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.
Joseph Marinello, University of North Alabama
Alabama Historical Commission; Historical Building Form, Survey#49
Jackson County, Stevenson, Civil War, Reconstruction, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
During the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War, a freedmen’s community was established in this area called Averyville, named for the Pennsylvania minister and successful businessman Charles Avery, a longtime and faithful champion of Negro education. Wilmer Walton, a Quaker missionary, moved to Stevenson and Averyville as early as 1865, opening a school financed by the Quaker “Friends’ Association for Aid and Elevation of the Freedmen”. Soon, some seventy-five students, both adults and children, were enrolled in Walton’s school. Another teacher and Quaker missionary, Henrietta Starkweather, succeeded Wilmer Walton at Averyville. This noble and pioneering effort to educate freedmen was short-lived; Ku Klux Klan violence, threats, and intimidation drove the teachers away by the early 1870s, and the school closed. Averyville School’s most notable student was William Hooper Councill (1848-1909), a former slave brought to Alabama in 1857. He attended Averyville School as a freedman, becoming a teacher himself by the end of his third year here. He moved to Huntsville in 1869 and opened the Lincoln Normal School to train black teachers. In 1873, Dr. Councill founded Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, using funds appropriated by the Alabama Legislature to train black teachers. Dr. Councill rose to state and national prominence, becoming an influential leader alongside Booker T. Washington and others. His only formal education was here at the Freedman’s School at Averyville. Here the seeds of learning were planted which grew into Alabama A&M University, educating thousands of students to this day. (From the Alabama Historical Commission historical marker, currently in storage)
http://www.alabamahistory.net/jackson-historical-markers.html http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/2207
Northeast Alabama Community College Archives and Special Collections
Jackson County, Bridgeport, Military Fortification, Civil War, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
Vital Memphis-Charleston railroad, "backbone of Confederacy," spanned Tennessee River here. Bridge burned several times, 1862-63. General Mitchell (U.S. Flag), occupying Huntsville after Battle of Shiloh, seized Bridgeport in April 1862 and held it until August. Federals recaptured town in July 1863 as Rosecrans (U.S. Flag) took Chattanooga (upriver). As end of usable railway from Nashville, town became key base of operations in U.S. victory at Chickamauga and lifting siege of Chattanooga. (From the historical marker erected by the Alabama Historical Commission)
Jackson County, Native Americans, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
One of the Five Lower Towns established by the Chickamauga Cherokees in 1782 under the leadership of Dragging Canoe. Territorial Governor William Blount reported to the Secretary of War in 1792 that: "Crow Town lies on the north side of the Tennessee [River], half a mile from the river, up Crow Creek, 30 miles below the Suck. [It] is the lowest town in the Cherokee Nation and contained 30 huts in 1790. The Creeks and Northward tribes cross [the river] here." All of the Five Lower Towns were on the extreme Cherokee frontier. Running Water was near Chattanooga and Nickajack was near Haletown, Tennessee. Long Island Town was twenty miles below the Suck, east of Bridgeport, Alabama. Lookout Mountain Town was near Trenton, Georgia. Crow Town encompassed an area of several miles by the early 1800s as increasing numbers of Cherokee families settled here. With the creation of Jackson County in 1819, many of the Cherokees moved to the south side of the river - some 19th-century maps placed Crow Town near the southeast end of Snodgrass Bridge which takes Highway 117 across the Tennessee River east of Stevenson. The 1782 site of Crow Town, one-half mile from the confluence of Crow Creek and the original channel of the Tennessee River, was flooded with the closing of the spillway gates at Guntersville Dam in 1939. (From the Historical Marker erected by the Alabama Historical Commission, sponsored by the Jackson County Historical Association)
http://www.alabamahistory.net/jackson-historical-markers.html Street, O.D. "Cherokee Towns and Villages." Publications of the Alabama Historical Society, Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 1.
Northeast Alabama Archives and Special Collections
Decatur County, Madison County, Jackson County, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
Created by an Act of the Legislature on December 7, 1821, Decatur County was comprised of portions of Madison and Jackson Counties. "Old Woodville," two miles north along County Highway 7, was designated as the County Seat. An 1823-'24 completed survey revealed that it did not contain the constitutionally required number of square miles. The county was abolished by an Act of the Legislature on December 28, 1825, and the territory was returned to Madison and Jackson Counties.
Jackson County, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
In 1946, Robert E. Jones, Jr. was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives to fill Alabama's 5th Congressional District seat vacated by John J. Sparkman's election to the U.S. Senate. Elected to 15 consecutive terms, 1946-1976, Congressman Jones became Alabama's longest-serving Representative. The Robert E. Jones Bridge that spans the Tennessee River east of Scottsboro was dedicated in his honor in September 1985. Congressman Jones is remembered for his ardent support of legislation leading to the expansion of the Tennessee Valley Authority, construction of the nation's interstate highway system, development of the U.S. Space program, protection of the environment, and construction of major public works that included the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Museum of History and Technology, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Madison Annex to the Library of Congress. He retired to Scottsboro in 1977 where he lived until his death in 1997. The Jones House was constructed in 1907 in the second subdivision recorded in the Scottsboro City Plat in 1889. The steep Pyramidal-roof, thin wooden columns, large interior chimney, and veranda that surrounds three sides exhibit overtones of the French Colonial Style. The house was purchased in 1909 by Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Jones, Sr. who maintained the residence until the death of Mrs. Jones in 1966. Their children were Rudolph, Cecil, and Ruth Jones, Sydie Jones Snodgrass, and Robert E. (Bob) Jones, Jr., who was born in this house on June 12, 1912. A graduate of Jackson County High School and the University of Alabama School of Law, Robert E. Jones, Jr. was admitted to the bar on January 20, 1937. After practicing law in Scottsboro, he was elected judge of Jackson County in 1940. He served in the U. S. Navy from December 1943 to February 1946, in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and as a member of the legal staff of General Douglas MacArthur. (From the historical marker erected by the Alabama Historical Commission)
Jackson County, Scottsboro, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
Planter, tavern operator, newspaper editor, legislator, and land developer, he sought in vain to have the Jackson County Seat moved from Bellefonte to the settlement that bore his name. After his death in 1863, his widow reached an agreement in 1868 with the county government whereby the site for the courthouse and jail was deeded to Jackson County on condition that Scottsboro become the county seat. Incorporated by the state legislature on January 20, 1870, the town became an important commercial center and shipping point on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. (From the historical marker erected by the Alabama Historical Commission)
On long island near Bridgeport. One of the Five Lower Creek towns.
