Auburn’s Aaron Hiebert was named one of 214 store finalists in the Guitar Center’s fourth annual King of the Blues www.guitarcenter.com/kingoftheblues competition, the nationwide search for the next great undiscovered blues guitar player.

Hiebert and other store finalists will gather June 24 in one of 25 district final competitions – at Guitar Center, 530 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle – to perform in front of a panel of judges and compete for a slot in the July 15 regional finals.

If Hiebert reaches the finals and is crowned Guitar Center’s King of the Blues, he will receive: $25,000 cash; endorsement deals and musical equipment.

“Guitar Center is scouring the country in search of true original talent – someone who deserves to be recognized for his or her ability to take the blues, a rich and deep musical art form, and make it their own,” said Dustin Hinz, director of music and entertainment marketing for Guitar Center.

Local King of the Blues competitions were held at Guitar Center locations nationwide, beginning May 13. Each contestant was required to give a live guitar solo, performed over one of 30 original backing tracks, developed by Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist Pete Anderson.

The finals are Sept. 2 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Here, the five finalists will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges, and share the stage with world-renowned guitarist Derek Trucks, leader of the Grammy Award-winning Derek Trucks Band and member of Allman Brothers Band.