Montgomery, Montgomery County, FAME Studios, Candi Staton, Rick Hall, Alabama School for the Blind, Alabama State College, Rock music, R&B music, Blues music, Soul music, Grammy Awards
Clarence Carter (January 14, 1936 - ) The best way to describe Clarence Carter’s style is that he is a soul and blues preacher of love, most specifically, the cheating kind. Carter’s vocals, at times soaring and at times down in the gutter, combined with a mischievous chuckle that threatens to reveal more that it should, makes him a truly unique individual in the blues and soul world. Clarence Carter was born on January 14, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama. Blind at birth, Clarence was a student at Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, Alabama, and later matriculated at Alabama State College (now University) in Montgomery, earning a degree in music. Teaming with a fellow ASC student, Calvin Scott, who was also blind, they formed the singing duo of Clarence & Calvin, later renamed the C & C Boys. Recording first for Fairlane Records, then Duke Records, their recordings failed to have much success. In 1965, they traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record at FAME Studios with owner/producer Rick Hall. The song “Step By Step” caught the ear of executives with Atlantic Records, who signed the duo and released the song as a single. While it, too, generated little buzz, “Step By Step” saw the beginning of a collaboration between Carter and Hall which would prove to be most successful. Shortly after the release of “Step By Step,” Scott was seriously injured in an auto accident, effectively ending the duo of Carter and Scott. Clarence continued as a solo act, recording albums for Hall’s Fame label at FAME Studios. 1967 saw Clarence release, “Tell Daddy,” his first hit, reaching #35 on the R&B chart. The song was recorded a year later, as “Tell Mama,” by Etta James, and was her biggest pop hit. The success of the song led to Clarence signing with Atlantic Records, and resulted in a string of hits, starting with “Slip Away” (#2-R&B, 1968), “Too Weak to Fight” (#3-R&B, 1968), and “Patches” (#2-R&B, 1970). By the mid-1970s, with disco coming on the scene, Clarence’s career began to take a downward turn. It wasn’t until the 1985 that he began what can be considered a comeback, signing with Ichiban Records based in Atlanta, Georgia, and releasing the album “Dr. C.C.,” which features the risqué single, “Strokin’.” Leaving Ichiban Records for his own label, Cee Gee Entertainment, Clarence has continued to record and release albums well into the 2010’s. Presented with the Governor’s Achievement Award for Popular Music in 1989 by the governor of Alabama and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Clarence was inducted into the Hall in 2003. Watch and Listen: "Strokin'" WARNING: NSFW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7gMkiOPSeA&list=PLstq9cm8cocC0tV5XzenPYX_AWupLMVsK "Back Door Santa" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0NoalRsk5w&list=PLstq9cm8cocC0tV5XzenPYX_AWupLMVsK&index=2 "Slip Away" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWYORXq_-f0&list=PLstq9cm8cocC0tV5XzenPYX_AWupLMVsK&index=3 "Patches" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-84fn58GTV0
John Griffin, University of North Alabama
“Clarence Carter” http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2003/clarence-carter/ Accessed December 1, 2016 “Soul Blue Music – Clarence Carter” http://www.soulbluesmusic.com/clarencecarter.htm Accessed December 1, 2016 “FAME Studios history” http://www.fame2.com/our-history/ Accessed December 1, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Fairfield, Jefferson County, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Jazz music, Bass (instrument), Big Band music, Ike Cole Trio, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Count Basie
Cleveland "Cleve" Eaton (August 31, 1939 - ) In his long career in music, it is difficult to find a genre or an entertainer or act that Cleve Eaton has either not recorded or toured with. The man dubbed “the Count’s Bassist” because of his long association with Count Basie and his orchestra, Eaton has also worked with such artists as jazz pianist Ike Cole (Nat’s brother), pop artist Minnie Riperton, R&B group The Dells, as well as Julie London, Sammie David, Jr., Herbie Hancock, and The Temptations…and that just touches the surface. Born in Fairfield, Alabama on August 31, 1939, Cleveland Eaton grew up in a house full of musical influence. Between the ages of five to fifteen, Cleve mastered the piano, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba. But it was the string bass with captured Cleve’s interest and, as they say, the rest is history. After earning a degree in music at Tennessee A & I State University, Cleve first connected with Ike Cole in Chicago, become a part of his trio. In 1965, Cleve began a decade-long stint with the Ramsey Lewis Trio, playing bass on such albums as “Wade In The Water” (1966), “Goin’ Latin” (1967), and the number one jazz album “Sun Goddess” (1975). While the Ramsey Lewis Trio was where Cleve made his mark on the national scene, it was his 17-year association with The Count Basie Orchestra that cemented his spot as the preeminent bassist of his time. Eaton’s work with Basie began just two weeks after he left Lewis in a salary dispute. Cleve can be heard on such albums as “Kansas City Shout” (1980), “88 Basie Street” (1983), which won the 1984 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, and on Basie’s last album, “Fancy Pants” (1983). Eaton continued his association with The Count Basie Orchestra after Basie’s death in 1984, including on “Big Boss Band” (1990), by George Benson, which featured the Basie orchestra. During this time, Cleve was also heading his own project, Cleve Eaton and Co., which evolved, in 2004, into Cleve Eaton and the Alabama All-Stars. Cleveland Eaton was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1979, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Watch and Listen: "Count Basie, Cleve Eaton" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YHEWFdhEMc "Cleveland Eaton in Concert" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtVJtxxChaw "Count Basie - Booty's Blues" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct_tBKgQAxw "Cleve Eaton - Slippin' Into Darkenss" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMb1b7A2O6s
“Cleveland Eaton – Alabama Music Hall of Fame” http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2008/cleveland-eaton/ Accessed December 1, 2016 “Cleveland Eaton Official Website” http://clevelandeatonmusic.com/home/ Accessed December 1, 2016 “Cleve Eaton Interview – The Birmingham Times 2/5/15” http://www.birminghamtimes.com/2015/02/the-cleve-eaton-story-god-is-in-control/ Accessed December 1, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Stax Records, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Jerry Wexler, Blues music, R&B music, Soul music,
Eddie Floyd (June 27, 1937 - ) The “Memphis sound” that mixed Southern soul with R&B, jazz, with a little country and gospel thrown in, was an important and influential sound in the 1960s. Led by such singers as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett, none was more influential to the sound coming out of the Stax recording studios than singer-songwriter Eddie Floyd. Edward Lee Floyd was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on June 25, 1937. Six weeks later, his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. As a youth, Eddie often migrated between Michigan and Alabama. His exposure to both Southern soul and blues, and to the burgeoning R&B sound that would grow into the Motown sound of the 1960s, no doubt influenced both his singing and songwriting. In 1955, Eddie co-founded The Falcons, an R&B group considered to be the musical godfather to such later Motown groups asThe Temptations and The Four Tops. The group had a top twenty hit with “You’re So Fine” in 1959. A year later, Wilson Pickett joined the group and, with him, they recorded “I Found a Love” in 1960, backed by the singing group the Primettes, who would later change their name to the Supremes. In 1963, Pickett left the group and The Falcons disbanded. In 1965, Eddie moved to Memphis to work at Stax Records as a songwriter and producer. While at Stax, Eddie wrote “Comfort Me” for Carla Thomas, the title song of her album which peaked at #11 on the R&B chart in 1965. In 1966, Eddie co-wrote “Knock On Wood” with guitarist Steve Cropper, a member of Stax’s house band, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, and was originally intended to be recorded by Otis Redding. However, record executive Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records, the distributor for Stax, convinced the president of Stax to release Eddie’s demo version instead. Wexler’s instincts proved to be correct, as “Knock On Wood” sold over a million singles and reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as spending a week at #1 on the Soul Singles chart. His recording career reborn, Eddie became Stax’s most dependable hitmaker, releasing “I’ve Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do),” which Eddie also co-wrote with Booker T. Jones and Alvertis Isabell (Al Bell), reached #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart in 1968, and “Raise Your Hand,” another Eddie Floyd co-composition, reached #11 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart in 