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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 14
Friday, September 14, 2007
Redding lives on in Hall of Fame exhibit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Macon — Forty years after a plane crash took his life in the turbulent 1960s, Otis Redding’s music continued to bring folks together at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Thursday night.
Hundreds of fans, friends, family members and dignitaries turned out for a private sneak peek of “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” the first-ever extensive exhibit of the legendary soul singer’s career, including concert posters, records, telegrams, scraps of hand-written lyrics, keepsake family photos and video of the performer in action.
As Redding’s voice caressed the room with “A Change is Gonna Come” overhead on speakers, attendees turned reflective as they recalled their memories of Macon’s famous son who died at the age of 26 just when his career was about to scale new heights via his latest recording, “(Sittin’ on) the of the Bay.”
“My brother and Otis were the same age, 18, and the best of friends,” Macon mayor Jack Ellis remembered. “I did a whole lot of looking up to both of them. I was 13. I remember one time going by the house and Otis was trying to put music to ‘These Arms of Mine.’ I didn’t realize I was watching musical history. I’m so glad that we’re finally celebrating Otis for his many contributions to the world.”
Inside, soul revue emcee “Sad Sam” Franks and his wife Mildred were beaming, standing next to a Day-Glo poster of “The 7th Annual Shower of Stars” Apollo Theatre concert featuring soul greats Redding, Percy Sledge, Carla Thomas, Betty Swann and Betty Harris from Feb. 11, 1967. In lettering near the bottom, “Sad Sam” is listed as the event’s host.
The Franks had traveled by train from Long Island, NY to Macon for the opening of the exhibit.
“It was the greatest show in the world with all that talent and we were charging $3 to $7 to see it,” Franks remembered wistfully while staring at the poster. “At that time, you see, they weren’t robbing people!”
And Sad Sam’s favorite Redding song?
Sam smiled and immediately said: ” ’ I Just Can’t Turn You Loose!’ Oh, man, I’ll tell you. That song is so good, even now that we have eight grandchildren, we still can’t let it go, can we Mildred?”
The couple then shared a sly laugh together.
Across the room, near handwritten notes from his brother and Redding promoter Phil Walden, Alan Walden was thrilled to be present.
“I’m so glad I lived to see this happen,” Walden said. “Otis was the best friend I ever had. And in the ’60s, when white guys and black guys weren’t supposed to hang out together, that was a big deal. We didn’t care. We loved each other like family.”
So what would Phil Walden, Redding’s longtime promoter and legendary founder of Capricorn Records think of the tribute? The Atlantan died last year prior to the completion of the exhibit.
“He’d probably be walking around here tonight, telling us, ‘They forgot something,’ ” Alan Walden said laughing. “That was Phil. He had such an eye for detail.”
The singer’s brother, Macon entertainment manager Rodgers Redding was perhaps the evening’s single biggest reminder of the performer. His resemblance to his sibling is unmistakable.
“This is an emotional night for me,” Redding allowed. “I’m blessed and thankful for all of his fans around the world. Otis would be proud of all this. He would be proud and thankful but not shocked. He worked very hard for all this.”
The year-long exhibit officially opens to the public today. Tonight, a tribute concert to Redding will include performers Gregg Allman, Taj Mahal and others. For info: www.georgiamusic.org or phone (888)-GA-ROCKS.
OVERSCENE
Vanessa Briscoe Hay, lead singer of pioneering Athens rock act Pylon, taking in the Redding preview at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon. A few feet away stood Atlanta singer-songwriter Kodac Harrison, who also drove down for the festivities. Of seeing the singer live at the Macon Auditorium as a teenager in the summer of 1967, Harrison said: “It changed my life. Growing up in Jackson, Ga., you didn’t display emotion. Watching Otis express everything up there onstage taught me how to communicate my feelings through music and poetry.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Today: Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 61. Movie director Oliver Stone is 61. Sunday: Actress Lauren Bacall is 83. Blues singer B.B. King is 82. Jazz guitarist Earl Klugh is 54. Comedian Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live”) is 36. Actress Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) is 26. Singer Teddy Geiger is 19.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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The alleged ‘Madam’ on ‘The Insider’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Duluth’s own alleged “Mansion Madam” will be back on the national airwaves tonight via a two-part series on “The Insider” (WXIA, 7:30 p.m.), courtesy of the syndicated newsmag’s special correspondent Art Harris.