Street, O.D. "Cherokee Towns and Villages." Publications of the Alabama Historical Society, Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 1.
Jackson County, slavery, slave narratives, Thomas Cole, Robert Coles
In a W.P.A. narrative, Thomas Cole recounted his time as a slave on the plantation of Dr. Robert Coles in western Jackson County. Thomas Cole was born in 1845 and ran away to join the Union army in 1861. After seeing combat at Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga, and Orchard Knob he returned to Chattanooga where he worked as a switchman until his health failed. He then moved to Corsicana, Texas to live with his daughter.
Cole, Thomas. “Ex-Slave Stories (Texas),” Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-38. Texas Narratives Vol. 16, part 1, 225-235. Coles, R.T. and Jeffrey D. Stocker (ed.) From Huntsville to Appomattox: R.T. Coles's History of 4th Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A., Army of Northern Virginia. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996.
Newspapers; Captain Arthur H. Keller; Jewish settlement
The North Alabamian and Times, now the Standard and Times and the Colbert County Reporter, was published by Captain Arthur H. Keller (who may now be better known as Helen Keller's father). Local Jewish merchants routinely advertised with Captain Keller and he published wedding announcements, social events, and promoted lecturers and speakers on the Talmud and Jewish history who were sponsored by the Jewish Community. Several memoirs by members of the Jewish Congregation mention meeting Helen Keller and several descendants of the founding Jewish families have had children included in the local production of "The Miracle Worker" at Ivy Green.
Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
Coleman, Erwin M., A History of Temple B'Nai Israel, Florence, Alabama: Centennial Celebration, 1906 - 2006.
Collier Special Collections -- University of North Alabama
Libraries; resources: Florence, Alabama; Lauderdale County; Collier Library; University of North Alabama; Rosenbaum Family Papers
The Special Collections and Archives at Collier Library at the University of North Alabama include many locally published manuscripts about the establishment of the cities of Florence, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Muscle Shoals. The Rosenbaum Family papers are housed in the archives and offer insights into the ways in which local Jewish business leaders guided the area toward calmer race relations. The archives also house the William Lindsey McDonald Collection of papers which offer additional context for local history. The Sadie Schrader collection of photographs is housed at the archives. She was a member of Temple B'Nai Israel.
Falkville, Alabama; Morgan County, Alabama; Jewish Settlement in Alabama
Louis M. Faulk, who was born in 1839 in Prussia, who died in 1871, and who is buried in Cincinnati, Ohio, established a store and named the town for himself. Falk's brother, Alexander, is the only Jewish individual buried in the Florence, Alabama Cemetery.
Erwin M. Coleman, A History of Temple B'Nai Israel, Florence, Alabama: Centennial Celebration, 1906 - 2006. Privately Published.
History of Sheffield. Alabama Historic Marker
Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Settlement
A historic marker, located on North Montgomery Avenue ad 3rd Street in Sheffield, offers a brief overview of Sheffield's history. Alfred Huger Moses, who was from Charleston, South Carolina and who had served in the Confederate Army, is credited with establishing the city.
Samuel J. Israel; Colbert County: Jewish Philanthropists
Samuel J. Israel immigrated from Lithuania moving to Sheffield, Alabama in 1909. His first venture was a wholesale grocery. He eventually founded Paper and Chemical Supply of Sheffield. He was known throughout the community for his charitable works and kind nature. He served on multiple committees on behalf of local charities, fraternities, and the Temple. His most notable contribution to the area was donating the land and organizing the fundraising for the construction of the Northwest Alabama Rehabilitation Center in Muscle Shoals. He also worked tirelessly to promote adult literacy in the state of Alabama. When he died, Senator Howell Heflin (Democrat of Alabama) paid special tribute to Mr. Israel's contributions to the area and the state on the floor of the United States Senate. He married Bessie Kreisman (whose parents were prominent businesspeople in Florence). Their daughter, Beatrice, married Jack Muhlendorf. He first marriage to Bessie lasted from 1912 until her death in 1912. His second marriage was to Hilda Shipper. He died in 1990 at the age of ninety-three. The Israel and Muhlendorf Family have a section of graves at the Jewish Cemetery in Oakview Cemetery in Sheffield, Alabama. The three acres of the cemetery were put aside for Jewish use before a temple existed.
Samuel J. Israel, unpublished manuscript, local history room, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library.
Letter to the Editor, Florence Newspaper, Undated
Jewish Settlement: Florence, Alabama; Northwest Alabama
A letter to the editor found in the files of the history of Temple B'Nai Israel at the Florence- Lauderdale Public Library suggests that Jewish immigrants to the area were encouraged and welcomed.
Special Collections, Local History Room, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Temple of B'nai Israel, 2-3.
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library -- Local History Room
Libraries; local history; Jewish History
The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library's local history room has several large files devoted to the study of local places, organizations, and individuals. The Jewish History Collection offers a good cross-section of Jewish owned businesses, the history of the Temple, copies of society pages, copies of unpublished manuscripts, and copies of prominent Jewish families who settled in the area. Many of the papers were donated by Doryce Levi and Dallas and Mary Lancaster. An original history of the Jewish settlers, written by Lee Freeman, can also be found in the files.
Alfred Huger Moses; Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish settlement
Alfred Huger Moses was responsible for the establishment of Sheffield, Alabama. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, he moved to Alabama after serving in the Confederate Army where he achieved the rank of Captain. HIs wife, Katherine, five children, and brother moved to the area with him. He hoped to create an industrial mecca much as Sheffield, England had. He was briefly part of a land and iron boom in the area but was left almost penniless during the 1890s when pig iron prices were falling and banks were failing. He was the first mayor of Sheffield, Alabama.
A History of Sheffield, privately printed by the Sheffield Public Library.
Sheffield Public Library -- Alfred Huger Moses Room
Sheffield,. Alabama; Colbert County; Afred Hugler Moses; Jewish Settlement
The Alfred Huger Moses Room, which is located in the annex of the Sheffield Public Library (on Montgomery Avenue ), was made possible, in part, by funding from the descendants of Alfred Huger Moses (founder and first mayor of Sheffield). The room was dedicated 104 years after the founding of Sheffield. Adeline Moses, one of Alfred's daughters, married Carl Loeb, founder of Loeb Rhodes in New York City. Her children and grandchildren were in attendance at the dedication of the room.