1967. Both songs, along with “Knock On Wood” have been covered by various artists over the years. Eddie’s singing career, however, didn’t diminish his songwriting career. Frequently teaming up with Cropper, Booker T., or both, to pen such hits as Sam & Dave’s “You Don’t Know What You Mean To Me” (#20 R&B – 1968), Otis Redding’s “I Love You More Than Words Can Say” (#30 R&B – 1967), and Floyd and Cropper’s biggest hit, Wilson Pickett’s “634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)” (#1 Black Singles – 1966), a song that has been covered by Otis Redding, Trace Adkins, and Bruce Springsteen, among other. Eddie and Wilson also performed the song in the 1998 movie, “Blues Brothers 2000.” When Stax closed its doors due to financial difficulties in 1975, Eddie’s career faltered for the remainder of the decade. The 1980s and 1990s saw a revival of Eddie’s career, as he toured with former Stax labelmates Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn as the Blue Brothers Band, as well sitting in with Bill Wyman’s (of The Rolling Stones) group Rhythm Kings on several tour dates. In 2008, Eddie rejoined the revived Stax Records label, releasing “Eddie Loves You So” in 2008, “At Christmas Time” in 2012, and “Down By the Sea” in 2013. In 2003, Eddie was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Watch and Listen: "Knock on Wood - Eddie Floyd" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kceiks__PsE "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) - Eddie Floyd" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJYRH7JhHW0 "California Girl - Eddie Floyd" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfAj2UU1ej4 "634-5789 - Wilson Pickett" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2apquxKKQ&list=PLvC2ishH1j7R11CyBdFTDFw8dGelCM5vF "634-5789 - Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Blues Brothers 2000" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY-t_lJ6GHE
Eddie Floyd: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2003/eddie-floyd/ Accessed November 29, 2016 Eddie Floyd Official Website http://eddiefloyd.com/ Accessed November 29, 2016 Eddie Floyd bio allmusic.com http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-floyd-mn0000168958/ Accessed November 29, 2016 Soulsville, USA: The Story of STAX Records https://books.google.com/books?id=XLdsRwpZ9oYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=soulsville&sig=ACfU3U0srTq7YeEyniP8y-FMSFpArxeB8w#v=onepage&q=soulsville&f=false/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Eddie Floyd historyofrock.com http://www.history-of-rock.com/eddie_floyd.htm/ Accessed December 5, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Florence, Lauderdale County, FAME Studios, Rick Hall, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Sheffield, Elvis Presley, Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Percy Sledge, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay (August 22, 1947 - ) If anyone can lay claim to having lived a life that was marked by being in the right place at the right, Donna Jean Godchaux (pronounced “God-show) can. From growing up in the Florence/Muscle Shoals, Alabama area while the Muscle Shoals recording scene was exploding, to moving to San Francisco where she met her first husband Keith Godchaux, as well as Jerry Garcia, Donna’s life is one of opportunities taken. Born Donna Jean Thatcher on August 22, 1947, in Florence, Alabama, Donna spent her childhood years on the banks of the Tennessee River, attending Sheffield High School, where she was a cheerleader. Music has always been a passion with Donna. As she points out, “I was singing from pretty much as soon as I could talk.” That love of music eventually took her to the various recording studios that had begun to populate the Muscle Shoals area. After graduating from high school in 1965, Donna began singing with her best friend Jeanie Greene in a group that they eventually called Southern Comfort. Jeanie’s husband Marlin was a music producer, working with Rick Hall’s FAME Studios. In 1966, Donna and Jeanie sang backup on Percy Sledge’s megahit “When a Man Loves a Woman,” which Marlin produced for FAME before producing a rerecording at Norala Studios in Sheffield, Alabama. The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and four weeks on the Billboard R&B singles chart. In 1969, she and Jeanie hit solid gold again when they sang back-up on Elvis Presley’s number one hit, “Suspicious Minds.” Other albums on which she sang backing vocals include “3614 Jackson Highway” by Cher (1969), on which she also appeared on the album cover, “Boz Scaggs” (1969) by Boz Scaggs (both albums recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio), and “From Elvis in Memphis” (1969), by Elvis Presley, which featured the top five hit “In The Ghetto,” penned by country artist Mac Davis. In 1970, Donna decided it was time for a change of scenery and moved to the San Francisco area. It was here that she met and married Keith Godchaux, a keyboardist playing various clubs and bars in the Bay area. In 1971, the couple introduced themselves the Jerry Garcia, a founding member of the Grateful Dead. From that meeting, Keith was asked to join the band, with Donna joining the group in 1972, singing back-up and occasional lead vocal. The Godchauxs remained with the Grateful Dead until 1979, when they left to try other avenues of music on their own with the band The Heart of Gold. Just a little over a year after leaving, Keith died of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. It was during this time that Donna took a break from music. She remarried, and in the mid-1990s, she and her husband David MacKay, also a musician, moved back to Donna’s home in northwest Alabama, eventually settling in the town of Killen, just a few miles east of Florence, where it all began for her. It was at this time that Donna’s desire to return to music began to take hold, and she began to write songs once again, as well as forming the Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson in 2009, which also features David MacKay on bass. In addition, Donna has appeared at various venues and concerts with many of her former Dead bandmates, including Bob Weir and Mickey Hart. Donna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Grateful Dead, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Watch and Listen: "Keith & Donna - Sweet Baby" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxKuCLL4Vro "Scarlet Begonias - Grateful Dead" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgPLFYNEL1A "When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lp7FtJXp7k "Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxOBOhRECoo "Interview - Donna Meeting Garcia, Grateful Dead" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1RzbN-NBTo "Interview - Donna Meeting Elvis" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl8WddfHcR0
“Donna Jean MacKay interview, 3/28/1998” http://www.levity.com/gans/Donna.980328.html/ Accessed December 2, 2016 “Donna Jean Godchaux interview, 2/24/2016” http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/02/donna_jean_godchaux_alabama_mu.html/ Accessed December 2, 2016 “Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson official website” http://donnajeangodchauxband.info/index.html/ Accessed December 2, 2016 “Hall of fame another stop on Godchaux Mackay's long strange trip” http://www.timesdaily.com/life/hall-of-fame-another-stop-on-godchaux-mackay-s-long/article_f9186616-c058-5771-a530-3521cd97fd3d.html/ Accessed December 2, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
Birmningham, Jefferson County, Big Band music, trumpet, Alabama State Teachers College,Fess Whatley, Ensley, Tuxedo Junction, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame Watch and Listen: "After Hours" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CYQ6YZHMEE "Tuxedo Junction" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFeFaZoj2QY "Tippin' In" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWc0ObIJydc
Erskine Hawkins (July 26, 1914 - November 11, 1993) When philanthropists donate money to various organizations, schools and charities, most often the result is either a building named in in their honor, or a scholarship, or even a seat on a board of directors. Alabama industrialist Erskine Ramsay took this one step further, by opening savings accounts for families who would name their newborn sons after him. And while most of children did not achieve any amount of celebrity, one did, as a bandleader and trumpeter whose contemporaries included Louis Armstrong. Erskine Ramsay Hawkins was born on July 26, 1914, in Birmingham, Alabama. Erskine early on demonstrated musical proficiency. As a student at the Tuggle Institute, a private African-American boys school in Birmingham, Erskine learned to play the drums, trombone and saxophone. But it was the trumpet that would eventually elevate Hawkins to the heights he eventually reached. Under the tutelage of famed director J.T. “Fess” Whatley, Erskine not only learned how to master the trumpet, but how to read music, as well. After graduating from Tuggle, Hawkins attended the Alabama State Teachers College in Montgomery, Alabama, on an athletic scholarship. Soon, Erskine was spending more time on the stage than on the ballfield. Leading first, the ‘Bama State Revelers, then the ‘Bama State Collegians, Erskine started to show the ability to reach notes on the trumpet thought too high to reach. This ability later led his