Paul Williams

Birthplace: Birmingham

Paul Williams was born and raised in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama.^[1] He was the son of Sophia and Rufus Williams, a gospel singer in a gospel music vocal group called the Ensley Jubilee Singers.^[2] He met Eddie Kendricks in elementary school; supposedly, the two first encountered each other in a fistfight after Williams dumped a bucket of mop water on Kendricks. Both boys shared a love of singing, and sang in their church choir together.^[3] As teenagers, Williams, Kendricks, and Kell Osborne and Willie Waller performed in a secular singing group known as The Cavaliers,^[4] with dreams of making it big in the music industry. In 1957, Williams, Kendricks, and Osborne left Birmingham to start careers, leaving Waller behind. Now known as The Primes, the trio moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and eventually found a manager in Milton Jenkins, who moved the group to Detroit, Michigan. Although The Primes never recorded, they were successful performers, and even launched a spin-off female group called The Primettes, who later became The Supremes.

In 1961, Kell Osborne moved to California, and the Primes disbanded. Kendricks returned to Alabama, but visited Paul in Detroit shortly after. While on this visit, he and Paul had learned that Otis Williams, head of a rival Detroit act known as The Distants, had two openings in his group’s lineup. Paul Williams and Kendricks joined Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Elbridge Bryant to form The Elgins, who signed to the local Motown label in 1961, after first changing their name to The Temptations.^[5]

Edwards was born in Fairfield, Alabama,^[1] about eight miles from Birmingham, to Reverend Dennis Edwards Sr. He began singing as a toddler, just two years old, in his father’s church. The Edwards family moved to Detroit, Michigan when Edwards was about ten years old, and Edwards would continue to sing in the church pastored by his father, eventually becoming choir director.^[2]

As a teenager, Edwards joined a gospel vocal group called The Mighty Clouds of Joy, and studied music at the Detroit Conservatory of Music.^[2] He was not allowed to sing or listen to secular music at home, and his mother disapproved when he began pursuing a career singing rhythm and blues music.^[2] In 1961 he organized his own soul/jazz group, Dennis Edwards and the Fireballs.^[3] In 1961,^[4] Edwards recorded a single for the obscure Detroit label, International Soulville Records, “I Didn’t Have to (But I Did)” b/w “Johnnie on the Spot”.^[3] Following time served in the US military, in 1966 Edwards auditioned for Detroit’s Motown Records, where he was signed but placed on retainer. Later that year, he was assigned to join The Contours after their lead singer, Billy Gordon, fell ill.^[2] In 1967, the Contours were the opening act for several Temptations concerts, and Temptations members Eddie Kendricks and Otis Williams – who were considering replacing their own lead singer, David Ruffin (who was a personal friend of Edwards)^[5], took notice of Edwards and made his acquaintance.^[2]

The Controllers

Birthplace: Fairfield

The Controllers are an American soul and R&B vocal group, originally from Birmingham, Alabama, who had a series of successful recordings in the late 1970s and the 1980s.^[1]

Originally part of an eight-member gospel group, the group became four in number by the time they entered junior high school, comprising Reginald McArthur (baritone lead), Ricky Lewis (tenor lead), Larry McArthur and Lenard Brown. Their growing reputation in the Birmingham area led to an introduction to Cleveland Eaton, bassist for the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Under Eaton’s guidance, The Soul Controllers, as they were then called, recorded their first single, called “Right On Brother, Right On”. It became a regional hit while they were still attending Fairfield High School.

In 1976, the group came to the attention of Juana Records, run by Frederick Knight, also from Birmingham. Recording at the Malaco Studios in Jackson, Mississippi, their first single on Juana charted, but it was their second release, “Somebody’s Gotta Win, Somebody’s Gotta Lose”, that really established them. The song, a ballad lasting over eight minutes on the album, climbed to #8 on US Billboard R&B chart, and #3 on the Cash Box soul chart in 1977. The group’s on-stage performances also helped them to open for Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, B.B. King and The Temptations.

A follow-up ballad, “Heaven Is Only A Step Away” climbed to #37 R&B, but despite the release of two more albums on Juana, the group failed to find another major single success.

Ruben Studdard

Birthplace: Germany

Studdard was born in Frankfurt, Germany, to American parents, while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army, and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama.^[8] The youngest son of two teachers, at the age of three, he sang for the first time at the Rising Star Baptist Church in his hometown of Birmingham. He continued singing gospel in church, performing solos as a child while his mother sang in the local choir. While at Huffman High School, he played football for which he received a scholarship to Alabama A&M University. While at Alabama A&M, he joined the Omicron Delta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men’s music fraternity of America.

He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of “Superstar.” In the years following Idol, Studdard has released seven studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut, Soulful, and the top-selling gospel follow-up, I Need an Angel. He is most well known for his recording career, which has produced hits including “Flying Without Wings,” “Sorry 2004,” and “Change Me,” but he has also segued into television and stage work. Most notably, he starred as Fats Waller in a national tour revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’,^[2] which spawned a Grammy-nominated soundtrack.