Samuel J. Israel, Unpublished Autobiography
Samuel J. Israel; Sheffield, Alabama; Jewish Community; Philanthropy
Samuel J. Israel, who moved to Sheffield, Alabama in 1909 from Lithuania, wrote his memoirs at his daughter's (Beatrice Muhlendorf) request. The manuscript -- which is over thirty pages long -- is titled "From Northern Lithuania to Northern Alabama."
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, local history room, file 3-2.
Jacob Spielberger, who was born in Hungary in January of 1856, came to Alabama around 1888. He opened a dry goods store and clothing store, Spielberger and Sons, at 217 and 219 Mongomery Avenue in Sheffield. His three sons, Jacob, Harry, and Ben worked with him as young men. The Spielbergers figure prominently in the development of retail in Sheffield, in the building of Temple B'nai Israel, and in fraternal organizations.
Coleman, Erwin M., A History of Temple B'nai Israel, Florence, Alabama; Centennial Celebration, 1906 - 2006. A History Of Sheffield, Sheffield Public Library, privately printed.
The family was active in business in Sheffield from 1888 to the mid-1970s.
Unpublished Manuscript -- Stanley Rosenbaum
Stanley Rosenbaum, who was a Florence, Alabama businessman, philanthropist, Civil Rights advocate, member of the University of North Alabama's English Department, and original owner of the Stanley Rosenbaum Frank Lloyd Wright House, was interested in and encouraged creative writing. An unpublished one act play, titled "When I Am Thirty," is housed in the archives of the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. The play has three characters, one setting, and has detailed stage directions. Stanley Rosenbaum and his father gave the funds to establish the library and Stanley Rosenbaum served in various positions as a volunteer for over thirty years.
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, archives, file 3-2 in the local history room.
The first location of Temple B'nai Israel. which was built in 1909, is located on 8th Street and Atlanta. The cornerstone was laid (with what the local paper called 'appropriate ceremony") in accordance with Jewish ritual. It contained: a history of the organization of the congregation, lists of the members of the congregation who served on various committees that spearheaded the organization and erection of the Temple, various Mason items, and one dollar among other items.
Coleman, Erwin M., A History of Temple B'nai Israel, Florence, Alabama: Centennial Celebration, 1906 - 2006. Privately Printed.
Historic Homes, Florence, Alabama; Lauderdale County; Jewish Settlers in North Alabama
The Reisman-Coffee-Looft House, located at 618 N. Wood Avenue, was the home to Mark Reisman and his family. Mr. Reisman was one of the first Jewish merchants in the Florence area. His business was located the corner of Tennessee and Court Streets. He was a well-respected businessman in the area and news of his death (from a gun accident in his home) shocked the community. The house, which is Queen Anne style, was built between 1888 and 1900.
History of Temple B'nai Israel, file 2-3, Local History Room, Florence- Lauderdale Public Library.
WQLT Transmitter Site: Elvis the Generator
Sam Phillips; Colbert County; Big River Broadcasting
The generator for WQLT Radio station, which is owned by Big River Broadcasting - founded by Sam Phillips and now under the management of his sons and grandchildren -- is, whimsically perhaps, painted gold and named Elvis for Elvis Presley, who Sam Phillips is credited with discovering.
Tuscumbia, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Settlement
Jacob and Isaac Friedman, brothers who moved to Tuscumbia from Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1840s, established a dry goods store on the main street of Tuscumbia.
Florence, Lauderdale Public Library, Local History Room, History of Temple B'nai Israel files, 2-3.
Special Collections, Sadie Schrader Collection, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence. Alabama.
Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Settlement in Alabama; Alfred Moses
Alfred Huger Moses and his brother, Mordecai, were largely responsible for the founding of Sheffield, Alabama. They named the city after Sheffield, England hoping for similar success in industrialization. The sales of 500 lots for the establishment of Sheffield, Alabama was a three day event starting on May 8th, 1884. The sale realized sales of $350,000.
Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama.
Montgomery Avenue; Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Owned Businesses
Most of the earliest merchants in Sheffield, Alabama were of Jewish descent and came to the area in the mid 1880's. The earliest Jewish families were the Spielbergers who owned a dry goods and clothing store, Speilbergers and Sons at 217-219 Montgomery Avenue. Other Jewish owned businesses included: Philip Olin who sold boots, shoes, and clothing, H. Goodman and A. E. Goodman who sold furniture and general merchandise, and Cohen Mercantile, which was located at the intersection of Montgomery and Cohen.
Special Collection, Sadie Schrader Collection, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Office of Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal Company
Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish History; Alfred Huger Moses
Alfred Huger Moses, founder and first mayor of Sheffield, Alabama (along with his brother, Mordecai) was the owner of the Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal Company, located on Montgomery Avenue.
Alfred Huger Moses Home; Sheffield, Alabama; Montgomery Avenue; Colbert County; Jewish Settlers
Alfred Huger Moses, the designer and first mayor of Sheffield, built his family home at what is now 1315 North Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, Alabama. The house burned to the ground circa 1890.
Sheffield; Colbert County; Jewish Owned Businesses
Alfred Huger Moses was responsible for the layout of the residential, business, and industrial areas of Sheffield, Alabama, which was incorporated in 1895. He named Montgomery Avenue after Montgomery, Alabama where he and his family had lived (and where he and his wife are buried) before moving to Sheffield. The family home, which burned n the late 1880s, was located on North Montgomery Avenue near where the bluff overlooks the Tennessee River.
Special Collections, 55.3, from Said Schrader Collection. Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Photograph courtesy of Special Collections, UNA.
Morris Nathan; Founder of Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Settlers
Alfred Huger Moses and Morris Nathan were the first two alderman of Sheffield, Alabama. Nathan was buried in the Jewish section of Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield, Alabama before the Jewish community incorporated or built a temple.