being called “The Twentieth Century Gabriel.” As the band became more and more popular, causing the group, all students at the college, to miss more classes than they attended, they all soon left school to pursue their musical careers full-time. Leaving Alabama, “Erskine Hawkins and his ‘Bama State Collegians” soon found themselves as one of the house bands at the famed Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Famed as the place where the “Lindy Hop” was developed, the Savoy was one of the premier venues for music during and after the Harlem Renaissance. It was here that Erskine and the band, now simply called “Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra” signed with RCA Victor and began cutting records on their Bluebird label. It was also here that Erskine co-wrote what would become his signature song, “Tuxedo Junction.” The title of the songs refers to an area in the Ensley neighborhood of Erskine’s hometown of Birmingham. Tuxedo Park was an area where the lines of the Wylam and Pratt City streetcars crossed, and where a jazz and dance club was located, hence, “Tuxedo Junction.” While Hawkins’ version reached #7 on the National Hit Parade in 1939, it is Glenn Miller’s #1 1940 rendition that most are familiar with. While Erskine penned other songs, like “Don’t Cry Baby” (#11 – Pop, 1943) “After Hours” (#3 R&B – 1946) and “Tippin’ In” (#1 R&B -1945) which were hits, “Tuxedo Junction” is his most famous. Often, when playing the Savoy, the band would sign off with that song to keep the crowds dancing as the next band came to the stage. By the 1950s, the Savoy had closed and Erskine, due to rising costs, had downsized his orchestra, although he would reunite the orchestra on special occasions. During the 1960s, he was a frequent player at the Embers Club in New York City, and, from 1967 to 1993, was the bandleader in the nightclub in The Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, New York, located in the Catskills of New York, about two hours upstate from New York City. Among the many honors that Erskine Hawkins received during his lifetime is an honorary doctorate in music from Alabama State Teachers College in 1947, was one of the first inductees into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1978, and a Lifework Award and induction into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1989. Also, the park that inspired the name of Tuxedo Junction was renamed Erskine Hawkins Park in his honor. On November 11, 1993, Erskine Hawkins passed away in Willingboro, New Jersey.
Alabama Music Hall of Fame: Erskine Hawkins http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1989/erskine-hawkins/ Accessed December 4, 2016 Erskine Hawkins http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1365/ Accessed December 4, 2016 Erskine Hawkins http://www.allmusic.com/artist/erskine-hawkins-his-orchestra-mn0000206380/biography/ Accessed December 4, 2016 Erskine Hawkins http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/erskine-hawkins/ Accessed December 4, 2016 Obituary: Erskine Hawkins http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-14/news/mn-56807_1_tuxedo-junction/ Accessed December 4, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Florence, Lauderdale County, Hank Williams, Tree International, Dolly Parton, Curley Putnam, Country music, Pop music, R&B music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Buddy Killen (November 13, 1932 - November 1, 2006) There are countless musicians, singers and entertainers in the world that, for lack of that big break, never reach the pinnacle, in spite of the fact that they may have just as much, if not more, talent than others who become household names. Chances are that someone with the talent of Elvis Presley would have somehow reached some level of notoriety, but what remains unknown is if this would have been possible without the big break he received from Buddy Killen, who pitched him his first million-selling single, “Heartbreak Hotel." William Doyce Killen was born on November 13, 1932, in the hometown of W.C. Handy, Florence, Alabama. Growing up poor in the American South during this time was a way of life for many families and Buddy’s was no exception. As a child and into his teen years, music was his escape. His first band, the Hillbilly Pals, was formed during his childhood. The Dixie Ramblers, his second, performed on local radio. The day after graduating from high school, Buddy was offered the chance to play bass for a pair of comedians on the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. Buddy never hesitated, moving to Nashville, where he soon found himself playing and traveling with such Opry stars as Hank Williams, George Morgan, Ray Price and Jim Reeves, becoming acquainted with many of the people who ran country music scene behind the stage curtain. One of those people proved to be Buddy’s big break in 1953. Jack Stapp was running his publishing company, Tree International, on his own. As Buddy tells it, “I was doing demos for Tree at $10 a session, and Jack would come into the studio and ask me to get together with this singer or that writer. It went well and Jack asked me if I would come to work for him. The job would pay $35 a week and I said yes. I began picking up songs and getting them recorded. We didn’t have an office. I would carry a tape recorder around begging for songs. It was a sheer case of determination.” That determination paid off for Buddy, as he would be made a partner in Tree, eventually rising to president, and eventually, when Stapp passed away in 1980, sole owner. Along the way, he helped several artists reap the reward of their own sheer determination, starting with Elvis Presley in 1956. Another who benefited from Killen’s confidence was 14-year-old Dolly Parton, who Killen signed to a recording contract in 1960. Roger Miller, too, was a beneficiary of Buddy’s ability to spot talent, both writing and performing. Miller would go on to write hit songs for Ray Price, Jim Reeves, and Bill Anderson. Buddy also continued to write songs himself, including the #1 hit “I May Never Get to Heaven” (Conway Twitty – 1979), as well as Ronnie McDowell's #4 hit "Watchin' Girls Go By," released in 1981. In all, Buddy had 19 Top-40 hits that appeared on Billboards Country, Pop, R&B and A/C charts between 1961 and 1986. In 1989, after almost ten years at the helm of Tree International Publishing, Buddy sold the company to CBS/Sony for a reported $30-40 million. In 1993, his autobiography, “By the Seat of My Pants: My Life in Country Music,” was published by Simon & Schuster. Along the way, Buddy picked up many accolades and awards, including being a member of the first class of inductees to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985, along with Nat “King” Cole, Hank Williams, and W.C. Handy. Buddy Killen passed away on November 1, 2006. Watch and Listen: "Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4euyTDhFnk "I May Never Get to Heaven - Conway Twitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47D2omht1BI "Watchin' Girls Go By - Ronnie McDowell" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ychMkvLV87w "Ain't Gonna Bump No More - Joe Tex" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56tBm7nJ1QM
Buddy Killen; Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1985/buddy-killen/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buddy-killen-mn0000640267/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen obituary http://www.cmt.com/news/1544585/nashville-music-pioneer-buddy-killen-dies/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen obituary http://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20400528/buddy-killen-passes-away-at-73/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Killen, Buddy, and Carter, Tom. “By the Seat of My Pants: My Life in Country Music.” New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Center Star, Lauderdale County, FAME Studios, Rick Hall, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Dan Penn, R&B music, Soul music, Rock and Roll Hall of fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Spooner Oldham (June 14, 1943 - ) The writing credits of Spooner Oldham read like a jukebox selection. From Percy Sledge to Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett to Janis Joplin, Spooner is at the heart of what has come to be called “The Muscle Shoals Sound.” Born June 14, 1943, in Center Star, Alabama, a community so small it hasn’t been listed on the U.S. census rolls since 1880, Dewey Lindon Oldham, Jr., comes from a family with a musical background. His father played in a band when Spooner was young child, and, per Spooner, he would just “sit over in the corner and watch them,” as his father and bandmates would practice out on the porch. It was also as a child when Spooner “accidently” acquired his nickname. Reaching for pan on the stove, he was left blind in his right eye when it was injured by a spoon. Following in his father’s footsteps, he began playing piano for local bands while in high school. After graduation, Spooner briefly attended the University of North Alabama in Florence, but dropped out soon after realizing he was skipping more classes than he attended, preferring to Rick Hall’s FAME Studios to learn his trade against that of an official classroom. It was there that Spooner started on his journey to becoming one of the premier sidemen in music. In this role, Spooner played keyboards on some of the most successful songs to