The ABP was founded in 1995 as an unincorporated business by two Tuscaloosa-based blues musicians, Debbie Bond[1] and Michael McCracken.
Since its inception, the ABP offices were located at Bond’s home, assisted by volunteers and occasionally part-time paid workers.
This continued as the ABP embraced its new, non-profit status and as the blues camp program outgrew the small premises at the Boys and Girls Club.
At the same time, the organization’s budget expanded with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and increased support from local businesses and individuals.
[7] The ABP’s education programs and advocacy have received considerable media attention, including coverage in Southern Living, the NEA Arts magazine, AAA Travel, and Oxford American, to name a few.