Sauta Village and Sequoyah's Cherokee Syllabary
Sauta, Jackson County, Native Americans, language, Sequoyah, George Guess, George Gist
Sauta was a small Cherokee village established about 1784 on the north side of the Tennessee River near its confluence with North Sauty Creek. The August 13, 1828, issue of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper includes a letter from an acquaintance of Sequoyah relating the story of Sequoyah's creation of the Cherokee syllabary. According to the story, several young men at Sauta were discussing their awe of white men's ability to pass language across vast distances via written words on paper. Sequoyah is said to have told the men that he could easily create a written language and his response was met with ridicule. Inspired by this event, Sequoyah completed the Cherokee syllabary. A similar story is recounted by Samuel Lorenzo Knapp from his 1828 interview of Sequoyah in Washington D.C. Many myths surround the life of Sequoyah and the creation of the Cherokee syllabary, but the timing and nature of these sources lend credence to this story.
Abram, Susan M. "Sequoyah." Encyclopedia of Alabama. May 21, 2009; http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2159 [accessed August 11, 2016] Chambless, Ann B. "Early Cherokee Village of Sauta." Jackson County Chronicles 20, no. 1 (January 2008): 6. Chambless, Ann B. "Sequoyah." Jackson County Chronicles 25, no. 4 (October 2013): 3-6. G.C. "Invention of the Cherokee Alphabet." Cherokee Phoenix 1, no. 24 (August 13, 1828): 2, col. 1a-2a. Foreman, Grant. Sequoyah. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2012. Street, O.D. "Cherokee Towns and Villages." Publications of the Alabama Historical Society, Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 1. Montgomery, AL, 1901.
Print by McKenney and Hall from Birmingham Public Library Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature
General William Rosecrans' Headquarters (Alston-Rosser House, "Little Brick")
Stevenson, Jackson County, Civil War, William Rosecrans, James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, National Register of Historic Places
The structure known locally as "Little Brick" was built about 1855 during the railroad construction boom in Stevenson, Alabama. The property was purchased prior to the Civil War by Michigan native Walter Rosser who was in Stevenson working as a railroad engineer. The nature of design indicates that Rosser may have built the structure himself. It is believed that a man named Thomas Osbourne lived in the home until it was commandeered by General William Rosecrans to be used as a headquarters during the Civil War. Little Brick's location on a side street, away from the bustling depot and downtown area fit with the general's needs. It was here that Rosecrans worked diligently on plans for the Chattanooga campaign from his arrival on August 8, 1863 until his September 4, 1863 departure. At Little Brick, Rosecrans met with two men who would become President of the United States, his Chief of Staff James A. Garfield and General Ulysses S. Grant. General William T. Sherman was in the area at the time and it is possible he came to Little Brick, as well. After the war Rosser returned to Stevenson and reclaimed his property, and it remained in the Rosser family for over a century. The structure has fallen into ruins and the property is now owned by the city of Stevenson.
Secrist, Phil. "The General's Headquarters (Rosecrans' Headquarters)." National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Jackson County Historical Society, Marietta, Georgia, February 1, 1978. http://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=ae9c19b8-578e-4c8e-90e4-c5e464f41768 "Union Army Headquarters" Historical Marker. Alabama Historical Association. Myrtle Place, Stevenson, Alabama.
built c. 1855, occupied by Rosecrans August 18 - September 4, 1863
"Alabama Agriculture," Constance Ortmayer (1940)
Scottsboro, Jackson County, art, public art, sculpture, bas relief, Works Progress Administration, Constance Ortmeyer
Constance Ortmayer was born in New York City in 1902 and graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts at Vienna, Austria. She returned to the United States in 1932 and was teaching art at Rollins College in Florida when she was commissioned to complete two bas relief sculptures for the post offices at Arcadia, Florida and Scottsboro, Alabama.The Arcadia relief was completed in 1939. The Scottsboro relief, Alabama Agriculture, was completed in 1940. Ortmayer said of the Scottsboro piece, "Three phases of cotton growing from the theme of the central panel. On the right the cultivation of the crop is symbolized by the young man working with a hoe among the new plants. Opposite a young woman is depicted picking ripened bolls, and for the background, the processing and shipping of cotton is represented by the bales and the strong figure of a second young worker standing between them. Both of the flanking panels interpret the growing of corn. The young man and woman shown on the right are examining the fruit on the ripened stalks and the couple on the left are represented as workers who have harvested the new crop." The Treasury Section of Fine Arts, who commissioned the piece, wrote of the work, "In a sculpture characterized by clean, flowing lines, Miss Ortmayer gives an exceptionally effective representation of the youthful strength and grace that each new generation brings to the agriculture of the South."
"Post Office Reliefs: Scottsboro, Alabama." Alabama Department of Archives and History. http://alabamamoments.alabama.gov/sec49det.html Davis, Anita Price and Jimmy Emerson. New Deal Art in Alabama: The Murals, Sculptures and Other Works, and Their Creators. McFarland and Company: Jefferson, NC, 2015.
"Harvest at Fort Payne," Harwood Magnus Steiger (1938)
Fort Payne, Dekalb County, art, public art, painting, Works Progress Administration, Harwood Magnus Steiger
"Post Office Reliefs: Fort Payne, Alabama." Alabama Department of Archives and History. http://alabamamoments.alabama.gov/sec49det.html Davis, Anita Price and Jimmy Emerson. New Deal Art in Alabama: The Murals, Sculptures and Other Works, and Their Creators. McFarland and Company: Jefferson, NC, 2015.