come out of, first FAME Studios, then Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Songs like Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966), Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” (1966), and Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You” (1967), all saw Spooner on keyboard. Spooner also played on Franklin’s signature song, “Respect” (1967), recording at Atlantic Records Studio in New York City in 1967. Shortly afterwards, Spooner headed west to Memphis, where he connected with a songwriting partner he had met while at FAME, Dan Penn. Together they had written the James & Bobby Purify hit, “I’m Your Puppet” (1966), while both were still at FAME. Reconnecting in Memphis, the duo continued to churn out songs, including those recorded by The Box Tops (“Cry Like a Baby”-1968) and Percy Sledge (“It Tears Me Up”-1967). The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, in April of 1968, was a turning point for Spooner. The once-open racial atmosphere of R&B and soul, where all that mattered was your skill with music, took a hit with King’s murder, especially in the South, leading Spooner to make the move to Los Angeles, where things were somewhat like they used to be. The next decade saw Spooner recording with the likes of Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young. Relocating once more, this time to Nashville, Spooner toured extensively with Young and with Bob Dylan, with whom he had worked on Dylan’s 1980 gospel album, “Saved.” 1984 saw one of Spooner’s older songs become a hit on the country charts when Steve Wariner recorded “Lonely Women Make Good Lovers,” which went all the way up to number four. In the 1990s, Spooner returned home to Alabama, settling down in Rogersville, just up Highway 72 from Center Star. Returning to his roots hasn’t slowed Spooner down, as he has gone out on tour with his writing partner Dan Penn several times, as well as going out on the road with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 2006 “Freedom of Speech” tour, and with the Drive-By Truckers, the Athens, Georgia-based band co-founded by Patterson Hood, the son of Spooner’s former Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section partner, David Hood. For his contributions to the music industry, Spooner Oldham was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2008, the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in 2009, where he was inducted by Paul Shaffer, sidekick to David Letterman on both his late-night talk shows, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Watch and Listen: "I'm Your Puppet - Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nnLE-aBoPQ "Paul Schafer Inducts Spooner Oldham into R&R Hall of Fame" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGQiPUTu3z4 Spooner Oldham R&R Hall of Fame Speech" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP8B24ap0m8 "RESPECT - Aretha Franklin" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPXozDgvYs "Two In The Morning - Spooner Oldham" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tehBrFqX1iw
Spooner Oldham Biography http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2510/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Spooner Oldham discography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/spooner-oldham-mn0000155405/discography/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Dan Penn-Spooner Oldham interview http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music-good-ol-boys-in-the-hood-1123527.html Accessed December 2, 2016 Spooner Oldham bio - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/spooner-oldham/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Dan Penn-Spooner Oldham interview http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/pennoldham.html/ December 2, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Phil Campbell, Franklin County, Country music, R&B music, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Grand Ole Opry, Musicians Hall of fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Billy Sherrill (November 5, 1936 - August 4, 2015) If at any point during the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s you listened to a song by George Jones, Tammy Wynette, or Charlie Rich, chances are very good that song was either written, produced, or both, by Billy Sherrill. As just a songwriter alone, his influence is considerable. But when combined with his production prowess and his ability to find new talent and guide them towards music that fit their style of singing, Billy reaches legendary status in not just the country music world, but music in general and internationally. Billy Norris Sherrill was born on November 5, 1936, in the small rural town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. His father was an evangelist who Billy would often accompany on his revival tours, playing piano for the services. After playing with various jazz and blues bands in the South in his late teens to early twenties, Billy moved to Nashville in 1962, where he took on the job of managing the Nashville studios of Sam Phillips’ Sun Records. When Phillips sold those studios in 1963, Billy moved over as a producer to Epic Records, a division of Columbia Records, which, at the time, was recording mainly country artists out of its Nashville studios. Since Billy, despite having grown up in the south, had little exposure professionally to the country sound (his main areas of expertise being blues, jazz, and rock and roll), the sound that he did produce was a hybrid of country and pop, a forerunner of the “countrypolitan” sound that would soon move country music from a regional to a national and worldwide audience. It was also here at Epic that Billy became a major player in the country music scene. His first success was with David Houston, who recorded “Livin’ in a House Full of Love,” written by Billy and Glenn Sutton, in 1965. The song reached #3 on Billboard’s country chart in that same year. Houston’s next single, “Almost Persuaded,” also penned by Sherrill and Sutton, spent 9 weeks at #1 on the country charts in 1966, winning the Grammy for Best Country & Western song in 1967, the first of two that Billy would win as songwriter. It was at around this time that Billy met the singer with whom he would be most closely associated with, Tammy Wynette. Billy signed the former hairdresser to Epic after she auditioned for him, and changed her stage name from Wynette Byrd to Tammy Wynette, thinking it would be a better move for her career. From that time, she became Billy’s student and a recording artist for whom he would write some of her biggest songs, including “You’re Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” “I Don’t Wanna Play House,” and her signature song, “Stand By Your Man.” In 1969, Wynette married George Jones, which led to a partnership between not only she and Jones, but also Billy and George. Producing such songs as “The Ceremony” (1972, written by Sherrill), “We’re Gonna Hold On” (1973), and “Golden Ring” (1976), Jones and Sherrill continued their collaboration long after George and Tammy divorced in 1975. In fact, while much of his commercial success came with Wynette, Billy’s relationship with Jones was the one that lasted the longest. Billy produced what would become Jones' signature song, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” It was Jones’ first number one hit in over six years, and is the one credited with reviving a career that had begun to flounder due to issues related to his behavior and performances. During this same time period, Billy also worked with the third member of what could be called his “Blessed Triumvirate,” Charlie Rich. With songs such as “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl,” (1973), co-written by Sherrill, a lifelong collaboration was born. While not always commercially successful, the music that Charlie Rich produced under Billy is considered to be The Silver Fox's best. The pinnacle of the partnership was when Sherrill won the 1975 Grammy for Best Country Song with Charlie Rich’s recording of “A Very Special Love Song.” The list of additional artists for whom Billy produced or wrote is a veritable Who’s Who of Music. At one time or another, Billy worked with Barbara Mandrell, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Andy Williams, Ray Conniff, and Elvis Costello. In 1980, Billy was named vice-president and executive producer of CBS/Nashville, retiring a few years later. Among the many awards and accolades afforded are countless CMA and AMA awards, and enshrinement in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1984), the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (1995), the Musicians Hall of Fame (2008), and the Country Music Hall of Fame (2010). Billy Sherrill died on August 4, 2015. Watch & Listen: "Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew "He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubKUP8c0FHE "The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhqbESuc2v8 "Rules of the Game - Billy Sherrill" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF5fofS_6Rk "Like Makin' Love - Billy Sherrill" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AWFYLnIzIU