Red Light Disctrict

Birthplace: Birmingham

Red Light District was a rap group active from 1994 to 2006. It grew out of the trio Southern Comffort which was comprised of Patrick “S. Fly” Johnson along with “The Phantom” and “Vic the Truth“. After Blac Boy and Rudy joined, the quintet adopted the name Red Light District. The group expanded its reach by adopting other area hip hop artists into the “family”, including Q. Lee and P. A. W. who became official members in 1997. Green Jeans and D. Live came on board in 1998 and Billy Billions, Frost and Jake Steel joined in 2000. The additions of John Woodlawn and Dogrue in 2006 created the groups last active line-up.

At its peak Red Light District was one of the most celebrated hip hop groups in Birmingham, winning the inaugural “Best Hop Hop Group” at the 1998 Birmingham Area Music Awards and an award for “Best Rap Group of All Time” at the 2001 Dirty Thirty Music Awards.

In addition to its full-length albums and singles, Red Light District released a number of “underground” mix CDs and also recorded advertisements for WABM-TV (2000 Fall jingle), St Ides, and local political campaigns.

Discography

• Red Light District. “I Know” (December 1996) single
• Red Light District. Welcome to the Red Light, Vol. I (1997)
• Red Light District. The Session (1998, 2000)
• Red Light District. Red Light Anthology Mix CD I (2003)
• Red Light District. The John Woodlawn Project (2003)
• Red Light District. Red Light Anthology Mix CD 2 (2006)

Halo Wheeler

Birthplace: Birmingham

Singer and songwriter Halo Wheeler is new to us, but her list of accomplishments is long. The Howard University student is working on her PhD and is a Gates Millennium Scholar, but she has a long history of performing on such plays as The Color Purple as well as concerts opening for Frankie Beverly and Maze, Kelly Price, and Chrisette Michele.

YBN Nahmir

Birthplace: Birmingham

Nicholas Simmons (born December 18, 1999), known professionally as YBN Nahmir, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor.^[2][3] He is best known for his singles “Rubbin Off the Paint” which charted at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and “Bounce Out With That”, which peaked at number one on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.^[4]

Simmons was born on December 18, 1999 in Birmingham, Alabama. He was raised in a home with his mother, cousin, brother, sister, and grandfather.^[5] Simmons attended Clay-Chalkville High School, though was pulled out following the success of “Rubbin Off the Paint”.^[6]

Simmons’ interest in music started when he was fourteen years old and was gifted an Xbox 360 for Christmas.^[5] Simmons began to play the video game Rock Band (which he would later use to record his first song.)^[7] and eventually moved to playing Grand Theft Auto V and then started recording gameplay videos where he would generate a following on YouTube.^[8] During his time playing Grand Theft Auto V, Simmons would freestyle in Xbox Live parties and alongside numerous other friends, established the Young Boss Niggas collective.^[9]

Sherri Brown

Birthplace: Birmingham

May 15, 2020 – PRLog — Who is Sherri Brown? Brown has been the voice behind many superstar artist such as American Idol winner, Ruben Studdard, sharing stages with multi Grammy Winner Chrisette Michele and supporting cast member with critically acclaimed actress Robin Givens. It is now time for Brown to step into her own spotlight with her new single “Invitation” released on Lotus Entertainment Management.

The grown and sexy Invitation written and produced by Alvin Garrret who works in the R&B and Gospel genres with the likes of 3 time Grammy Nominated Gospel artist Deitrick Haddon, Grammy Winners, Kelly Roland, Fantasia and a list of others. Brown hails from Birmingham, Alabama a daughter of a Pastor who grew up admiring soulful artist Jazmine Sullivan, Fantasia and Mary J. Blige. Brown has performed for audiences in the ten’s of thousands while supporting other artist and now she is ready to showcase her magnificent vocal range with her single Invitation. Brown said, “When Alvin first presented the song, I clutched pearls!” Brown knew the song was for her. Brown’s dream is in 2021 to sit next to Issa Rae at the Grammys! With her new single Invitation her dream may come true.!

Candi Staton

Birthplace: Hanceville/Birmingham

Be mindful with Candi Staton. If you allow yourself to, you may look back on her career as the “First Lady of Southern Soul” and regard her as the undeniable vocal force and sex symbol that she was during her tenure among the talent at Muscle Shoal’s FAME Recording Studios. You wouldn’t be wrong, but you might want to also acknowledge her beginnings and current endeavors as an accomplished gospel artist. Personal liberation is a theme that has come full circle in Staton’s career. Her 1976 disco smash “Young Hearts Run Free” described a desperate tale of a woman longing to break out of an abusive romance. Her latest inspirational album is titled “It’s Time to Be Free.” This time, her message relates to freedom from sin and despair in favor of God’s mercies. Her message and image may have shifted, but her broad, home-grown voice has been unwavering throughout countless titles in her discography.