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Jazz, Blues, Swing Music, Radio, WWII, Television Shows, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Nat "King" Cole (March 17. 1919 - February 15, 1965) Born Nathaniel Adams Coles, on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama, crooner Nat Cole was known for his smooth, soft baritone and easygoing nature. When Nat was four years old, his father, Edward Coles, a Baptist minister, moved the family north to Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Perlina, who played the organ in her husband’s church, was one of his musical influences. As Chicago was a magnet for jazz musicians, Nat was also influenced by such artists as Louis Armstrong, and Earl “Fatha” Hines, who he would sneak out of his house to go listen to at the various clubs around the city. Dropping out of high school before graduation, Nat first played piano for his brother’s group, Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers. Settling in Los Angeles after a national tour that he was part off failed, Nat joined with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Price in the late 1930s to form the King Cole trio, as Nat had acquired the moniker “King,” due in part to the Mother Goose nursery rhyme, ‘Old King Cole,” as well as a nod to his musical prowess. Originally, the group focused on instrumental tunes, with Nat offering vocals on occasion. Legend has it that Nat’s singing career took off when a drunken patron insisted that he sing “Sweet Lorraine.” While this story has been discounted, mainly by Cole himself, he nevertheless didn’t discourage it. Nat’s explanation of his transformation in simpler terms, stating, “I started out to become a jazz pianist; in the meantime I started singing and I sang the way I felt and that's just the way it came out.” By 1943, with the help of appearances on such radio shows as Swing Soiree, the Chesterfield Supper Club, and Kraft Music Hall, The King Cole Trio had scored their first major hit with Nat’s own composition, Straighten Up and Fly Right.” Later hits like “The Christmas Song” (1946), “Route 66” (1946), “Nature Boy” (1948, and “Mona Lisa” (1950), solidified Nat’s place as a solo act and moved him away from his jazz roots with The King Cole Trio. In 1956, Nat made history by becoming the first African American to host a show on American television, The Nat “King” Cole Show on NBC. The show lasted for just over a year, ending when the show’s producers were unable to find a national sponsor, due in part to reluctance to advance a show hosted by, and featuring, African American entertainers. Although not overtly vocal regarding the civil rights battle going on in America in the 1950s and 1960s, Nat was an advocate for equality, contributing money to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and bringing lawsuits against hotels that hired him to entertain, but refused to serve him. Nat’s career kept moving forward, as he combined his singing with a fledgling acting career, the highlight being the role of W.C. Handy in 1958’s “St. Louis Blues”, based on the life of Handy. It was around this time that Nat ventured into another new genre, Latin music, recording three albums exclusively in Spanish and Portuguese from 1958 to 1962. In December of 1964, after having experienced back pain and weight loss over the previous few months, Nat was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. A heavy smoker for most of his life, Nat continued to work in spite of the diagnosis and pain, releasing his final album L-O-V-E, as well as filming his last movie, “Cat Ballou,” starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin. Nat succumbed to lung cancer on February 15, 1965. Nat’s popularity has remained strong long after his death, aided in part by his daughter Natalie’s recording of her father’s 1951 hit, “Unforgettable,” which combined new vocal from Natalie with those of her father’s. Posthumously, Nat has been enshrined in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (1985), the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (1993), the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame (1997), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000), and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (2013), as well as being featured on a United States postage stamp in 1994. Long after his passing, Nat’s sound is still influencing new generations of singers and finding new listeners. Watch & Listen: "Nat King Cole - Unforgettable" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_JRGjc1To "Nat King Cole - When I Fall In Love (From Movie - Istanbul 1957)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8lNgdpVakY "Memphis Blues Scene from 'St. Louis Blues' (1958)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvd76QiRs-4 "Nat Cole and early family interview" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_oXfIwSXIc "Nat 'King' Cole Interview" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3F5N3PSKik
John Griffin, University of North Alabama
Epstein, Daniel Mark. Nat King Cole. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999 Santelli, Robert. The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia. New York: Penguin Books, 1993 “Nat ‘King’ Cole.” http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1552. Accessed November 29, 2016. Gilliland, John. Show 22 - Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66: A skinny dip in the easy listening mainstream. [Part 1]. UNT Digital Library. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19775/. Accessed November 29, 2016. All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Florence, Lauderdale County, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Sam Phillips (1923-2003) Samuel Cornelius Phillips was born January 5, 1923 in Florence, Alabama. He was the youngest of eight children born to Charles Tucker Phillips and Madge Ella Phillips. He was born into a middle-class farming family, but the family lost the farm during the Great Depression. His love of music was evident early on; he was active in his high school band, playing several different instruments, and eventually becoming the conductor. Sam dropped out of school just before graduation to support his mother and deaf aunt after his father died. He married Rebecca Burns in 1942; the couple had two sons, Knox and Jerry. He took an extension course in audio engineering from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (present-day Auburn University), but his passion for music remained his focus. From 1942 to 1949, Sam worked as radio engineer and host for several different stations including the following: WMSG in Decatur, Alabama; WLAY in Nashville, Tennessee where he became known as host of “Afternoon Tea Dance;” and WREC in Memphis, Tennessee. This work allowed Sam to acquire up many skills including transferring recordings from vinyl to acetate tapes and prerecording shows for radio hosts. In 1950 Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service on Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee in order to meet the need of local musicians who had to travel to either Nashville, New Orleans, or Chicago to record. Early on, Phillips raised most of his business by offering anyone who walked in the chance to “cut” a record for a few dollars. He also recorded private events such as weddings. Eventually, Phillips started his own record label, Phillips Records. His first record, “Boogie in the Park,” by Joe Hill Louis, attracted the attention of B.B. King, Chester Arthur Burnett (Howlin’ Wolf), and Ike Turner, each of which went on to record his first record with Phillips Records. Phillips’s first hit record, “Rocket 88,” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats reached the top of the rhythm and blues charts in 1951. In 1952, Philips renamed the label Sun Records. Sun Record’s first single was Johnny London’s “Drivin’ Show” released in March 1952. A year later, Elvis Presley recorded two songs at Sun Records as a gift to his mother. In 1954, Elvis returned and made a record of ten songs, including “That’s Alright (Mama).” Phillips signed Presley to a contract and booked him to play shows across the country. In need of money, Phillips sold the contract to RCA for $35,000, a decision he later regretted. However, the money allowed him to expand Sun Records and offer recording deals to Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison. Around this time, Phillips separated from his wife and began a relationship with Sally Wilbourn which lasted until his death. The studio did well, expanded, and included more diverse material. Phillips bought radio stations and real estate and invested in the Holiday Inn chain of hotels. He sold Sun Records in 1969 but stayed active in the radio business. He died of respiratory failure August 1, 2003. Phillips has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (1987), the Country Music Hall of Fame (2001), and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The original site of Sun Records is a National Historic Landmark, and each January a Sam Phillips Music Celebration is hosted in Florence, Alabama.
