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

William Christoper Handy was born on 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 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., you can tour the museum and listen to music on its front lawn. 

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

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 establish the museum, which now includes several buildings and houses an extensive collection of memorabilia, personal items, and objects related to Handy's musical career. 

Handy gave 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 for use 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 constructing a museum next to it 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 by the Cabin Committee for the museum. 

In 2002, an addition was constructed that included a new area for the Black Heritage Library, office space, a kitchen, a restroom, and 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 local songwriters & entertainers Jimmy Johnson, Tim Carr, and Travis Wammack. From 11–12:30 P.M. 

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

 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 JCPenney's and 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 the 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 essential part of the Huntsville, Alabama, music scene. He continues to thrive as a recording and performing artist, both as a solo act and 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 broad spectrum of blues styles, eras, and artists.

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

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

We arrived at the Watermelon Festival in Russellville a little before 6:00 P.M. 
We parked on the street behind the main street and walked one block to enter 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 marquee was "Welcome to the 36th Annual Watermelon Festival." 

Main Street was crowded with vendors on both sides, and many people were buying their wares. It was a struggle just to walk up the street because it was so crowded.
A little breeze was 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 toward the sound of the music. 
When we arrived in the band area, 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 sit 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 said, "Come get a slice." 
So, I walked to the table full of sliced melons and picked out a slice, making sure 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 spat 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 were going fast. 

Kerry encouraged the crowd to clap. 

Kerry is an Elvis Presley fan, and he sang one of Elvis's songs, Suspicious Minds.  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 performed an a cappella of the gospel song "Sweet Sweet Spirit."
Alyssa Ashley and Mitch Curtis performed a Dotty West Song, Two Worlds Collide. 

Several women and a man got up and danced, while others clapped and stomped their feet to 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, 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, 6:30 P.M.

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, along with children, getting their pictures taken 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, an 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, the Festival Festivals 36 years, is this Historic Home.e 

Facing one another at the end of the festival, Silence two historic Homes.
On the right was a red-brick house with two chimneys. To the left was a white siding three-story home with a red slate, a triangular 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 Ghostbuster.
Not yet dark enough for any ghosts. 
Yet there may be ghosts lurking in the two houses just beyond the festival, or Festivalwalking among us!  

2015 ~Saturday May 9, I Got Swamped!

I Got Swamped!

Another day of fun!
From 11–12 P.M., 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 War in the Shoals, who 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, as well as many others.

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 trolley driver said the trolley originated in Philadelphia, near the Eastern State Penitentiary, and was used to transport 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 also from 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 wear hoods so they remained confined even as they wandered through the 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 visit there during Halloween to experience Terror Behind the Walls, available at different prices ranging from $13 to $39.

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

One of the tourists is 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 provided us with as much history as he could in 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 in 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 who were on the trolley

David & Patterson Hood, and Me

David Patterson, Judy Hood, and others 

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

Record store owner and WLAY disc jockey Quinn Ivy established North Alabama Recording Studio (Norala) at 104 E. Second Street in Sheffield in 1965. He purchased the equipment, including an AMEX 351 and Berlant mono tape recorders, as well as 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 Sled cut the classic "When A Man Loves A Woman." With proceeds from the Slede session, Ivy completed a better-equipped studio across town in 1968 and named it Quinyy. 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 Sled recorded 'When a Man Loves a Woman' at Quin Ivy's studio in 1966. Sled'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 Roger Hawkins' request, 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 Sled 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.
EverMuseum has given the freedom to view the Museum at their own Museum
I was very impressed by the diverse musical instruments used by the entertainers.
There were autographs from entertainers, music playing, a bus donated by the group Alabama, Webb Pierce's Boneville, featuring six-shooter door handles, steer horns on the hood, and rare silver dollars inside, stars for the inductees, and 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 Museum's lady behind the Museum's counter in the Museum's gift shop. The Museum's telling me about the entertainers who come once a month and play at the Museum's entrance for free.
It's the entertainers who get to know their fans.

We loaded back into the trolley and rode back to the visitors ' center.
On the visitor center lawn, 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 delightful day.