Sebastian Kole

Birthplace: Birmingham

SOUP = SOUTHERN URBAN POP

“This is very much a snapshot of what I am, a very honest transparent piece of music. It’s saying I mess up a lot. I don’t really get this right all the time and neither do you. So let’s just try to figure it out.”

Meet Sebastian Kole. 

Kole quickly snapped the industry to attention in 2015 with his co-writing skills on Alessia Cara’s insightful double-platinum debut single, “Here.” This year, television viewers have been treated not once but three times to his lyrical prowess—and warm, soulful vocals—through syncs of his songs (“Home,” “Love’s on the Way” and “Love Doctor”) on ABC’s popular long-running series Grey’s Anatomy. That same potent lyricism flows throughout the four other songs comprising the EP. In addition to the aforementioned syncs featured on Grey’s Anatomy, there’s the ballad “Pour Me” about escaping life through drink. Beyond his brilliant knack for telling stories with his expressive tenor, the Birmingham, Alabama native has also crafted an eclectic mashup of southern gospel and blues with pop, soul, jazz, rock and classical. It’s a sound he labels simply as SOUP: Southern Urban Pop.

Kole figured out at an early age that music was his calling. Taught the piano by his godmother, the precocious five-year-old became the “makeshift minister of music” at the age of 10 after his parents began pastoring at the Pentecostal church where his godmother played. Friends later introduced the middle schooler to secular music with gifts of a taped copy of MTV Unplugged in New York: Nirvana and the Forrest Gump soundtrack. As a student at the University of Alabama, the Goodie Mob fan doubled as lead singer and piano player for a southern rock band, coverings songs by the Allman Brothers, Ray Charles and others. “There’s nothing wrong with telling a story,” says Kole, who ticks off a diverse list of lyrical heroes that also includes Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Simon & Garfunkel, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie. “Their songs are stories where you have to listen to the whole thing, not just one verse and a hook.”

Returning home after graduation to play for the church again as well as gigs with another local band, Kole continued to sharpen his songwriting skills. At his mother’s suggestion, Kole—who also plays guitar and drums—wrote 13 songs in seven days for an album that he later recorded in a studio with money from her. Though Kole jokes that it “went maybe paper or plastic,” the set drew considerable local attention. That prompted a second indie album, Live From My Notebook, one of whose tracks landed local radio airplay. Quitting his job as a bank customer service manager, Kole moved into the stockroom of his uncle’s shoe store (“My furniture was shoe racks”). His big break came when a hook he co-wrote segued into the Jennifer Lopez song “Goin’ In” featuring Flo Rida, which appeared on the 2012 soundtrack Step Up Revolution. Moving to Los Angeles in early October that same year, Kole began collaborating in writing sessions with unsigned artists. Word of mouth about his skills soon spread during an ensuing three-week period, leading Kole to EP Entertainment—and a meeting with Motown. “Some 20 hours later I had a deal,” says Kole. “My clothes hadn’t even made it here.”

…the result is SOUP, for your listening pleasure. 

Ona Watson

Birthplace: Birmingham

Ona Watson is a singer, bandleader and club owner.

Watson grew up in Birmingham and learned to sing as boy. He played trombone for Frank Adams at Parker High School and performed as a fill-in singer at the Cane Break Supper Club when he got off work at the nearby Bohemian Bakery.

After graduating from Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas, he joined up with The Commodores and later formed his own band, Champagne. As a bandleader he directed regular performances at the Polaris Lounge at the Hyatt House. He also worked for the United States Postal Service during the day.

Watson opened his own Ona’s Music Room jazz club in 1997. He moved the club from The Strip to Pepper Place in December 2010.

Dominique Posey

Birthplace: Birmingham

Dominique Posey is a pop singer from Birmingham. Singer who made a name for himself as a contestant on season sixteen of American Idol. He won fans across the country for his renditions of songs like Donny Hathaway’s “A Song For You” and Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody.”

Rej Archie

Birthplace: Birmingham

How far are you willing to go for your dreams?

Rej Archi grew up in Birmingham, Alabama aka “Magic City,” getting his start in the church. While singing in the church, Rej came across many greats that inspired him and his vocal talents such as: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Mint Condition, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. He also honed his talents as a dancer by imitating Michael Jackson, James Brown, and famous break dancers like Poppin’ Pete, Boog-A-Loo Shrimp, and Mouse.

Evolving more into the music world as a singer, songwriter, and dancer; Rej Archi moved to Los Angeles California where he linked with Snipe Young  and started to further develop his talents. November 2019  Rej Archi released his debut album “Writing Wrongs,”  with rave reviews.

While currently landing a load of syncs from this album as well as the his previous EP, the 27yr old plans to take the music world by storm! Now that he’s one step closer to living his musical dream, we are ready to experience the force that is REJ ARCHI!

Nadia Tellis

Birthplace: Birmingham

Having developed a reputation as a stellar cover singer is not a problem for Ensley native Nadia Tellis.

