October 20, 2005Celebrating Birmingham's Southside
October 14, 2005Celebrating Birmingham's SouthsideAn unusual and informal reunion takes place on Birmingham’s Southside on October 19 as writers, artists, photographers, musicians and others gather to recall a period of artistic ferment in the city’s recent history, according to organizer Steven Ford Brown. The free event will include brief remarks and readings, with special tributes to Birminghamian's Joe Simpson, Gene Crutcher, John Beecher, Spider Martin, and Fred Bonnie, all now deceased but who were vital presences of the time. There will be a filmed interview of Gene Crutcher by Ned Mudd. Music will be provided by Lolly Lee and Marian McKay and her Magic City Sounds. The main event of the evening, however, will be conversation between and reminiscing by people who were a part of Birmingham’s alternative music, art, and literary scene in the sixties and seventies into the early eighties. Birmingham at that time was just emerging from the racial conflicts of the 1960s and was in transition from its coal and steel industry past to an uncertain future. The city, like the nation, had been and was still experiencing a cultural revolution which was reflected in art, music, literature, politics and social institutions. San Francisco had its Haight-Asbury district, New York had its Greenwich Village, and Birmingham had Southside, where a large number of creative and cantankerous booksellers, musicians, poets, photographers, writers and troublemakers chose to gather. People gravitated to a few focal points such as Crutcher’s Bookstore, Cobb Lane artists studios, local cafes and bars, writing workshops at UAB, and the office of the alternative newspaper The Paperman, to name just a few. Few of us back then would have thought of it as cohesive, as people drifted in and out depending on which way the wind blew, the direction of their lives, or even just more interesting things over the mountain or down Highway 65. But it was an active community, with a remarkable number of talented artists, dancers, musicians, photographers and writers who in later years would achieve success both locally and nationally, even internationally. Some would stay close to home while others dispersed, but the influences of Birmingham were and are usually evident in their work. The event will be held at the 22nd Street Jazz and Blues Cafe on Wednesday October 19 at 6 p.m. The address is 710 22nd Street South. The event will open with remarks about Southside by Marvin Whiting, retired archivist of the City of Birmingham, Rev. Gates Shaw and James R. Nelson, art critic for the Birmingham News, followed by remarks about John Beecher, Fred Bonnie, Gene Crutcher, Spider Martin and Joe Simpson. Music will be provided by Lolly Lee and Marian McKay and her Magic City Sounds. Additional comments and readings will follow. The evening will close with an informal unplugged jam session of musicians (or to go electric bring a PA). More information can be found on the Website http://www.stevenfordbrown.com/Southside.htm For more information, contact Steven Ford Brown at: sfbrown@wellington.com. September 21, 2005Birmingham's Southside Characters RememberedThis just in from Seven Brown about the Remembrance of Birmingham Southside Characters from the 1960s, '70s and '80s. This is the new date for the event: October 19 at 6 p.m. at the 22nd Street Jazz and Blues Club. There will be a short film on Gene Crutcher by Ned Mudd with commentary and readings about Southside by Jim Mersmann and Ted Haddin, Johnny Coley, Craig Legg, Jim Reed, Sandra Thompson, Randall Williams, Kay Virago, Danny Gamble, Michael Swindle and others. Brown said he is still looking for stories and photos. He recently added a webpage for Birmingham bands and their histories; a photo of Peyton Strickland in her studio at Cobb Lane; several additional photos contributed by Sandra Thompson; and additional entries on the writer's page. September 02, 2005Southside Remembrance CanceledThis just in from Steven Brown: After talking to Randall Williams and assessing the situation I have decided to cancel the Southside event for one month. I will notify 22nd Street and Marian McKay and everyone I can by e-mail. The gas situation is bad and getting worse. New Orleans has been wiped off the map. They are commandeering hotels. I would not be surprised if they start rationing air flights - only most important fly in and out of certain parts of the South. It is incredibly chaotic, and I can see this morning in the stock markets the gas situation is bad, very bad. We all feel concern about what is happening. Randall William's brother lost everything and he is going down to help him mid-week and won't be at the Southside event. Others have family and friends in affected areas. As soon as I can talk to Randy and Marian and consult with Randall and others I will set a new date. I will keep the web site up and add to it as I can. I just want to thank everyone for their help and interest in this event. It’s a celebration of you and Southside. I left 20 years ago and so am a bit of a stranger (but not really). And everybody sent me photos and stories and there