ðə pɹˈaɪm mˈuːvɚz plˈeɪd ɐ sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt pˈɑːɹt ɪn hˈɛlpɪŋ tə hˈoʊst ðə fˈɜːst tˈuː ˈæn ˈɑːɹbɚ blˈuːz fˈɛstɪvəlz, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti nˈaɪn ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, wˌɪtʃ wɜː ðə fˈɜːst ænd lˈɑːɹdʒɪst blˈuːz fˈɛstɪvəlz ɪn tˈɜːmz ʌvðə nˈʌmbɚɹ ʌv ɡɹˈeɪt blˈuːsmæn hˌuː pɚfˈɔːɹmd ɪnðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. mˈaɪkəl ˈɜːluːˌaɪn ˈɪntɚvjˌuːd dˈʌzənz ʌvðə pɚfˈoːɹmɚz, ænd ðə spˈɪɹɪt ʌv ðiːz ˈɜːli fˈɛstɪvəlz kˈæɹid ˌoʊvɚɹ ˌɪntʊ ðɪ ˈæn ˈɑːɹbɚ blˈuːz ænd dʒˈæz fˈɛstɪvəl ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti tˈuː, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː, ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈoːɹ.
The Prime Movers played a significant part in helping to host the first two Ann Arbor Blues Festivals, in 1969 and 1970, which were the first (and largest) blues festivals (in terms of the number of great bluesman who performed) in the U.S. Michael Erlewine interviewed dozens of the performers, and the spirit of these early festivals carried over into the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival in 1972, 1973, and 1974.