🎂🎂🎂Father of the Blues "W.C. Handy" Museum 🏛

William Christoper Handy was born November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama.  

Come celebrate the birthday of W.C. Handy on November 16 at the Handy Home, Museum, and Library on 620 West College Street in Florence. 

From 11:00AM to 1:00PM you can tour the museum and listen to music on the front lawn of the museum. 

It is free to the public with a birthday cake and other refreshments.

In 2009, my daughter, granddaughter, and I joined in the celebration and toured the Museum, Home, and Library. 

Happy Birthday Father of the Blues "The chocolate cake was  delicious"

Bust of Handy

Picture of Handy 

Library 

Handy and the St Louis Blues

Inside the Cabin

Handy's Piano

Kitchen of Cabin 

The W. C. Handy Birthplace, Museum, and Library, in Florence, Lauderdale County, was established to celebrate the life of musician and composer William "W. C." Handy (1873-1958), known as the "Father of the Blues." Handy himself donated the seed money to set up the museum, which now includes several buildings and houses a large collection of memorabilia, personal items, and objects relating to Handy's musical career. 

Handy gave to the city the $29,000 he was paid for the land on which the cabin stood to be used for the future restoration of his childhood home as a museum. The cabin was carefully dismantled and the logs were numbered and stored for later reassembly. Handy also bequeathed a large number of his personal possessions to the city to be used in the cabin after a suitable new location was found.

A site was selected at 620 West College Street, in the southwest corner of town. Work began early in 1970 on reassembling the log cabin and on constructing a museum next to the cabin to properly house and display the artifacts and tell the story of Handy's life and career. The completed structure was filled with the artifacts that the Handy family sent to Florence from their home in New York, including the upright piano on which Handy composed the "St. Louis Blues," his brass trumpet, furniture, and numerous boxes of his letters, pictures, musical compositions, personal mementos, and datebooks.

Local citizens donated furnishings and other items that represented the period during which Handy lived there as a child. The W. C. Handy Museum opened to the public on June 7, 1970. 

A separate building was added in 1980 to house the Black Heritage Library, which was filled with books donated to or purchased for the museum under the direction of the Cabin Committee. 

In 2002, an addition was constructed that included a new area for the Black Heritage Library, office space, a kitchen, and a restroom as well as a community meeting room.

Article from the Encyclopedia of Alabama 

🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼2016 Saturday July 30, Interviewing Songwriters at Library and Music at Visitor Center

At the Library, I listened to Andreas Werner interview Jimmy Johnson, Tim Carr, and Travis Wammack local songwriters & entertainers. From 11-12:30PM 

🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼🎼🎶🎼

 Andreas Werner Jimmy Johnson, Tim Carr, and Travis Warmack

Tim talked about his love for writing music, singing, and producing.
He also talked about his collaboration with other people to make it and shoot videos.

Jimmy Johnson is a session guitarist and a member of the original Swampers. He talked about becoming an engineer, producer, and studio owner. 

Travis started his career at the age of eleven when he wrote and recorded his first record. At the age of seventeen, he hit the American charts with "Scratch". He talked about being Little Richard's band leader for many years. 
Tim, Jimmy, and Travis are still going strong but not traveling as much. They are enjoying their golden years. 

Harry Potter Event at Florence Library 

Have you seen this Wizard?

For lunch, I ordered a kid's chicken finger meal from Jack's.
I went to JC Pennys where I bought a black dress for Sunday. 

My last event of the day was at the Visitor Center, entertainers were Travis Wammack and Microwave Dave Gallaher. 

Microwave Dave and Travis Wammack jamming at Visitor Center

They sang, the Last Call for Alcohol, You Better Move on, I forgot to remember, we had it all, and many others. 
A drummer (Robert) joined in the last half of the show and he did not have a drumming stick because he used close hangers.
They ended the show with a bang!!
Wow! What a show!
If I had known Microwave Dave was that good I would have attended more of his shows during the Handy Festival. 

Microwave Dave Gallaher

Robert the drummer

Travis Wammack
A guitarist, singer, and young instrumental genius from Memphis who cut his first record at the tender age of twelve, Travis Wammack is one of the great unheralded guitarists of rock & roll

Microwave Dave Gallaher
For over 25 years, “ Microwave” Dave Gallaher has been an important part of the music scene in Huntsville, Alabama. He continues to thrive as a recording and performing artist as a solo act, and also as the frontman for Microwave Dave and the Nukes. Since 1989, he has hosted highly entertaining weekly shows on two local radio stations, featuring a wide spectrum of blues styles, eras, and artists.

W.C. Handy Music Festival
July 22-31 2016
The Shoals

🍉🍉🍉2016 Friday, August 19, Watermelon Festival Russellville

We arrived at the Watermelon Festival in Russellville a little before 6:00PM 
We parked on the street behind the main street and walked one block entering the Watermelon Festival.  
As we walked up Main Street we saw Daddy's Roasted Sweet Corn which was positioned near the Roxy Theater.  
Posted on the Marquees was "Welcome to the 36th Annual Watermelon Festival." 