was tremendous interest and goodwill about this event. It is extraordinary to see the continuing accomplishments of so many of artists and musicians and writers. There are many others who have bought or created businesses on Southside, host radio shows, write the news and stories and generally cheer everyone on through life. Many people make Southside vital and an interesting place to be. Thank you again for your interest and we will do this at a more appropriate time in a month. Steven Brown August 26, 2005Celebrating Birmingham's Southside in the 1970sAn unusual and informal reunion takes place on Birmingham's Southside on September 7 as writers, artists, photographers, musicians, and dancers gather to recall a period of artistic ferment in the city's recent history. The event is free and open to the public. The program will include brief remarks and readings, with special tributes to Birminghamians Joe Simpson, Gene Crutcher, Spider Martin, John Beecher and Fred Bonnie, all now deceased but who were vital presences of the time. Music will be provided by Marian McKay and her Magic City Sounds. The main event of the evening, however, will be conversation between and reminiscing by people who were a part of Birmingham's alternative music, art, and literary scene in the late 1960s and '70s. Birmingham at that time was just emerging from its racial conflicts of the 1960s and was in transition from its coal and steel industry past to an uncertain future. The city, like the nation, had been and was still experiencing a cultural revolution which was reflected in art, music, literature, and politics. San Francisco had its Haight-Asbury district, New York had its Greenwich Village, and Birmingham had Southside, where a large number of creative and cantankerous booksellers, musicians, poets, photographers, writers, and troublemakers chose to gather. People gravitated to a few focal points such as Crutcher's Bookstore, Cobb Lane artist studios, local cafes and bars, writing workshops at UAB, and the office of the alternative newspaper The Paperman, to name just a few. Few of us back then would have thought of it as cohesive, as people drifted in and out depending on which way the wind blew, the direction of their lives, or even just more interesting things over the mountain or down Highway 65. But it was an active community, with a remarkable number of talented artists, dancers, musicians, photographers and writers who in later years would achieve success both locally and nationally, even internationally. Some would stay close to home while others dispersed, but the influences of Birmingham were and are usually evident in their work. Please join us in celebrating this event at the 22nd Street Jazz and Blues Café. The event will open with remarks about Southside by Marvin Whiting, retired archivist of the City of Birmingham, followed by remarks about John Beecher, Fred Bonnie, Gene Crutcher, Spider Martin and Joe Simpson. Music will be provided by Marian McKay and her Magic City Sounds. Additional comments and readings will follow. The evening will close with an informal unplugged jam session of musicians (or to go electric bring a PA). When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Where: 22nd Street Jazz and Blues Cafe For more information, contact Steven Ford Brown at sfbrown (at) wellington (dot) com, or Randall Williams at hrw (at) newsouthbooks (dot) com. August 25, 2005Birmingham Southside Characters to Be Honored Sept. 7On September 7, 2005, there will be a reunion at the 22nd Street Jazz and Blues Cafe in Birmingham of those we can gather together who were there in the 1970s on Birmingham's Southside. Artists like Frank Fleming have stayed in Birmingham and his work has become a part of the virtual cityscape (the Storyteller Fountain in Five Points South). Artists and photographers like Peyton Carmichael, Chas Chamberlain, John Dillion, Dennis Harper, Dick Jemison, Nall and Roland Scherman have both drifted far and come back home, but they all still continue to create powerful works of art in whatever communities they now inhabit. Writers like Allen Barra, Johnny Coley, Dennis Covington, Charles Gaines, Danny Gamble, Andrew Glaze, Ted Haddin, Jim Mersmann, Carolyne Scott, Dale Short, Swindle, and many others still continue to write, with Swindle's Slouching Towards Birmingham uniquely capturing in personal essays both the humor and tragic circumstances of being a denzien of a certain city and region. For Swindle the tragedy lay in any University of Alabama football loss to the hated intrastate rival Auburn Tigers (his essay "Slouching Towards Birnmingham"). John Beecher, Gene Crutcher, Spider Martin and Joe Simpson - who are no longer with us in this life - remain an indelible part of the historical cultural and social fabric of the City and Southside. Without them Southside would have been a much different place. In celebrating the work of long ago it is an opportunity to see old friends, welcome back friendly ghosts and celebrate an era when being a responsible citizen was the last thing on anyone's mind. For more information, go to this Southside remembrance page sponsored by New South Books. |