AMHOF http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1995/billy-sherrill/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Billy Sherrill http://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-sherrill-mn0000079180/biography/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Songs http://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Billy+Sherrill&tab=songaswriterchartstab/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Billy Sherrill Dies http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2015/08/04/breaking-legendary-producer-billy-sherrill-dies/31110363/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Country Music HOF http://countrymusichalloffame.org/Inductees/InducteeDetail/billy-sherrill/ Accessed December 2, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Hanceville, Cullman County, FAME Studios, Rick Hall, Clarence Carter, R&B music, Soul music, Gospel music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Candi Staton (March 13, 1940 - ) For many within the African-American community, the line between gospel and soul music is a thin one. A rhythm that pushes the music along, soaring vocals that inspire and lift the crowds out of their seats, freedom within the soul and within the music, all serve to drive both genres forward. No singer better represents this simultaneous confluence and divergence than soul and gospel artist Candi Staton. Born on March 13, 1940, in Hanceville, Alabama, Canzetta Maria Staton initially was involved in the gospel music scene from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Before she was a teenager, Candi began attending the Jewell Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. It was there that she and her sister, who also attended Jewell, were part of a group called the Jewell Gospel Trio. Recording several records that did little commercially, the trio toured the gospel circuit, singing along with such gospels greats as Mahalia Jackson and C.L. Franklin. By the end of the 1950s, Candy had left the group and returned home to Alabama, where she married, had four children, and then divorced her husband. It was in 1968 that, while working at a club in Birmingham, Alabama, she met Clarence Carter, who was recording for Atlantic Records at Rick Hall’s FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Carter asked her to go on tour with him, but Candi was still married at the time. A year later, Clarence asked once again. Now divorced, she agreed. Over the course of the year, she and Clarence fell in love and were married in 1970. Her new husband also brought her to the attention of Rick Hall. With FAME Records, Candi recorded three albums. While the albums themselves were not huge sellers, they did produce four songs that reached Billboard’s R&B Top Ten charts, including a cover of Tammy Wynette’s hit, “Stand BY Your Man,” which reached #4 in 1971. In 1974, Candi, who had divorced Carter the year before, started recording for Warner Brothers, still working under the production skills of Rick Hall. Of working with Hall, Candi says that, “Rick would come to me and ask my opinion ‘Hey, do you think you can do this’. We didn’t have an arranger to come in and say ‘I’m gonna take this song and arrange it for Candi’. All of us had our opinions how the music should go, so we tried different things. If it didn’t work, we tried something else. Some day we worked on a song all day, and all night.” Her first album for Warner, “Candi,” produced the #6 R&B hit, “As Long As He Takes Care of Home.” It was her next album, "Young Hearts Run Free," that produced her sole #1 hit when the title track was released in 1976. Working with a new producer, David Crawford, and in a marriage that had turned abusive, Candi opened up to Crawford over the course of several conversations about her life. In response, he wrote the song as a way to help her give voice to her situation. Subsequent albums and singles proved to be less successful, and by 1981, disillusioned with the secular music industry, Candi had returned to her gospel roots. Married to her fourth husband, former Ashford & Simpson drummer John Sussewell, together they founded their own label, Beracah Ministries. Her return to gospel found her renewed and experiencing success once again. When the idea of returning to the world of soul music, Candi was initially reluctant. It was a conversation with her pastor sometime in the 1990s that changed her mind, in which he said, “Candi, those songs that you did in the 70s and in the 80s, they’re not bad songs. They’re good songs. Some of them you couldn’t sing because of the way you live now. Young Hearts Run Free wasn’t bad; Stand by Your Man – those songs are classics. Those songs were blessed. They raised your children, they bought you a home. Rethink it. You could go out and bless people again with those songs." Since then Candi has continued to release new material, while still revisiting her old hits that fans have come to know and love. Candi Staton was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2014, by her old friend, producer and mentor Rick Hall. Watch and Listen: "Young Hearts Run Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x2PvC_PybY "He Called Me Baby" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txOo9T1jn5Y "Stand By Your Man" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbyStJWvajo "When There's Nothing Left But God" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kWVd5EMRyw "Interview - Candi Staton On Celebrating 40 Years Of Young Hearts Run Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPG_25-YctA
Candi Staton official website http://www.candi-staton.com/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Interview 2006 http://www.soulexpress.net/candistaton.htm/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Interview, 2011 http://www.soulexpress.net/deep2_2011.htm#candistaton/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Candi Staton discography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/candi-staton-mn0000542976/biography/ Accessed December 6, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted..
Tuscaloosa County, Birmingham, Erskine Hawkins, Cleve Eaton, Sun Ra, Big Band, Jazz, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Alabama State University
J.T. "Fess" Whatley (c. 1895 - January 12, 1972) If Alabama's musical heritage were to have a conductor, a teacher, that person would have to be J.T. “Fess” Whatley. In his tutelage of musicians, first at The Tuggle Institute in Birmingham, of which he was also a graduate, then Industrial High School in Birmingham, Whatley was influential in the careers of many who went on to play with various bands and orchestras, including those of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. Born John Lewis Whatley sometime around 1895 in rural Tuscaloosa County, Alabama (his exact date of birth is unknown), Whatley’s father moved the family to Birmingham in 1906 so that John and his brother might be able to attend the Tuggle Institute. Originally conceived to give orphaned African-Americans a place to live and learn, the school was eventually opened to all, as racial segregation closed off many public schools to blacks. John’s time at the school greatly influenced him, not only as a student, but as an educator and musician, so much so that he changed his middle name from Lewis to Tuggle. After graduating from the school in 1913, John became its band director in 1913, a position he held until he left in 1917 to teach at Industrial High School. It was here that John picked up the nickname of “Fess,” which was short for “Professor.” Strict in his discipline, he demanded that his music students learn to read music, believing that music was one of the few avenues of success that was open to African-Americans at the time. A former student of his, jazz drummer and Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductee Wilson Driver, said that he demanded this of his students, otherwise they couldn’t play in his band. However, as demanding as this seemed, it was also beneficial to the musicians, as Driver said that “When guys would get to New York, they’d say, ‘You from Birmingham? You one of them Fess Whatley men? Yeah? Okay, you can read.’” Whatley’s influence reached beyond the high school at which he taught, helping to establish the ‘Bama State Collegians band at Alabama State Teachers College (now Alabama State University) in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1929, which is still an active jazz orchestra at ASU. Whatley also was an outspoken opponent to segregation and Jim Crow laws, organizing a local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians union in Birmingham in 1939 because blacks were not allowed to join the union because of segregation. In 1969, Whatley witnessed the integration of the chapter he founded with the white chapter already in existence. Whatley’s belief that music was a path to success has been proven correct over the decades since he began his career in music. Former students of Whatley's include trumpeter and band leader Erskine Hawkins, jazz drummer Wilson Driver, jazz pianist Henry Blount, better known as Sun Ra, Cleveland Eaton, bassist for the Ramsey Lewis Trio and the Count Basie Orchestra, and trumpeter Sammy Lowe, just to name a few. All the aforementioned are members of various jazz, blues, and music halls of fame nationwide. Whatley himself was a charter inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1978, and was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1991, joining his former student Erskine Hawkins (1989) as a member, and later joined by former students Cleveland Eaton (2008) and Sun Ra (2014). J.T. “Fess” Whatley died on January 12, 1972, in Birmingham, Alabama.