The Atlanta-based gonzo journo told us Thursday that even local news hounds who have faithfully followed the salacious story of former Penthouse Pet Lisa Ann Taylor and Nicole “Naughty Nikki” Probert on outlets like our own ajc.com this year might be surprised by some of the material his cameras managed to capture during the past few months. The two women are accused of running a high-end house of prostitution. The women maintain their innocence. A trial is pending.
For example, Harris and crew were rolling backstage this summer when Taylor appeared at the Paradise Lounge in Columbus.
“The younger girls all treated her like a rock star,” Harris previewed for Buzz. “She gave them advice about the [adult entertainment] business and they told her how to get set up on Myspace.com. It was an intergenerational thing.”
Alas, when Gwinnett County cops swarmed in on Taylor’s Sugarloaf Country Club earlier this year, Taylor wasn’t exactly up to date on Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter’s bio.
“Initially, she didn’t know who he was,” Harris told us. “I think Lisa was a little surprised that he wasn’t in a suit.” For the record, Porter told Harris he was wearing cargo pants and not camouflage at the time of the raid, despite Taylor’s recollections of the latter.
“She was obviously a little nervous,” Harris explained. “She asked Danny Porter if she could make herself a drink and take a Valium before she was arrested. He told me he declined the request.”
Harris is hoping to extend his exclusive footage into a proposed reality series his Busystreet Productions is pitching to TV outlets. Additional clips can be viewed at www.artharris.com.
Said the former CNN newsman: “The South is all about repression and how it makes people act crazy. I’m intrigued by colorful characters in crisis.”
The working title? “The Bible Belt Unbuckled,” natch.
The Cure coming
The Cure fans may resume applying the goth eye makeup. The 1980s-era act has rescheduled its metro Atlanta performance for June 15 at Gwinnett Arena. The band originally was scheduled to play at the venue on Sept. 15 but had to postpone. So why the 10-month delay?
Explained the band in a statement to Buzz: “It’s all happening slightly later than we expected due to ‘the playoffs’ — a lot of the venues we needed wouldn’t let us confirm dates in the March/April period — but we understand they all have to live in hope.” Tickets from the original date will be honored at the June concert.
Marking one month
How does ESPN plan to mark the whopping one-month anniversary of benched Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s guilty plea? The sports channel is headed here for a nationally televised special, “SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide — An ESPN Town Meeting” Tuesday night from 6 to 7:30. The meeting will be broadcast from the Sidney Marcus Auditorium at the Georgia World Congress Center downtown. Among the topics host Bob Ley will dig into? How Vick’s arrest on dogfighting charges has divided Atlanta, whether he was treated fairly and what his future might be in the NFL. The event is open to the public.
ON MY TIVO
What she’s watching
Rachael Ray, whose talk show’s second season started Monday on WXIA at 3 p.m.:
“Every fall, my DVR gets filled up with new stuff. I watch everything. All the crime shows. ‘Law & Order.’ ‘CSI.’ As a kid, I watched more cop shows than cartoons. I’m into all the HBO shows: ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ ‘Conchords,’ “Entourage.’ I love the game shows like ‘Power of Ten.’ Drew Carey was here today taping my show and he may be the funniest guest I’ve had — except for Denis Leary.”
Midnight Clear advances
Georgia band Midnight Clear has advanced to next week’s “ultimate finalists” round in a battle of the bands on CBS’ “Early Show.”
Midnight Clear garnered 57 percent of the votes in this week’s round, beating out bands from New York and Boston despite a technical glitch earlier in the week. Voting began after band videos were shown on Monday, but CBS mistakenly showed a band called Midnight Sun instead of Midnight Clear.
The correct video was shown on Tuesday’s show, and the results of this week’s round in the “Living Room … LIVE” contest were announced just before 9 a.m. Thursday. The winner of next week’s final round will be invited to perform live on the show Sept. 24.
Midnight Clear, made up of 57-year-old drummer Rory Knapton, along with Derrick Gaddis and brothers Brant and Jeremy French, all in their mid- to late 20s, formed about two years ago.
In next week’s finals, the band will go up against Big G and the Total Control Band, a Southern soul band from Richmond; and After Never, an indie rock band from Chicago.
The winner of last year’s contest was Eric Michael Hopper, a pop-country singer from Buford.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Walter Koenig (“Star Trek”) is 71. Actor Sam Neill is 60. Singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is 51. Country singer John Berry is 48. Actress Faith Ford (“Faith and Hope,” “Murphy Brown”) is 43. Singer Mark Hall of Casting Crowns is 38. Rapper Nas is 34. Singer Amy Winehouse is 24.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Mike Morris and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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