still plays it until it burns in his memory. Heflin lists Lightnin' Hopkins' Free Form Patterns album as one of his favorites. "That's where you get the soul of the music," Heflin said.

Heflin started playing the guitar when he was 11 and since then has made the bass guitar his signature instrument.

Heflin started the blues society in 2002 after the death of its predecessor, the San Joaquin Blues Society. Heflin was at a show one night and talked to a friend about how someone should start up the blues society again. Heflin went home that night, got on the computer and printed out a sign-up sheet. He called it the Blues Lover's Mailing List and whoever signed up got free updates on upcoming shows and events every month in the mail.

Soon the mailing list grew to about 280 people and it became too costly to mail out every month. Almost all postage and printing costs came straight out of Heflin's pocket.

One day, a recipient of the newsletter showed it to Hal Kent, the lead guitarist of the Loose Gravel Blues Band. Kent had his own software development company and offered to build Heflin a website promoting shows, venues and bands. A few days later, Heflin got a full-blown working website. "Without the Internet, we couldn't afford to do what we were doing," Heflin said.

The nerve center of the blues society is the www.cvblues.org website. It lists venues and shows in 33 different Central Valley cities along with dates and directions.

By reaching out to everyone, not just blues lovers, Heflin feels that the fan base for the genre will continue to grow. "When the people come out and lock in with the band, there is nothing like it," Heflin said. "That's the pinnacle every night, to get everyone off their chairs and onto the dance floor."

While Heflin would like to devote 24 hours a day to the blues, he has to work a day job. But even when he works as a supervisor for a machine manufacturer, the blues is constantly in his head.

Many blues fans have experienced the Heflin touch.

Jeffrey Booth, 53, owner and manager of The Movies store in Fresno, recalls Heflin repeatedly trying to get him to come to a show at Porky's. Booth said he told Heflin he wasn't up for it after recently having some minor surgery. Heflin didn't take no for an answer. "I said I don't think I can come out this week and Heflin said, 'Man, if you got the blues, you need to come hear the blues,' Booth said. Booth has gone to Porky's almost every Thursday night for over a year now.

Randy McEowen said many people around the country know about the blues society because of Heflin. "We see really good musicians come to town that we normally wouldn't see unless Don puts it together. We owe him so much."

Although Heflin has had success, there have been tough times, too. "Not as many people show up at the show as you would like but it's not from lack of trying," Heflin said. "I know everybody can't go every week."

Overall though, he's happy about the blues society's progress. "There are bigger turnouts at all the shows, not only in Fresno, but where other venues are picking up, like places in Madera, Visalia, Merced and Bakersfield," Heflin said. "Everyone's finally realizing there are enough people interested and now we'll do events."

He is optimistic that all his hard work will be worth it. "Time will tell. Right now, we are on the road to it," Heflin said. "Maybe when I retire, I'll be able to play music, promote music and enjoy my retirement years doing what I love."



Don Heflin's Top 5 Blues Venues

"These are my favorites because they are in my own back yard. There are other great blues venues up and down the valley, I just don't get to them as often as I would like to."



1. Club Fred in Fresno

"It is our blues home away from home. Good folks, great sound system, big room.

Phone: 233-3733

Hours: Call for hours and events or visit www.ClubFredFresno.com.

Location: 1426 N. Van Ness Ave.



2. Rudy's Jazz and Blues Club in Merced

"Closest thing to a Chicago blues club in the valley. Phone: (209) 726-7839

Hours: Open 4 p.m. with varying closing times Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Location: 432 West Main St.



3. Zapps Park in Fresno.

Phone: 266-0334

Hours: Open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday. 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Location: 1105 N. Blackstone Ave.



4. Porky's Rib House in Fresno

Phone: 221-5444

Hours: Kitchen opens 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., bar open till 2 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Location: 719 E. Barstow Ave.



5. Hanford's Historic Fox Theatre.

"Great shows and big names. Great hospitality from everyone."

Phone: 584-7423

Hours: Call for tickets and events from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Location: 326 N. Irwin St.