“I like timeless music,” said Tellis, 39. “A song like ‘Can We Talk’ by Tevin Campbell; … [music by artists] like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle; [a classic like ‘Before I Let Go’] by Frankie Beverly and Maze, … which Beyoncé just redid—records like that keep the vibe and momentum going.

“What I have come to learn when performing is people like things that are familiar. You have to get their attention with something they know. All audiences aren’t live-music audiences.”

Covering songs by great artists gives audiences music they can relate to, Tellis said.

“I want to make people feel the passion I have going into it and that I’m giving it on stage. I know I’ve done my job [singing covers] when somebody in the audience yells, ‘Sing the song like you wrote it!’”

When it comes to making her own music, Tellis said, “I want to be relatable.”

“I want to make feel-good music you can ride to. I want it to be easily understood.”

The Huffman High School and Stillman College graduate got her start singing background with Ruben Studdard, winner of the second season of television singing competition show “American Idol,” in 2004, but Tellis had “been performing with and for several different local musicians [in the Southeast] since 1997.”

Tellis is currently working on her first extended play (EP) record, ironically titled “Cover Girl,” which is a nod at being known as a cover singer and makeup artist for NYourFace Makeup by Nadia.

She grew up in a “music family” with her gospel-singing parents, Robert Sr. and Sandra Tellis, who “met in the choir in college,” and aunts who used to perform with her mother in local talent shows in the 1970s.

“My mother was the shy one, though,” said Tellis, who has an appreciation for old-school music but will “jump around with neo-soul and pop.”

Tellis said, performing and penning music “takes me on an emotional roller coaster.”

“Whatever I’m going through at the moment affects my song selection or what I pen and convey through my own personal music.”

Danielle “DanI” Maltimore

Birthplace: Birmingham

With a love for music, June 4, 2011 was the official date that Danielle Maltimore took the stage as an independent artist. Since then the R&B, soul, and pop singer has thrilled audiences across Alabama with tremendous energy and her proven ability to entertain all ages. Danielle combines the very best of all genres of music with sincerity and power. Her motto is “My Heart Bleeds MUSIQ”.

Danielle “DanI” Maltimore, a profound singer/songwriter born and raised in Birmingham, AL started singing at the tender age of 8 in her home church choir. As she grew older, she discovered a love for music. At the age of 13, DanI said to her parents, “I want to be a singer.” Her father told the young songbird, “Having a lawyer or doctor in my house would be great, but undeniably you’ve been a shining star since birth.”

She is a former member of the UAB Gospel choir under the leadership and direction of Dr. Kevin P. Turner, with whom she has toured the world with. She was also featured on two songs on UAB’s album ‘Mirrors’. DanI stated “If it wasn’t for Dr. Kevin Turner’s teachings, tools, and showing me how to work my abilities I wouldn’t have entered into the industry”.

In 2012, the doors of the industry opened gracefully for Danielle. Although she regularly performs in the Jazz Lounges and Night clubs throughout the south and mid-west, she has been blessed to share the same stage as an opening performer for major recording artists such as: Anthony Hamilton, Charlie Wilson, Calvin Richardson, Silk, Algebra, Chrisette Michele, Kenny Latimore, Mel Waiters, Bobby Rush, and the list goes on.

DanI released her first single titled “Downside of Up” on January 31, 2012 and her second single “Used To Love You” on November 16, 2013 which has been buzzing and impacting internet radio, college radio, and urban radio stations at a steady pace independently. She is currently working on her album that will be released in Fall 2014 and much more to come from this rising star.

TLE Cinco’s

Birthplace: Bessermer

Coming from the Birmingham-adjacent town of Bessemer, Alabama, rapper TLE Cinco’s bare-bones yet direct style was at the core of even his first song, the fluid trap anthem “All the Money.” He quickly signed a deal with 300 Entertainment, which released his first mixtape, 2019’s 20Cinco.

Eric Essix

Birthplace: Birmingham

For Eric Essix, the year 2018 marks two inspiring milestones in his multi-faceted career. The Birmingham, Alabama based contemporary jazz guitarist released “More”, his 25th full length recording since launching his recording career in 1988 (30 years ago) with the album, First Impressions. That debut recording was the start of a creative journey that has made him a genre icon – not only for his keen ability to fashion a continuous flow of infectious melodies and funky grooves, but also because while delving into several sub-genres (pop, R&B and Gospel among them), he has artfully dismantled past ideas of what jazz is and reinvented them.

“I didn’t even think about the reality of 25 albums until I got here,” Essix says. “For me, writing and going into the studio to record these projects has been my process of musical expression and each song has been an important outlet for that. When I entered this business, I knew that the best way to sustain a career was building a loyal fan base by performing live and recording – and once I got started, I saw the impact that the music was having and just kept going.

“The greatest thing is that, even after all these years, I am as excited to do a new project now as I was the first time out,” he adds. “I haven’t lost the passion for doing this. It’s still so exciting to me to compose music and go into the studio with these incredible musicians and see the songs come to life. The driving force has always been the overwhelming response I have gotten from listeners over the years. Sharing new material with them and knowing I’m touching their lives has always been the most thrilling aspect for me.”