J.T. “Fess” Whatley: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1991/j-t-fes-whatley/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Alabama Music Office: Whatley bio http://www.alabamamusicoffice.com/artists-a-z/w/1967-whatley-john-t-fess/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Encyclopedia of Alabama: Whatley bio http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3240/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame: Carrie Tuggle http://www.awhf.org/tuggle.html/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame website http://www.jazzhall.com/index.htm/ Accessed December 5, 2016 "Fess Whatley's Saxo Society Orchestra" photo http://www.chipstern.com/chip_tribal_wilson.htm/ Accessed December 9, 2016. All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Courthouses; Tuscumbia, Alabama, Colbert County, Alabama
Colbert County was established in 1867, fourteen years before the courthouse was built. Commissioners met at a local hotel called The Horn House while the probate judge’s office was located on the second floor of a brick building on Main Street in Tuscumbia. On March 7, 1870, an election took place to decide if Cherokee or Tuscumbia would be the permanent county seat. Tuscumbia would go on to win by a vote of 1367 to 794. On December 13, 1880, the county spent $2,000 and bought four lots in downtown Tuscumbia from Colonel J.F. Deshler. These lots would soon provide the location of the Colbert County Courthouse. Construction of the courthouse began on August 22, 1881. The architect chosen was a man named Mr. Edward Laurent of Nashville. Mr. William Dowling of Chattanooga was awarded the contract for the construction of the courthouse. Mr. Hornung was chosen to be the contractor for the laying the stone foundation. In the northern part of town, workers were expected to produce about 500,000 bricks for building material. This two-storied Italianate styled structure was finished by May of 1882 for a cost of $14,750. The building served the county well until a fire gutted the structure on May 14, 1908. With most of the brick walling undamaged, the county created a “special courthouse tax” to fund the reconstruction. This new Neo-Classical Revival styled courthouse was completed in 1909. Since then, a north wing has been added in 1948. Also, a $2,000,000 architecturally compatible west wing was built in 1975.
John Grissom, University of North Alabama
Gamble, Robert. "Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District." In Historic Muscle Shoals: Buildings and Sites., 43-44. Vol. 10. Florence, Ala.: Tennessee Valley Historical Society, 1983. Graves, Arthur D. Tuscumbia: America's First Frontier Railroad Town. Tuscumbia, Ala.: Tuscumbia Main Street Project [and] Preservation Incentive Project, 1989. 23-24.
1902: Two men riding a three-wheeled hand-operated velocipede (also called a Handcar or draisine) on a railroad track.
Two men riding a three-wheeled hand-operated velocipede (also called a Handcar or draisine) on a railroad track. They are conducting a level survey in Oklahoma's Indian Territory. Early mechanized level party with hand-velocipede. Observer riding ahead. Image ID: theb0741, NOAA's Historic Coast & Geodetic Survey (C&GS) Collection Location: Oklahoma, Indian Territory Photo Date: 1902 Credit: NOAA John Hayford Album
John Hayford Album, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Edited from the image found at: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/theb0741.htm
NOAA's Historic Coast & Geodetic Survey Collection
2005.36.316: John M. Jones to Thomas F. Jones Jr., 1860
1860; Greenville; South Carolina; Louisa Young; Wedding Invitation
John M. Jones wrote to his cousin to Thomas to express his regret for having to decline an invitation to Thomas and Louisa's wedding, as well as an invitation to be a groomsman. 3 handwritten pages.
P.M.B. Young Collection, Bartow History Museum
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Sawmill; Lumber
West Fraser operates a sawmill near Opelika located at 2100 Industrial Blvd., Opelika, AL.
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Textiles; Cotton
The first major industry in Lee County and the first textile mill in Opelika. It opened in 1900. Today, it is most well known as the backdrop for the 1979 film "Norma Rae" about a woman who become involved in the Labor Union Activities at the North Carolina textile factory where she works. The Opelika mill had itself unionized only a few years prior to the filming. The old mill is located at 1016 York Ave, Opelika, AL, 36801. The site was abandoned in 2004, but still stands.
Image: "Whistle blows noon Opelika Cotton Mill" http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ncl2004004125/PP/
Constructed in 1925, allegedly after Opelika city officials paid the company a significant sum in bribes, the Pepperell Mill would become one of Opelika's most iconic industrial sites. The mill produced cotton textiles under a number of names until its closure in 2008. The site was burnt to the ground during demolition work in 2013. The plant was located at 2401 1st Ave., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://notdarkyet-commentary.blogspot.com/2011/03/moving-toward-common-good-or-slouching.html
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Tires
After opening in 1963, this plant produced automobile tires for the BF Goodrich company. The business was forced to close in 2009 after shifting workforce to non-unionized labor. It was located at 1800 Crawford Rd., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2009/12/group_seeks_use_for_closed_tir.html
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Personal Fitness
Diversified Products opened in 1963. The company specialized in fitness equipment and is credited with revolutionizing the fitness industry. This business was an important component of America's emerging fitness movement for four decades. Corporate mismanagement and increased competition led to the company's decline and eventual closure in 1998. The image is of Diversified Products senior executives (from left) Ira Silberman, Forrest "Fob" James, and Calvin James. The business was located at 309 Williamson Ave., Opelika, AL.
Image and Description: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-3419
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Magnetic Tape; Audio Equipment
Orradio produced magnetic tape. Major John Herbert Orr founded Orradio in 1949 using information given to him by German scientists during World War II. This business became the first producer of commercially available audio, video, and computer tape. Purchased by Ampex in 1959, the company was repurchased in 1995 and named Quantegy Recording Solutions. Quantegy was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2005 and finally ceased production in 2007.
Image: http://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/RecordersAmpexIrishTape.html
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
This grist mill was originally built in 1834 by Sam Carter and Henry Byrd as a sawmill. In 1848 John "Jack" Floyd purchased the property and in 1852 Floyd's Mill Rd (now US 29) was established. During the Civil War, the mill provided supplies to the Confederate government. The milll was destroyed in a flood in 1874, but was rebuilt by John W. and W.H.H. Griffin. In 1907, the eponymous George W. Bean bought the mill. He owned the property until his death in 1952 after which the mill sat unoccupied. During the 1930s, a canning school was set up by the extension service and FDR visited the site in 1939 on his way from Opelika to Warm Springs. Today the mill has been reconstructed as a historical site located at 6247 US 29 N, Opelika, AL.