Joy Caitlin Monroe, University of North Alabama
Bolton, Jonathan W. “Sam Phillips.” Encyclopedia of Alabama (August 2013). http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2989
Calhoun County, Anniston, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
William L. Dawson (September 26, 1899-May 4, 1990) William Levi Dawson was an African American composer, performer, and music educator from Anniston, Alabama. Dawson graduated from the Tuskegee Institute with highest honors in 1921. He earned a bachelor of music degree from Horner Institute of Fine Arts in Kansas City, Missouri in 1925. He studied under Felix Borowski at the Chicago Musical College and studied under Adolph Weidig at the American Conservatory, where he earned a master’s degree in music in 1927. Dawson served as first trombonist with the Chicago Civic Orchestra from 1926 to 1930. He won a Chicago Daily News contest for band directors in 1929. Shortly after, he was awarded the Wanamaker Contest prize for the song “Jump Back Honey, Jump Back” and the orchestral composition “Scherzo.” In 1931, Dawson became director of the School of Music at the Tuskegee Institute. As director, he conducted the 100-voice a cappella choir during its engagement at the opening of the Radio City Music Hall in New York; the choir also performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House and Constitution Hall and completed a series of national and international radio broadcasts. In 1934, the choir made a tour of international and interracial good will to the British Isles, Europe, and the Soviet Union. Years later, the United States State Department sent Dawson to Spain to conduct various choral groups. In 1956, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music by the Tuskegee Institute. Perhaps his greatest achievement was as composer of the Negro Folk Symphony which combined melody and rhythm from Negro spirituals with his own original material. The Negro Folk Symphony was presented by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra in 1934. In 1952, Dawson visited seven West African countries, after which he revised the symphony to include rhythm inspired by African influences. He recorded Negro Folk Symphony for Decca Records in 1961. Dawson was a guest conductor for the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra in 1966, Wayne State University Glee Club in 1970, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1975. Dawson was inducted into the Alabama Arts Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and received the Alabama Arts Award in 1980. He received honorary doctorates from Lincoln University in 1978 and Ithaca College in 1982. In 1983, Dawson received the Alumni Merit Award from Tuskegee Institute, at age 90.
“William Levi Dawson.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) <http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1989/william-levi-dawson/>
DeKalb County, Ft. Payne, Music, Country, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Alabama Members: Randy Owen (Dec. 13, 1949- ) (lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter), Teddy Gentry (Jan. 22, 1952- ) (bass player, songwriter, and harmony vocalist) Jeff Cook (Aug. 27, 1949- ) (multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter) Mark Herndon (May 11, 1955- ) (drummer). Cousins Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook, of Ft. Payne, Alabama, formed the band Young Country in 1969 while Owen and Cook were still in high school. After graduation, the group moved to Anniston and changed their name to Wildcountry in 1972. In 1973, they moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where they were hired to play in a honky-tonk, The Bowery. The group signed a contract with GRT in 1977 and changed its name to Alabama. That same year they released a minor hit, “I Wanna be with You Tonight.” Two years later, after using many different drummers, Mark Herndon joined the band. In 1980, the Top 20 hit, “My Home’s in Alabama,” was released by MDJ. The hit led to the group signing with RCA Records. Alabama paved the way for groups in country music, being the first country group to top the charts with “Tennessee River” in 1980. Thus began an incredible streak of 27 No. 1 hits. Alabama dominated the charts throughout the 1980s and entered the 1990s with the hit “I’m in a Hurry.” The group has supported many worthy causes over the years. In 1989, Owen worked with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to create Country Cares, a network of 160 radio stations whose radio-thons raised $130 million for the hospital. In 1997, Alabama participated in the holiday benefit album, Country Cares for Kids. According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama also hosted an annual June Jam in Fort Payne from 1982 to 1997 to benefit charities and schools. Alabama was named the Academy of Country Music Artist of the Decade (1980s). They were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. The band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998 and accepted the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award two years later. Alabama began a farewell tour in 2003, which extended into 2004. In 2005, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In the years since the farewell tour, the band has recorded several albums and completed many reunion tours. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Rs4bQDZgM
Alabama Department of Archives and History (2016) http://www.digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/photo/id/19861 “Alabama.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/alabama/
Jackson County, Princeton, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Curly Putman (Nov. 20, 1930-Oct. 30, 2016) Claude “Curly” Putman Jr., born in Princeton, Alabama, is best known as a songwriter. He was born on Putman Mountain, northeast of Huntsville, Alabama. His father was a sawmill worker and his mother Myrtle Roden Putman was a homemaker. He attended Paint Rock Valley High School and Southern Union State Community College briefly before enlisting in the navy. He served two tours in Korea during the Korean war on the carrier Valley Forge. Afterwards, he coached basketball and taught physical education at Paint Rock Valley High while playing steel guitar on the side. He eventually got a job at a record store in Huntsville owned by a local country singer, Slim Lay. In 1956, Putman married Bernice Soon, with whom he had a son. In 1960, his song, “I Think I Know You,” performed by Marion Worth, reached the Top 10. Shortly after, Alabama native Buddy Killen, signed Patman to Nashville’s Tree Publishing Company. In 1965, Putman’s “The Green, Green Grass of Home” was recorded by Johnny Darrell. The song was later recorded by Porter Wagoner, Tom Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Gram Parsons, Joe Tex, the Grateful Dead, and any more. Putman continued to write hits for the next two decades for artists such as Charlie Rich, Tammy Wynette, the Statler Brothers, Tanya Tucker, and George Jones. Putman earned thirty-six BMI awards and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. Putman died October 30, 2016 at his home in Lebanon, Tennessee. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYir_CAi-e0
Grimes, William. “Curly Putman, Writer of ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home,’ Dies at 85.” The New York Times. (2016) http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/arts/music/curly-putnam-died.html “Curly Putman.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/curly-putman/