During his first decade as an artist, Eric recorded four well received albums on Nova Records his own label S6 and Ben Tankard’s Spirit Jazz, and earned a degree from Berklee College of Music. In 1998, he reached an exciting plateau when he was signed by legendary Warner Brothers Vice President Ricky Shultz to his new Warner distributed Zebra Records. Schultz, who helped develop the careers of contemporary jazz greats Pat Metheny, Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Larry Carlton, Fourplay, Joshua Redman and The Yellowjackets, took a liking to Essix’s latest self-produced album Small Talk and gave the guitarist his first taste of national promotion and radio exposure. Eric’s single “For Real” was on the airplay charts for 25 weeks, reaching the Top 5. Southbound, the guitarist’s second album on the label, included a re-imagining of the Brook Benton classic “Rainy Night in Georgia,” which likewise became a radio hit in 2001.

Since launching his own indie label Essential Recordings in 2002, Eric has scored numerous further radio hits, starting with “Sweet Tea” from 2004’s Somewhere in Alabama and continuing with “Shuttlesworth Drive,” a musical tribute to the great civil rights pioneer, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, which spent 7 consecutive weeks at #1 on Smoothjazz.com and over 20 weeks in the Top 10; “New Focus,” which reached #27 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart; and “Foot Soldiers,” which hit #1 on the Smoothjazz.com Indie Chart and #9 on the Top Fifty chart among numerous other industry airplay lists. Five years after its release, “Foot Soldiers” remains in regular rotation on SiriusXM Watercolors.

Those celebrated hits are not simply standalone achievements, but powerful invitations to the deeper artistry Eric has offered through a discography that is populated with thematic concept albums. Collectively, these works reveal his life’s many passions and ultimate purpose as a musician and artist. Among Eric’s most renowned and acclaimed works is his “Southern Roots” trilogy, starting with Southbound and including Somewhere in Alabama and Birmingham (2009). When his beloved mother Imogene’s passed away in 2004, Eric drew on the power of his faith and music to create a moving tribute of spirituals and hymns called Abide With Me (2005). The guitarist’s most recent album, This Train: The Gospel Sessions (2016), continues this theme dramatically, with contributions from vocalists Ruben Studdard, Candi Staton, The Birmingham Sunlights, Jason Eskridge and Kaleah Wooten and urban/gospel jazz great, saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

Eric’s 2013 collection Evolution combines the spirit of his Southern and gospel recordings, with songs dedicated to the four young women who lost their lives in the 1963 bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street. Baptist Church. “Evolution was created to share a message of healing, reconciliation and hope,” Eric says. “I feel such a deep connection to this recording and what it stands for…it is definitely the most personal musical statement I have ever made.” The guitarist reached another milestone with the subsequent release of The Isley Sessions (2014), celebrating one of his favorite bands of all time, The Isley Brothers. To date, the album has sold more physical copies and digital downloads than any previous release.

Two other highlights in Eric’s discography are his 2012 self-titled Eric Essix collection (which includes a re-imagining of Tom Petty’s classic “Free Fallin”) and Eric Essix’s MOVE>Trio, which features two members of his longtime band in a unique setting – drummer James “PJ” Spraggins and Grammy nominated producer and multi-instrumentalist Kelvin Wooten on keyboards. This unit toured the U.S. and Europe extensively. Eric’s full band also includes includes saxophonist Kelley O’Neal and bassist Sean Michael Ray, whose performing and recording history with Eric goes back 30 years. While the group’s core annual performance schedule is a combination of clubs, small halls and festival dates throughout the Southeast, they have also performed at such legendary clubs across the U.S. as Catalina Bar & Grill (Los Angeles), Yoshi’s in Oakland and Blues Alley in Washington, DC.

The guitarist’s catalog also includes Blue: The Modern Man Recordings, Retrospective, Vol. 1 (2003), its follow-up Retrospective, Vol 2 Ballads (2012), a project with an 18-piece big band (Eric Essix featuring the Night Flight Band: Superblue) and the a holiday album My Gift To You (2010).

In the late 2000s, Eric expanded his reach in the contemporary urban jazz realm, touring and performing with some of the top names in the genre, including Jeff Lorber, Gerald Albright, Ronnie Laws, Phil Perry, Boney James, Everette Harp, Peabo Bryson, Marcus Miller, Eric Darius, Alex Bugnon, Marcus Johnson, Peter White, Mindi Abair and others. His love for the genre and his deep connections therein inspired him to launch the Preserve Jazz Festival, the only festival in Birmingham exclusively devoted to jazz performers. As Founder and Executive Producer for ten years, Eric invited headliners like Brian Culbertson, Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Jeff Lorber to perform.