Image and Text: "The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama"
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
James Mitchell purchased 400 acres along Chewacla Creek and built a dam and sawmill in 1837. Mr. Collins bought the mill in 1880, but it was washed away during a flood in 1889 and would not be rebuilt until 1905. J. Milton Whatley bought the property in 1935 and completely restored and renovated the gristmill. In 1964, following a three-day freezing rain, the dam split and ice water sent the mill's iron water wheel down Chewacla Creek, where it rested until the early 1990s. The site of the mill is located at 7687 Lee Rd., Auburn, AL.
Description: "The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama"
Salem, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
Built by Rev. Michael Thomas sometime between 1830 and 1835, it was the first mill erected on Little Uchee Creek. Ownership of the mill is unknown until 1909 when G.W. McKinnon deeded the propert known as McKinnon Mill to his wife and children. The mill was sold to Daniel Porter Meadows in 1911 for $2,250 who later deeded it to his son in 1912. The grist mill was in continuous operation until 1971 when it was shut down.
Carter's Mill was an early non-permitted mill. Sam Carter received his land from the U.S. government and built his mill on that property. In 1840, the property was sold to Mark Golden Jr. who later died 1845. Golden's will listed only grist mill gear, suggesting that the mill was no longer functional.
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Baked Goods
First opened by W.H. "Bud" Ingram in the Clement Hotel in Opelika in 1910, it moved to the Montgomery Brothers' Building in 1911 and to its own building on S 8th St. in 1914. Ingram sold the business to Jim Tom Hamilton in 1923 who moved the operation to three combined building on 231 8th. The bakery was purchased by Hamilton's son in 1936 and the name was changed from Ingram's to Hamilton's Bakery. In 1962, Hamilton built a new building at 101 Simmons St. and in 1964 the business was purchased by Flowers Baking Company of Thomasville, GA. The business is still in operation as of 2014.
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Aerospace; Manufacturing
General Electric Aviation produces machined parts for jet engines. The business opened in 2013, and is still operating today. In 2014, a $50 million expansion was announced that will allow the factory to mass produce, via 3D printing, fuel nozzles for jet engines. The business is located at 2400 Innovation Dr., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.wltz.com/story/22115779/ge-aviation-plant-creates-auburn-jobs
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Health; Vitamins
Pharmavite manufactures soft-gel vitamin tablets under the Nature Made name. The business opened in 2013 and still operates today. The plant employs around 250 people, and is located at 4701 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
Image: https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/globalnews/2013/0607_01.html
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Automotive
South-Korean-based Mando produces brake corner modules, brake calipers, suspension modules and steering systems. The business opened in 1996, and still operates today. The facility employs around 700 people, and is located at 4201 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://ltc4940.blogspot.com/2009/04/opelika-al.html
South-Korean-based Daewon America produces suspension bars and coils to supply the automotive industry including Hyundai, Kia, GM and Chrysler. The business opened in 2007, and still operates today. Daewon America's Alabama branch is located at 4600 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://www.opelikaeconomicdevelopment.org/Default.asp?ID=660&pg=News&action=view&aid=903&title=Daewon+America+Continuing+to+Grow+in+Opelika!
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Lawn Care; Motors
Briggs and Stratton produces V-twin engines for riding mowers sold under Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, John Deere, Simplicity, and Snapper brands. The business opened in 1995, and still operates today. The plant is located at 150 Technology Pkwy., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://auburnal.blogspot.com/2011/02/briggs-stratton-auburn-alabama-brigg.html
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Automotive
This plant produces light metal alloy wheels for the automotive industry. Formerly ATS Light Alloy Wheels Alabama, it was acquired by the German firm Borbet in 2008 and employs around 150. The business opened in 2001, and still operates today. Borbet is located at 979 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.bailey-harris.com/project/borbet-alabama-inc/
Rexnord Industries ,anufactures lubricated and non-lubricated flexible steel couplings and Thomas Brand Couplings for automotive transmissions. This plant was formerly known as Falk and employs around 175 people. The business opened in 1995, and still operates today. It is located at 1600 Pumphrey Ave., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://harbert.auburn.edu/news/atacs-industrial-leadership-series-teaches-sustainability-innovation.php
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Cabinets
This business produces cabinets and employs roughly 600 people, making it one of the largest employers in Lee County. The business opened in 1999, and still operates today. Masterbrand Cabinets is located at 300 Webster Rd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.city-data.com/businesses/206166423-master-brand-cabinets-inc-auburn-wa.html
This Korean-owned company that manufactures front axles and rear carrier assemblies for automobiles and currently employs around 300 people. The business opened in 2007, and still operates today. It is located at 246 Teague Ct., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/seohan/seohan.htm
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Medical Equipment; Dialyzers
Sweden-based Gambro Renal owns this plant, which produces dialyzers for patients with kidney failure. A large expansion has been planned for 2016. The business opened in 2008, and still operates today. The factory currently employs around 150 people and is located at 1101 Jeter Ave., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/gambro/gambro.htm
This Korean-owned company that produces air-conditioning and heater pipe assemblies for automobiles and employs around 100 people. The business opened in 2004, and still operates today. Pyongsan America is located at 760 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/pyongsan/pyongsan.htm
Donaldson Company produces air filtration systems (mufflers) for truck manufacturers and is located at 2268 Pumphrey Ave, Auburn, AL, 36832. The business opened in 1999 and still operates today.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/donaldson/donaldson.htm
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Scientific Tools
Thermo Fisher produces high-quality plastic vials used primarily by reference laboratories for drug and diagnostic and industrial testing. Originally Capitol Vial, the plant was purchased by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2006. The business opened in 1999 and still operates today. It is currently one of the largest employers in Lee County, and is located at 2039 McMillan St., Auburn, AL.
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Consumer Goods
CV Holdings owns a manufacturing facility operating under the name Capitol Cups. Capital Cups produces high-qulaity plastic cups commonly found at reatil stores or sporting events. CV Holdings was recently linked to the misappropriations scandal involving Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard of Lee County. The business opened in 2004 and still operates today. It is located at 960 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.capitolcups.com/cv-holdings-llc/
This manufacturing company produces automotive components. It is the first US based manufacturing operation for the Israeli owned Arkal company. This business opened in 2012 and still operates today. The Auburn branch of Akral is located at 2490 Innovation Dr., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.auburnalabama.org/ed/BuildingsSitesView.aspx?id=53
This Korean-owned company that produces injection molded parts for automotive heaters and blowers and employs around 400 people. The business opened in 2004, and still operates today. It is located at 764 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/15522721/article-Expansion-increases-job-options
House, Guntersville, Alabama Marshall County; 1947 single dwelling-non-farm.
The house with the address of 318 Hill Avenue Guntersville Alabama of Marshall County was built in 1947; it is a one story brick veneer single dwelling-non-farm residence with a cross gable composition shingle roof. The building faces east, has a 5x2 rectangular core with side gable front and rear projections at its outer bays. It has a less than full façade shed porch with wood posts; off centered entrance at the façade flanked by single 6/8 and 8/8 replacement windows. The house also has similar single and double windows at the side elevations with a painted brick veneer exterior walls, continuous brick foundations, and has a noncontributing frame garage to the rear. The house appears to be eligible for both Alabama and National Register marked as would contribute to a district. The house was last refurbished in 2000 and is in very good condition.
