he original face of rock music, as old as it may be, will not be forgotten. The Mississippi Blues Band is making sure of that.

The trio, which sticks solely to acoustic music, is on a mission to educate its audience about the history of rock ’n’ roll and the blues.

Band members Brian Thornton, associate professor of the department of communication, and his wife Ellen Thornton, an instructor in NIU’s English department, have spent the last 15 years spreading the word about the creation of rock music.

The term dates back to the early 1950s when the saying was made famous by Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed.

Although the term “rock ’n’ roll” wasn’t made famous until 1951, the seeds of rock music were planted nearly 30 years earlier by such names as Charley Patton, Robert Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy.

“My goal is to make people like Bill Broonzy and [the] Rev. Gary Davis as well known as Britney Spears,” Brian said.

Brian, who has played guitar for more than 20 years, has a connection with the origin of rock music.

In his early years, he was inspired by musical acts such as Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton, but later became heavily interested in names such as Scrapper Blackwell and Willie Brown, both of whom helped introduce the world to rock music.

Ellen, the group’s vocalist, also has found a similar connection to the unique and historical style of music. Her connection comes in the form of expressionism and lyrical form within the music.

“The imagery and language speak to our basic emotion,” she said. “There is a hopefulness about the blues.”

Although many members have come and gone throughout the history of the group, current band member Michael Peterson, of Sycamore, completes the trio by joining Brian on acoustic guitar.

The Mississippi Blues Band sticks to the old-fashioned Delta and acoustic blues. The bands gives a brief history lesson about where the music comes from between songs.

“We are on a mission to explain to the public where rock music began – the blues,” Ellen said. “We play in libraries and schools and try to raise awareness of the blues.”

On Saturday, The House Café, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, will host the Mississippi Blues Band, but it’s not the first time the group has played there.

“They are always very well-received,” said John Ugolini, booking agent for Kickstand Productions.

Following in the footsteps of countless other musical acts across the country, the Mississippi Blues Band will donate the proceeds of their concert to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.