In 2010, Eric was offered a position at the University of Alabama Birmingham’s prestigious Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, a premier 1,300 seat venue that hosts performances by top musical artists in a multitude of genres and from other creative disciplines. He began booking artists and is now the Director of Programming for the center. Over the years, he has booked everyone from Herbie Hancock, Branford and Wynton Marsalis and Pat Metheny to Diana Krall, Yo-Yo Ma, Emmylou Harris and a speaking engagement by Oscar winning actor Al Pacino. Booking talent has given Eric a whole new perspective on creative arts and the entertainment industry. In 2013, he was concurrently appointed Artist in Residence at UAB and continues to serve the University in this capacity, performing, teaching and conducting workshops for college students as well as children.

Both in childhood and throughout his career, Gospel music and jazz have each played influential roles in shaping Eric’s musical sensibilities. Growing up in Birmingham, he played for years in quartet gospel groups at the Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist church, and admits that he didn’t begin to play outside the worship environment until he was 24 years old. While as his gospel driven recordings attest, he will always have an affinity for the sacred place where God and music join hands and hearts, he can trace his passion for the contemporary jazz that drove his career ambitions back to his late teens, when he saw Jaco Pastorius and Weather Report perform. “This was the kind of music I wanted to play,” Eric says. “My style has evolved since then but I just loved the freedom of that style of music and the way those guys expressed themselves.”

Though Eric admits his style is very different from that of Wes Montgomery, the legendary guitarist is another major influence. Ten years before the Jaco experience, Eric’s dad played Montgomery’s 1966 album California Dreaming for him. “I had never heard anyone play jazz interpretations of pop melodies until then,” Eric says. “In my naïve mind of a child, I believed the guitar was actually singing the melody. I soon realized that jazz was the natural style of music for an instrument to achieve the same emotions that a vocal could. I started playing guitar two years later.”

Eric began his musical life on electric guitar and played it into his 20s. Enamored by the style of Earl Klugh, he later bought an acoustic guitar and began incorporating it into his developing sound. For the last 24 years, his primary melodic voice and trademark sound have emerged from his red Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion model. The “25/30” Project will feature music that he describes as “rough around the edges,” with Eric playing a Stratocaster for the first time in a while to complement his established hollow body vibe.

“The most fulfilling part of this musical journey has been experiencing, in real time, my evolution as an artist,” Eric says. “My mindset has shifted dramatically and is light years away from when I was a young guitarist first making records, focusing on being flashy and showing people how fast I could play. In those days, it was all about speed and lots of notes, being a gunslinger – but as I have grown as a musician and especially as a person, I like to think I have developed as a composer and songwriter of maturity and depth as well as a guitar player.”

Written by Jonathan Widran

Frederick Knight

Birthplace: Birmingham

Frederick Knight (born August 15, 1944, Birmingham, Alabama) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.

Knight recorded with Mercury and Capitol in New York before signing with Stax Records in 1972. He had his only UK hit single, “I’ve Been Lonely for So Long“, in 1972.^[1] The song was on the chart for 10 weeks and reached number 22.^[2] Lack of further chart activity leaves him labelled as a one-hit wonder. However, Knight did appear in the documentary film Wattstax, which was released in 1973.^[3]

After Stax’s demise Knight launched Juana Records, writing and producing The Controllers, and he had a UK Number 1 chart credit with Anita Ward‘s “Ring My Bell” in 1979.^[1] Knight cut “I’ve Been Lonely for So Long” in Birmingham, Alabama, with a seasoned southern soul crew behind him, and hit again in 1975 with “I Betcha Didn’t Know That“.

The song “Be for Real”, written by Knight and originally performed by Marlena Shaw on her 1976 album Just a Matter of Time, was covered by Leonard Cohen for his 1992 album The Future and subsequently by The Afghan Whigs for the 1996 movie Beautiful Girls.

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Nell Carter

Birthplace: Birmingham

Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy;^[5][6] September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress.

Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. She was best known for her role as Nell Harper on the NBC sitcom Gimme a Break! which originally aired from 1981 to 1987. Carter received two Emmy and two Golden Globe award nominations for her work on the series. Prior to Gimme a Break!, Carter won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical in 1978 for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain’t Misbehavin’, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television in 1982.^[7]

Early life[edit]

Nell Ruth Hardy^[8] was born September 13, 1948 in Birmingham, Alabama,^[9] one of nine children born to Edna Mae and Horace Hardy. She was born into a Roman Catholic family and raised Presbyterian.^[10][11] Carter self-identified as Pentecostal.^[12]

When she was only two years old, her father was electrocuted when he stepped on a live power line, in full view of Nell.^[13][14]

As a child, she began singing on a local gospel radio show and was also a member of the church choir. At age 15 she began performing at area coffee houses, and later joined the Renaissance Ensemble that played at area coffee houses and gay bars.