Joseph Marinello, University of North Alabama
Alabama Historical Commission, Historic Building form #48
House; Guntersville, Alabama, Marshall County; 1957 single dwelling-non farm.
The house with the address of 322 Hill Avenue Guntersville Alabama in Marshall County was built in 1957 and is a 1 story single dwelling-non-farm residence that is in very good condition. The house is a brick veneer ranch style dwelling with a side gable composition shingle roof; faces east with a 3x2 bay rectangular core with a projecting gable bay at the rear of the bay of the south elevation; entrance bay gable porch with decorative metal supports; slightly recessed central entrance at the façade flanked by double horizontal 2/2 windows, similar single and double windows at the side elevations; exposed brick veneer exterior walls; continuous brick foundations. The house not eligible for either the Alabama or National Register.
Alabama Historical Commission; Historical Building Form, Survey#49
2005.36.304: Josephine to Mrs. P.M. Young, 1865 April 18
1865; Waco, Texas; Josephine; Mrs. P.M. Young; Texas Prairie; Family Affairs; Society; Scenery; Horses; Cows; Sheep; Goats; Corn; Flour; Prices; Religion; Indians; Raids
In this seven-page handwritten letter, in addition to an envelope, to P.M. Young, Josephine describes the Texas landscape in great detail, even explaining how much corn and flour cost. She is grateful for the equitable society available to her in such foreign territory, but expresses concern about Indian raids and hope that they will be put down militarily.
2005.36.165: Josephine Young to Caroline Young, 1857 March 10
1857; Savannah; Georgia; Josephine Young; Caroline Young; Madie; Ida; Robert (Bob); Father (Robert M. Young Sr.); Health, Grandchildren; City Elegance; Family Visitation
Apologies made for delay in responding due to child's illness. Description of how much grandchildren miss grandparents and Aunt Lou and Uncle Pierce. Mention of wealthy, elegant Savannah city folk. Promise made to visit during the summer. Original document contains one hand-addressed envelop and two handwritten pages.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn Masonic Female College; Langdon Hall; Auburn, AL; Civil War; Secession; Yancey, William Lowndes; Stephens, Alexander; Toombs, Robert; Brownlow, William G. "Parson"; Union Army; Langdon Hall; The Chapel; Old Main Hall; Pine Hill Cemetery; Auburn University; Langdon, Charles
Originally built as the Auburn Masonic Female College chapel in 1846, the building that became known as Langdon Hall stood on the corner of Gay and Magnolia Street near the current site of Auburn Bank. As the oldest building in Auburn, it served as the political nerve center of eastern Alabama for most of the 19th century. Boasting the largest auditorium in eastern Alabama, it was the scene of countless lectures and political debates leading up to the American Civil War. In 1860, it was the site of a major debate on secession between future Confederate Vice-President Alexander Stephens, future Confederate Secretary of State Robert Toombs, anti-secessionist William G. "Parson" Brownlow, and fiery orator and politician William Lowndes Yancey. In July 1864, as Major General William T. Sherman's army bore down upon Atlanta, soldiers wounded in its defense were evacuated to surrounding communities. A contingent of soldiers from Texas were moved to the city of Auburn and housed in Langdon Hall, the Chapel, and Old Main Hall, which were converted into makeshift hospitals. After the war, Auburn's annual Confederate Memorial Day celebration typically began at Langdon Hall before eventually terminating at Pine Hill Cemetery. In 1883, it was moved from its original location to its present spot on Auburn University's campus where it has been used as classroom space ever since. Just six years later, it was renamed Langdon Hall after prominent Alabama politician, war veteran, and Auburn trustee Charles Langdon.
Auburn University Libraries: Langdon Hall
Lee County, AL; Civil War; The Lathe; Selma, AL; Sherman, General William Tecumseh; Union Army; Columbus, GA; Irondale, AL; Ironclads; Atlanta, GA; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Auburn University; Samford Hall; Auburn, AL
In the early years of the Civil War, the Lathe was constructed in Selma, Alabama to bore out 7-inch Brooke rifles that were the mainstay of Confederate ironclads and coastal fortifications stretched across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As Major General William T. Sherman's Union army marched towards Atlanta in the summer of 1864, Confederate officials decided to move the Lathe to the other major Confederate industrial center of Columbus, Georgia to avert its capture. On the way, it was buried in Irondale, Alabama as Sherman's forces bore down on Atlanta and eventually unearthed as Union forces moved further east. It spent the rest of its usable life in Columbus where it continued to bore cannon until the Confederacy's collapse in the spring of 1865. After the war, it was purchased and used by the Birmingham Rolling Mills - later part of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company - before it was presented to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (later Auburn University) in 1936 where it has stood next to Samford Hall ever since.
Auburn Plainsman: The Legend of the Lathe Historic Markers Across America: the Lathe
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Camp Beauregard; Camp Johnson; Confederate Army; Auburn Guards; Beauregard, AL; Auburn, AL
These two camps trained six groups of Confederate soldiers that included the local Auburn Guards as well as the 14th, 18th, 37th, and 45th Alabama infantry regiments.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn, AL; Religion; Langdon Hall; Auburn Presbyterian Church; Slavery; Reese, Edwin; Old Main Hall
Founded as the Auburn Presbyterian Church in 1851, “the Chapel” was built by local slaves belonging to one of Auburn’s first residents, Edwin Reese. Like Langdon Hall and Old Main Hall, it served as a makeshift hospital from July 1864 through the end of the Civil War. It is currently the oldest building in Auburn still standing on its original site and the second oldest building overall. It is still in use today as a multi-faith chapel.
Floyd D. Warner, Auburn Players Theater: National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Pebble Hill; Historic Home; Scott, Nathaniel J.; Rousseau, General Lovell Harrison; Yancey, William Lowndes; Union Army; Auburn, AL
Pebble Hill was the home of Nathaniel J. Scott and his family from 1847 to 1871. When Rousseau’s men swept through Auburn in July 1864, William Lowndes Yancey’s widow resided at Pebble Hill and Union soldiers looted the building because of her presence. It was reported that Nathaniel Scott’s family had silver near a spring on the property and though Union soldiers watered their horses at this spring, the silver was never found.
History of Pebble Hill Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Davis, Jefferson; Montgomery, AL; Confederacy; Confederate Army; East Alabama Male College; Columbus, GA; Rousseau, General Lovell Harrison; New Orleans, LA; Richmond; United Daughters of the Confederacy; Auburn, AL; Wilson, General James Harrison
In February 1861, president-elect Jefferson Davis rode a train from his plantation in Mississippi to Atlanta and then to Montgomery, Alabama for his inauguration as president of the Confederacy. On February 16, at the Auburn train depot, president-elect Davis reviewed the Auburn Guards, a company of cadets from the East Alabama Male College who were reportedly the first of the Confederate Army to be reviewed by Davis. Because the Montgomery and West Point Railroad connected Auburn with the state capital at Montgomery and the vital industrial city of Columbus, GA, the Auburn train depot and tracks were later destroyed under Rousseau and Wilson's raids, in 1864 and 1865 respectively. It was replaced by a second station after the end of the war which was located to the west of the current (and final) depot. In 1893, the Auburn cadets formed an honor guard when former Confederate president Jefferson Davis's body was sent by train from New Orleans to Richmond. In commemoration of the former president's visit to Auburn, on March 30, 1914, the United Daughters of the Confederacy unveiled a marker near the depot that stands today.