Main Street was crowded with vendors on both sides, with many people buying the vendor's wear. It was a struggle just to walk up the street because it was so crowded.
It was a little breeze blowing but, not enough to take away the humidity. The sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds, ready to burst into rain. 

We could hear the Kerry Gilbert Band beginning to play.

We could hear the Kerry Gilbert Band as they began to play. We walked in the direction of the sound of the music. 
When we arrived, in the area of the band, the sun was beaming down right into my eyes, so we had to find a shaded area, where we could watch the band. 

We had brought chairs to set in but left them in the van so, we ended up sitting on the concrete curb near the tables filled with juicy, red, slices of watermelon, free for the taking. 

We sat and watched the band play while the watermelons behind me were saying come to get a slice. 
So, I walked to the table that was full of sliced melons and picked out a slice, making sure that I had plenty of napkins.

Free slices of red juicy watermelons! Make sure you grab enough paper towels!

I listen to music while eating the melon, with juice dripping down my arm. 
I savored every bite until nothing was left but the rind. 
I found only a few seeds in the watermelon slice, which I spit onto the ground. I found a garbage can to dispose of the rind and I wiped my face and hands of all that red, sweet, juice, from the melon.

Slices of the red juicy watermelon slices were going fast. 

Kerry encouraged the crowd to clap 

Kerry is an Elvis Presley fan and he sang one of Elvis's songs, Suspicious Mind.  Kerry gets way down on the base, with the song Way Down. 
Kerry, Hugh Banks, Terry Frank, Randy Kimbrough, Alyssa Ashley, Mitch Curtis, and Wendell Dean did an Acappella of the gospel song, Sweet Sweet Spirit.
Alyssa Ashley and Mitch Curtis performed a Dotty West Song, Two Worlds Collide. 

There were several women and a man that got up and danced, while others clapped, and stomped their feet to the beat of the music. 

SWEET TREE Productions controlled the sound system and provided the stage for the bands.

When the band ended we walked back into the crowded streets. 

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade YUM!!!

We saw Smoothies and Tropical Treats by Dixie Concessions.
We saw Corn Dogs, Chicken tenders, Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, French Fries, and Ribbon Fries, Philly Cheese sticks, Polish Sausages, and Funnel Cakes. 

We saw on the Roxy Theater Marquees facing down Main Street: Whiskey Tree Guest Kendra Hope, Travis Wammack, and Snake Band Saturday, August 27, 6:30PM

We saw Captain Marvel and Spiderman

We saw Protect and Serve Police Officers. 

We saw Protect and Serve Police Officers. 

We saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse and children getting their pictures made with them 

We saw U.DO. IT Chill Factory, Alabama's Best Fresh Made Ice Cream, Tharptown Wildcats Cheerleaders, Boy Scouts, Italian Ice, & Dipping Dots Ice Cream.

We walked to the carnival rides where we saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy's Bouncing house. We saw children buckled into the Reckless ride. We saw children loading into Pirates Revenge Ride. 

Swings, Mind Winder

Monster Truck 

Reckless and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy's Bouncing house

We saw a giant Monster Truck called Mayhem inflatable and a large inflatable slide. We saw children being slung around on the swings. 
The last ride we saw was the Mind Winder.

Standing in Silence watching the Festival for the last 36 years is this Historic Home 

Facing one another at the end of the festival, stood in silence two Old Historic Homes.
On the right was a house built of red brick with two chimneys. To the left was a white siding three-story home with a red slate, a triangle roof, a rounded dome room on the third level, and a covered front porch. 

We started back up the street where we saw a young boy riding the bull, he stayed on for 48 seconds. As we walked past, I said to myself, not me, that bull can buck someone else off. 

I ain't afraid of no GHOST!

As we walked up Main Street we saw a man from Ghost Busters.
Not yet dark enough for any ghosts. 
Yet, there may be ghosts lurking in the two houses just beyond the festival or ghosts walking among us.!  

2015 ~Saturday May 9, I Got Swamped!

I Got Swamped!

Another day of fun!
From 11-12PM listened to Mitch Mann a one-man band play his guitar while singing a variety of songs from Blues, Folk, Country, Pop, and Rock.
He sang about Tom Clark a bandit during the Civil in the Shoals, that robbed and killed people.
He was caught, put into jail, taken out by a mob of townspeople, and hanged along with two members of his gang.
He sang Big Midnight Special by Johnny Cash.

Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me,

Let the Midnight Special shine her ever-loving light on me. (Traditional)

The song is historically performed in the country-blues style from the viewpoint of the prisoner and has been covered by many artists.