Colbert County, Leighton, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Percy Sledge (November 25, 1940-April 14, 2015) Percy Tyrone Sledge was born November 25, 1940 in the poor farming town of Leighton, Alabama. Sledge worked on many local farms then was hired as an orderly at the hospital in Sheffield where he delighted patients and staff by singing on the job. On weekends, he sang in an R&B combo called the Esquires. Sledge was discovered when a patient at the hospital where he was working introduced him to record producer Quin Ivy in 1965. His first recording for Atlantic Records, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” reached No. 1 on the pop charts in 1966 and became the label’s first gold record. After his first album was released, Sledge released three more in the 1960s: “Warm and Tender Soul”, “The Percy Sledge Way”, and “Take Time to Know Her”. Sledge never again reached the success of “When a Man Loves a Woman” which became an early highlight of the Muscle Shoals music scene and was used in several movie soundtracks in the 1980s. Although he said he had hummed the melody of the song all his life, he was not listed as a co-writer, so he never received any royalties for his most successful song. He may not have reached the success of “When a Man Loves a Woman” again, but he did spend the next fifty years recording and performing. Songs like “I’ll Be Your Everything” hit the charts well into the 1970s. He released his final album, “The Gospel of Percy Sledge”, in 2013. Sledge was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. He died April 14, 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at age 74. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMgFK_GPaw0
Coscarelli, Joe. “Percy Sledge, Smooth Wailer in ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ is Dead at 74.” The New York Times (2015). http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/arts/music/percy-sledge-who-sang-when-a-man-loves-a-woman-dies-at-74.html?_r=0 “Percy Sledge.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame (2016). http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/percy-sledge/
Huntsville, Madison County, Country music, Grand Ole Opry, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Radio, Redstone Arsenal
Ernie Ashworth (December 15, 1928 - March 2, 2009) Even though he had written songs for some of country music’s biggest stars, and that he himself had scored two top 10 hits, it wasn’t until after he had scored his one and only number-one single that Ernie Ashworth finally left his job working in the guided missile program at Redstone Arsenal in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. His life before, and after, was just as varied as his day and night jobs in 1963. Born December 15, 1928, Ernest Bert Ashworth began his career in music singing and playing guitar on local radio station WBHP-AM, from 1948 to 1949, when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to continue his career in radio. It was there that he was signed by Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose Music as a songwriter, writing songs recorded by such artists as Jimmy Dickens, Johnny Horton, and Carl Smith. However, after not making his mark as a singer, Ernie left Nashville in 1957 and returned to Huntsville, where he landed a job working at the Army’s Redstone Arsenal. It wasn’t until 1960 that Wesley Rose, who hadn’t given up on Ernie, arranged a recording contract for Ernie with Decca Records. Scoring three top-20 hits in two years, Ernie moved on to Hickory Records, a subsidiary owned by Acuff-Rose Music, which is where he found his greatest success as a performer. After a Top Five hit with “Everybody But Me” and a Top Ten hit with, “I Take The Chance” in 1962, Ernie found his success in 1963 with “Talk Back Trembling Lips,” his lone number-one song, which stayed on the country charts for 42 weeks. This success led to Ernie being invited to join the Grand Ole Opry as a member in 1964. While he continued to score more records that charted, none came close to the success of his signature song, although he continued to tour and perform on the Opry stage. It was then that Ernie’s career came full circle, as he once again found himself in the radio business, this time as an owner, with stations in Flomaton, Alabama, Ardmore, Tennessee, and Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1999, Ernie, who was always a popular figure overseas, scored a number-one hit on the UK Independent Chart with “Lonely Only Bar.” Ernie was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Ernie Ashworth died on March 2, 2009, in Hartsville, Tennessee following heart surgery, leaving behind a life in music few can match. Watch and Listen: "Talk Back Trembling Lips" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtCB6fftSwA "Ernie Ashworth Talks 'Talk Back Trembling Lips'" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddgmQBMu4x0 "The D.J. Cried" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpdt4Hrp2Lg "Everybody But Me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDlz0hKdB_M
Ernie Ashworth official website http://www.ernieashworth.com/ Accessed November 1, 2016 Ernie Ashworth: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2008/ernie-ashworth/ Accessed November 1, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Franklin County, Red Bay, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Tammy Wynette (May 5, 1942-April 6, 1998) Virginia Wynette Pugh was born May 5, 1942 in Tremont, Mississippi, but she spent much or her childhood just across the state line in Red Bay, Alabama. After her father died when she was nine months old, she lived mostly with her grandparents on a farm that spanned the state line. As she grew up, she worked on the farm, taught herself to play guitar, served as pianist at the Providence Baptist Church, and sang in school programs. Just before graduating high school, Virginia married Euple Byrd, with whom she had three children. Byrd was often unemployed and moved the family around, so Virginia worked as a waitress. When the couple split, she moved to Birmingham to live with relatives while she worked as a beautician and sang in WBRC’s popular Country Boy Eddy television show. In 1965, she made several trips to Nashville and moved there a year later. She auditioned for Alabama native, Billy Sherrill, with Epic Records who quickly signed her and changed her stage name to Tammy Wynette. Wynette’s first hit, “Apartment #9,” was the first of twenty-one No. 1 hits. Her hits included: “I Don’t Wanna Play House,” “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Stand By Your Man,” “Singing My Song,” “He Loves Me All the Way,” and “Woman to Woman.” Her marriage to George Jones from 1969 to 1975 produced many hit duets including “The Ceremony,” “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Two Story House,” “We’re Not the Jet Set,” and “Golden Ring.” She married songwriter-producer George Richey in 1978 and released an autobiography Stand By Your Man in 1979. Wynette continued to record hits through the 1990s. She teamed up with Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn in 1993 for their landmark "Honky Tonk Angels" album. In 1995, she and her ex-husband Jones, released a reunion album. Wynette died in her sleep April 6, 1998, of a pulmonary blood clot; she was 55. She was known as the “First Lady of Country Music.” Wynette was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Country Music Hall of Fame shortly after her death. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew
“Tammy Wynette.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/tammy-wynette/
Killen, Lauderdale County, Rock music, Elvis Presley, FAME Music Studio, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Arthur Alexander, Rick Hall, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, CMA Awards