On July 5, 1965, 16-year-old Hardy was raped at gunpoint by a man she knew who gave her a ride home from a performance. She became pregnant and gave birth to daughter Tracy the next year; finding raising a baby alone too difficult, she sent her child to live with her older sister Willie. She would later claim that Tracy was the product of a brief marriage, but she revealed the truth in a 1994 interview.^[15] [16]

Career[edit]

Broadway work[edit]

At age 19, Hardy changed her surname to Carter and left Birmingham, moving to New York City with The Renaissance Ensemble. In New York City, Carter sang in coffee shops before landing her first role on Broadway in 1971.^[17]

Carter made her Broadway debut in the 1971 rock opera Soon, which closed after three performances. She was the Music Director for the 1974 Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective‘s production of “What Time of Night It Is”. Carter appeared alongside Bette Davis in the 1974 stage musical Miss Moffat, based on Davis’ earlier film The Corn Is Green. The show closed before making it to Broadway. She broke into stardom in the musical Ain’t Misbehavin, for which she won a Tony Award in 1978. She would later win an Emmy for the same role in a televised performance in 1982.

In 1978, Carter was cast as Effie White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, but departed the production during development to take a television role on the ABC soap opera, Ryan’s Hope in New York. (When Dreamgirls premiered in late 1981, Jennifer Holliday had taken over the lead.)

Additional Broadway credits included Dude and Annie.

Film and Television[edit]

In 1979, she had a part in the Miloš Forman-directed musical film adaptation of Hair. Her vocal talents are showcased throughout the motion picture soundtrack.^[18]

In 1981, Carter took a role on television’s The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo,^[19] before landing the lead role of Nell Harper on the sitcom Gimme a Break!.

Gimme a Break![edit]

Nell Carter would become perhaps best known to audiences for her lead role in the NBC television series Gimme a Break!, in which she played the role of a housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. The show was a ratings hit for NBC and earned Carter a Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations. 137 episodes of Gimme a Break! were produced over a run of six seasons, airing from 1981 to 1987.

In August 1987, after the cancellation of Gimme a Break!, Carter returned to the nightclub circuit with a five-month national tour with comedian Joan Rivers.^[20]

Further TV work[edit]

In 1989, she shot a pilot for NBC entitled Morton’s By the Bay, which aired as a one-time special that May; Carter played the assistant to a banquet-hall owner, and the focus was on her and her madcap staff. NBC passed on the series development. That October she performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to Game 4 of the 1989 World Series, played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.^[21]

In 1990, Carter starred in the CBS comedy You Take the Kids. The series, which was perceived as being the black answer to Roseanne due to its portrayal of a working-class African-American family, featured Carter as a crass, no-nonsense mother and wife.^[22] You Take the Kids faced poor ratings and reviews, and had a month’s run from December 1990 to January 1991.^[23] During the early 1990s, Carter appeared in low-budget films, TV specials, and on game shows such as Match Game ’90 and To Tell the Truth. She co-starred in Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper from 1993 to 1995.^[24]

In the mid-1990s, Carter appeared on Broadway in a revival of Annie as Miss Hannigan. She was upset when commercials promoting the show used a different actress, white actress Marcia Lewis, as Miss Hannigan. The producers stated that the commercials, which were made during an earlier production, were too costly to reshoot. Carter said racism played a part in the decision. “Maybe they don’t want audiences to know Nell Carter is black”,^[25] she told the New York Post. “It hurts a lot”, Carter told the Post, “I’ve asked them nicely to stop it—it’s insulting to me as a black woman.”^[26] Carter was later replaced by Sally Struthers.^[27]

Later years[edit]

In 2001, she appeared as a special guest-star on the pilot episode of the new WB show Reba and continued with the show, making three appearances in season one. The following year, Carter made two appearances on Ally McBeal.^[24]

The next year had her rehearsing for a production of Raisin, a stage musical of A Raisin in the Sun in Long Beach, California, and filming a movie, Swing. Carter’s final onscreen appearance was in the comedy film Back by Midnight. It was released in 2005, two years after her death.^[24]

Death[edit]

On January 23, 2003, Carter, aged 54, collapsed and died at her home in Beverly Hills;^[28][29] her son Joshua discovered her body that night.^[10][30] Per a provision in Carter’s will, no autopsy was performed. Using blood tests, x-rays, and a cursory physical examination, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office ruled that Carter’s death was the likely result of “probable arteriosclerotic heart disease, with diabetes a contributing condition”.^[31]

Carter was survived by her partner, Ann Kaser, who inherited her property and custody of her two sons.^[10][32][33] She is buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.^[34][35][36]

Drew de F Fawkes / CC

Brittany Amber Howard

Birthplace: Athens

Brittany Amber Howard (born October 2, 1988^[4][5]) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter of rock bands Alabama Shakes, Thunderbitch and Bermuda Triangle.^[6] Her work with Alabama Shakes has garnered her nine Grammy Award nominations including Best New Artist and Album of the Year for Sound & Color. They eventually won four awards including Best Alternative Music Album.

In 2018, Alabama Shakes announced they were going on hiatus. During this time, Howard released her debut studio album as a solo artist, Jaime, in 2019. The work received critical acclaim and earned her seven Grammy nominations, winning Best Rock Song for “Stay High”.

