OUR STORY
Nola Blue, Inc. is owned and operated by Sallie Bengtson, a music aficionado with a heart full of blues. Sallie has a degree in Business Administration and Management from Albright College and more than 35 years of business experience in various administrative, management and ownership roles. The opportunity to combine her business skills with her enthusiasm and passion for music is a dream come true, and shines through in all of her efforts.
"Nola Blue Records works with traditional blues artists Benny Turner, the late Cash McCall, and the late Frank Bey earning them wider recognition as accomplished artists by releasing a series of wonderful records. The label also highlights contemporary blues artists with releases from Clarence Spady, Eric Johanson, and John Németh, proving there is a place and a need for small independent record labels." - Bill Wax, Former Program Director, SiriusXM Radio
"You are like the music-business Fairy Godmother of things I hate to deal with!" - Leslie Letven Bixler (Miss Bix)
"Frank's association with Sallie Bengtson of Nola Blue was the highlight of his final years; he told me that most labels would ignore an old man like him whose health was failing and whose music was unknown by so many. Yet in Sallie, Frank found an advocate for his life's work and art." - Thomas Dwyer, Executive Producer, All My Dues are Paid
"I'm passionate about sharing the music we love and supporting the musicians who make it." -Sallie Bengtson
NOLA BLUE, INC. was formed in 2012 by Sallie Bengtson, who holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Albright College. Combining her 35 years of business experience with her enthusiasm and passion for music has proven a dynamic force in the blues community.
As Artist Manager for Benny Turner since 2013, Sallie provided strategic oversight and management of his transition from career sideman to front man, including the release of five albums, one autobiography, and key festival appearances including Chicago Blues Fest, Ann Arbor Blues Festival and Lucerne Blues Festival. She continues to provide comprehensive management and strategic planning to document, support, and preserve his extensive musical legacy.
The Nola Blue Records label was established with the 2014 release of Journey by Benny Turner. In the ensuing years, the catalog has grown to more than albums, including those from blues legacy artists Cash McCall (RIP) and Frank Bey (RIP). All My Dues Are Paid, the label’s second album by Bey, received a posthumous GRAMMY nomination for traditional blues album of the year (2020). The label also includes albums from GRAMMY-nominated artists Maria Muldaur and Candice Ivory. Blues Music Award nominees and winners on the roster include Benny Turner, John Németh, Trudy Lynn, Alexis P. Suter, Maria Muldaur, and Candice Ivory. Nola Blue Records was named “Record Label of the Year” by The Josie Awards in September, 2020.
In 2017, SURVIVOR: The Benny Turner Story, was published. An oral history of Turner’s life, SURVIVOR chronicles his birth and early childhood in Gilmer, TX; the family's move to Chicago, IL; and the ultimate birth and development of his career in the gospel, R&B and blues genres.
In 2019, Sallie conceived and produced the inaugural Lone Star Blues and Heritage Festival held in East Texas not far from where Benny Turner and his brother, the late Freddie King, spent their early years and were first exposed to the blues. A celebration honoring Turner’s 80th birthday, the three-day festival was a showcase of the finest in Texas blues music, including Milton Hopkins, Trudy Lynn, and more. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas provided official written recognition of this milestone and Turner's many contributions to music and music history.
The MoMojo Records imprint was established in 2022 and provides distribution services to an ever-growing roster of independent artists seeking professional support while retaining flexibility to meet individual needs, goals, and budgets.
A decade of blues was celebrated throughout 2024 with the release of a compilation album, Breakin' News: 10 Years of Blues; the Nola Blue Revue mini tour featuring Benny Turner, Trudy Lynn and Lil' Jimmy Reed; and closing with the release of BT honoring Benny Turner's 85th birthday and ten years with the label. Other significant celebratory events included the publication of Versatility Personified: The Cash McCall Story by Bill Dahl with Cash McCall and the release of the acclaimed Frank Bey compilation, Peace, in early 2025.