David Briggs (March 16, 1943 - ) David Briggs has had a career that can best be described as impressive, topped off by working with Elvis Presley as his studio keyboardist, and later going out on tour with the King. But lest one think that he would rest on his laurels, David delved into new avenues of the music business, with success at every turn. David Paul Briggs was born March 16, 1943, in the small town of Killen, Alabama, located less than 20 miles from Muscle Shoals and its, at the time, nascent music industry. Music was an early part of Briggs’ life, and he took part in his first recording session at the ripe old age of 14. Soon, he was working with Jerry Carrigan, Terry Thompson, and Norbert Putnam, becoming a part of the original rhythm section for Rick Hall’s FAME Music Studio in their original studios in Florence, Alabama, and at the present studio, in Muscle Shoals. It was here that Briggs was able to work with such artists as Arthur Alexander (“You Better Move On”), Jimmy Hughes (“Steal Away”), and Tommy Roe (“Everybody”). In 1964, Briggs left the Shoals area, moving to Nashville. It was here that David happened to be in the right place at the right time. While recording his gospel album, “How Great Thou Art,” Elvis Presley asked David to fill in on keyboard as Floyd Cramer was running late. Impressed with David’s style and versatility, Elvis had him stay and play organ, even after Cramer had resumed his duties on the piano. It was a collaboration that would last until just before Presley’s death in 1977, and included Briggs joining Elvis in his 1975 Las Vegas engagement, and later, all his concert dates from 1976 through February, 1977. It was also during the time that he met Presley that David and fellow FAME rhythm section member Norbert Putnam opened Quadrafonic Studios in Nashville, recording with some of the biggest names in music, among them Neil Young, Joan Baez, Jimmy Buffet and the Jackson Five. Briggs sold his part of the studio in 1976 and later opened House of David Studios in an early 20th-century house located on Music Row. Briggs even retrofitted the house with a secret passageway from the basement garage to a tracking room just for Elvis in order that he could come and go without being mobbed by fans, a convenience Presley was not able to take advantage of before he died. In addition to his studio work, Briggs has served as musical director on the CMA Awards shows, and recorded commercials for such clients as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Coors, and Chevrolet. David Briggs was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Watch & Listen: "Conversations on Elvis - Norbert Putnam, Chip Young & David Briggs" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O26y8jqzS-0 "Arthur Alexander - 'You Better Move On' , David Briggs-piano, Terry Thompson-guitar, Forest Riley-acoustic guitar, Norbert Putnam-bass, Jerry Carrigan-drums" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLmh6hDo2_8 "Jimmy Hughes - Steal Away, David Briggs-piano, Terry Thompson-guitar, Norbert Putnam-bass, Jerry Carrigan-drums" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwESSxBVTuw "Everybody - Tommy Roe, featuring Nobert Putman-bass, David Briggs-piano, Bobby West-guitar, and Jerry Carrigan-drums." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OesKimDbcA
David Briggs: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1999/david-briggs/, Accessed November 20, 2016 House of David website http://www.houseofdavidstudios.com/, Accessed November 20, 2016 Interview, David Briggs http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/articles/tcb-band-david-briggs.html. Accessed November 20, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Dothan, Houston County, Eufaula, Barbour County, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Rock music, Southern rock music, Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section,
Buddy Buie (January 23, 1941 - July 18, 2015) Buddy Buie may not be a name that most folks recognize, but his impact on the music scene of the 1960s to the 1990s is one that transcends name recognition. As a songwriter, producer, and concert promoter, Buddy had a hand in showcasing the talents of such artists as Roy Orbison, Wynonna Judd, B.J. Thomas, The Classics IV, and, most of all, The Atlanta Rhythm Section. Born January 23, 1941, in the small town of Marianna, Florida, Perry Carlton Buie (pronounced Boo-ee) moved with his family to the town of Dothan, Alabama when he was still a child. After dropping out of Auburn University, Buddy moved north to New York City to focus on a career in music, but soon settled back in the south in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resided for much of his music career. In the early 1960s, Buddy became the road manager for Roy Orbison. A few years later, he became the producer for the Classics IV, whose guitarist, J.R. Cobb, became a frequent songwriting partner with Buddy. While based in Atlanta, Buddy spent his songwriting time in a small fishing trailer that he had in Eufaula, Alabama. It was during this period that Buddy and Cobb wrote such hits as “Stormy,” “Spooky,” and “Traces.” While the success that he had with the Classics IV set him on steady ground, it was his founding of the group Atlanta Rhythm Section that best-defined Buddy’s influence and success on the music scene. In 1970, Buddy had opened a recording studio in Atlanta. Combining members of the Classics IV and the Candymen, Atlanta Rhythm section established themselves as a Southern Rock band in the realm of the Allman Brothers Band and Lynryd Skynryd. Buddy managed and produced many of their albums, and co-wrote their hit “So Into You,” along with keyboardist Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix. The 1980s and 1990s, while not as productive as the years with Atlanta Rhythm Section, Buddy, along with Cobb, was still actively writing, his most significant hit being Wynonna Judd’s “Rock Bottom”, which hit #2 on the country charts in 1992. In 2003, Buddy retired to Eufaula, his inspiration for so many of his hits. Buddy was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Buddy Buie passed away after suffering a heart attack on July 18, 2015, leaving behind a lasting influence on pop and southern rock music that still resonates to this day. Watch and Listen: "Stormy" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Sua_QTDs0 "Spooky" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpo9KZYJ4sA "Traces" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyxpQO0YYQo "So Into You" Atlanta Rhythm Section https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmJWRLwQq7w "Rock Bottom" Wynonna Judd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrFfRQsBqd0
Buddy Buie: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2011/buddy-buie/ Accessed October 31, 2016 Buddy Buie obituary, al.com http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/07/hall_of_fame_songwriter_buddy.html Accessed October 31, 2016 Buddy Buie obituary, Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/perry-buddy-buie-songwriter-and-producer-dies-at-74/2015/07/23/b3f62650-30c7-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html?utm_term=.0609191a1b97 Accessed October 31, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Escambia County, Brewton, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
William Lee Golden Golden was raised in a farming family in Brewton, Alabama. At age seven he began singing and performing regularly on his grandfather’s weekly radio show, along with his sister. From this experience, Golden grew to love harmony, and by the time he was a teenager, he had an appreciation for Country, Gospel, Doo-Wop, and Pop Quartets. In 1965, Golden joined with the Oak Ridge Boys, a gospel group that went on to win 10 Dove awards and 5 Grammys. In 1975, the group switched to country and was awarded Country Music Association Vocal and Instrumental Group of the Year and Best Country Crossover Group of the year. Golden sang baritone for the Oak Ridge Boys for 22 years, releasing hits such as “Trying to Love Two Women,” “Ozark Mountain Jubilee,” and “Thank God for Kids.” In 1986 he released a solo album, “American Vagabond,” and in 1987, he left the group. He toured solo and with his sons Rusty and Chris as The Goldens. In 1996, Golden rejoined the Oak Ridge Boys. In 1997, Golden was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received its Life Work Award for Performing Achievement. In 2011, the Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into The Grand Ole Opry and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdFghZmdwXk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=474Q4oRJPUI
“William Lee Golden Biography.” (2016) https://www.williamleegolden.com/william-lee-golden-biography “William Lee Golden.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1997/william-l-golden/
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
“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.