He sang several songs about the small town where he grew up and many more.

After the entertainment, we watched a short video about the shoals.

Quad Cities Taxi& Limousine

Everyone walked outside and loaded into the trolley.

Opened windows with the wind blowing your hair and no air conditioner, long windows for a great view, a jolly driver, and the Swampette Judy Hood was our tour guide. 

The story told by the trolley driver was that the trolley came from Philadelphia near the Eastern State Penitentiary or was used to take people to view the Penitentiary that once held Al Capone!

A prison sentence at Eastern State Penitentiary not only separated you from the outside world - but all human contact.

Built in 1829, it was the first jail to implement solitary confinement for every single inmate which is thought to have brought on mental illness.

Even outside the tiny cells, guards would cover their heads with a hood so they remained in confinement even when they wandered through its stone halls.

The prison, which closed its doors in 1971, is considered by many people as one of the most haunted buildings in America. 

You can go there during Halloween to see the Terror Behind the Walls for different prices from $13 to $39.

http://www.easternstate.org/halloween/visit/schedule-prices

One of the tourists playing the piano 

Studio B instruments

Our first stop was FAME Studios

A twenty-four-year-old man was our tour guide for FAME STUDIOS. He took us to studios A & B and he gave us as much history as he could in just a short time.
He was very knowledgeable about the history of the Music of the Shoals.

We were allowed to take pictures inside but not up close to the entertainers.

We loaded back into the trolley and rode to building 3614 on Jackson Highway Sheffield, Muscle Shoals Sound where we met David and Patterson Hood.

David and Patterson told the history of this studio.

Many of the trolley riders had their picture taken with the Hood family members.

Muscle Shoals Sound 

Some of the people that were on the trolley

David & Patterson Hood and Me

David, Patterson Judy Hood, and others 

We rode by the historic marker of Percy Sledge who recently passed away but was in the Shoals for the unveiling of his marker. 
Unveiling was September 30, 2014.
Percy Sledge was born on November 25, 1940- and died on April 14, 2015. 
He was 74 years old.

Record store owner and WLAY dis jockey Quinn Ivy established North Alabama Recording Studio (norala) at 104 E. Second Street in Sheffield in 1965. He purchased the d equipment, including AMEX 351 and Berlant mono tape recorders and a radio station console. Ivy-mounted egg cartons on the studio walls to deaden stray frequencies.
The first song recorded at NORALA was Florence native Donna Jean Thatcher's "I'm Out of Touch." Several months later Percy Sledge cut the classic "When A Man Loves A Woman." With proceeds from the Sledge session, Ivy completed a better-equipped studio across town in 1968 and named it Quinv y. Ivy also produced Tony Borders, Buddy Causey, Jeanie Green, and Z.Z. Hill, Ben E. King, Mickey Buckings and The New Breed, Don Varner, the U.S. Male, and the Wee Juns.

Percy Sledge
"When A Man Loves A Woman"
Hospital orderly Percy Sledge recorded 'When a Man Loves a Woman' at Quin Ivy's studio in 1966. Sledge's breakup with a girlfriend inspired the lyrics credited to songwriters Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright.

The release featured Marlin Greene (guitar), Spooner Oldham (Farfisa organ), Albert 'Junior' Lowe (bass), Roger Hawkins (drums), Jack Peck (trumpet), Bill Coifed (tenor sax), and Don Pollard (alto sax). Greene and Ivy produced the cut. At the request of Roger Hawkins, Ivy played the recording for Rick Hall, owner of FAME Studios. Hall felt it had hit potential and contacted Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler, who released it. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was Atlantic's first certified gold record. Rolling Stone magazine ranks it number 54 among the best songs of all time.

Percy Sledge was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Spooner Oldham followed in 2009. Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux, who sang backup on the hit, was inducted in 1994 with her husband Keith Godchaux, and other members of the Grateful Dead.

Our next stop was the Music Hall of Fame.
Everyone was given the freedom to view the Museum at their own pace. 
I was very impressed by the different musical instruments that were used by the entertainers.
There were autographs from entertainers, music playing, a bus donated by the group Alabama, Webb Pierces Boneville with six-shooter door handles, steer horns on the hood and rare silver dollars inside, stars for the inductees and so much more to see!!

Group Alabama 

Music Hall of Fame walkway

Billy Joe Royal's signature

Aaron Wilbourn picked cotton to purchase this used Kay guitar for $140 this was his first guitar.

I talked with the lady behind the counter at the museum's gift shop. She was telling me about the entertainers that come once a month and play at the entrance to the museum for free.
It is where the entertainers get to know their fans.

We loaded back into the trolley and rode back to the visitors center.
On the lawn of the visitor center, a young woman was entertaining a crowd.
Had a great day, even though it was in the 90s & I did not get too hot. 
With the windows down in the trolley and my hair blowing in the wind, I had a very enjoyable day.