Howard was born in Athens, Alabama,^[7] one of two daughters born to Christi (née Carter) and K. J. Howard.^[8] Her mother is white, of English and Irish ancestry, while her father is African American.^[9] The family’s home was in a junk yard, and once burned down due to a lightning strike.^[10] She learned to write poetry and play the piano from her older sister Jaime, who died from retinoblastoma in 1998; Howard got the same affliction but survived with partial blindness in one eye. Her parents separated soon after.^[11] She began playing the guitar at age 13,^[12] and was enamored with albums by Dionne Warwick and Elvis Presley, which she listened to repeatedly, and was inspired to write song lyrics.^[8]

Howard attended East Limestone High School, where she met future Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell.^[12] In high school, Howard began listening to 1970s rock music, such as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. “I’d be in the back of this Buick and be like ‘What’s this? This is really cool’ and my friends told me it was Pink Floyd and I was like ‘Whoa’, it blew my mind. I started getting into all the classic rock stuff, like Yes, Cream, all that stuff.”^[8]

After high school, Howard worked for the United States Postal Service until becoming a full-time musician as lead singer of Alabama Shakes.^[13]

Career[edit]

Brittany Howard is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the American rock band Alabama Shakes. The band formed under the name “The Shakes” when Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell began playing covers and original songs together with drummer Steve Johnson. Guitarist Heath Fogg later rounded out the lineup, and the band began playing shows at bars in Alabama and recording their debut album, Boys & Girls. They went on to sign a record deal with ATO Records, and released Boys & Girls in 2012 which received critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Award nominations.^[13]

In April 2015, Alabama Shakes released their second album, Sound & Color. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200,^[14] and received favorable reviews from the music press.^[15] The band went on to perform on multiple late night shows, including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Howard was featured in the musical medley alongside Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, Ben Folds, and more in the series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.^[16] At Lollapalooza in 2015, Howard was invited on stage to perform a duet of “Get Back” with Paul McCartney.^[17] Howard also performed at the ceremony for Eddie Murphy’s Mark Twain Prize.^[18] In 2015, Howard was named the recipient of Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse” Award.^[19]

Howard is also the lead singer of the rock band Thunderbitch, formed in Nashville in 2012 with members of Clear Plastic Masks and ATO Records labelmates Fly Golden Eagle. The band surprise-released a self-titled album in September 2015.^[20] Although the band rarely makes live appearances, they did play a rare set at ATO Records’ CMJ Music Marathon showcase in October 2015.^[21]

Brittany Howard is also a singer in the band Bermuda Triangle with Jesse Lafser and Becca Mancari, which was formed in Nashville in 2017.^[22] Their debut live performance was on July 12, 2017 at the Basement East in Nashville.^[23] The trio released their first single on September 6, 2017, titled “Rosey”, which was first released on Jesse Lafser’s 2015 album “Raised On The Plains”.^[22] Although originally believed to be a one time performance, the trio performed a five show tour through the Southern states of America in October 2017.^[24] This small tour included shows in Carrboro and Asheville, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Knoxville, Tennessee.^[24]

In June 2019, Brittany Howard announced a debut solo album, Jaime which was released on September 20, 2019, as well as a tour across North America and Europe.^[25] Jaime was received with universal acclaim, with Pitchfork noting “The exceptional solo debut from the Alabama Shakes singer-songwriter is a thrilling opus that pushes the boundaries of voice, sound, and soul to new extremes.”^[26] On July 16, 2019, Howard released the music video to the single Stay High, featuring actor Terry Crews lip-syncing to the track.^[27] On April 15, 2020, Howard released a cover of a Funkadelic‘s 1971 song “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” and a new rendition of her song “Stay High”.^[28] Stay High was recommended as an appropriate musical remedy to get people through bad lockdown and quarantine feelings.^[29]

Gucci Mane

Birthplace: Bessemer

Gucci Mane was almost lumped into our recent list of the South’s Most Underrated Rappers, as many longtime fans of the genre dismiss his lazy drawl as a detracting factor to his steady, metered rap flow. It isn’t easy to rhyme so precisely in the pocket like Gucci, though. In fact, in an interview with VladTV.com in 2006, Gucci cited his Alabama upbringing as the secret ingredient to his success. “I get my diction, the way I speak and talk from Alabama,” he says. “But, I get the words I choose from Atlanta. That’s what makes me probably the best rapper in the world right now.” Was Gucci probably the best rapper in the world then? No. However, despite several stints in prison, he’s proven himself to be a hip-hop mainstay since then, even finding time to share the wealth by orchestrating the careers of hip-hop’s foremost stars. He’s kick-started the careers of Migos, Future, Young Dolph, Nicki Minaj, Waka Flocka Flame and many more. And after rumors that he was killed and cloned before being released again from prison in May, Gucci’s unrelenting work ethic doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit.

– Jared Boyd

Eddie Kendricks

Birthplace: Union Springs/Birmingham

The Temptations was a group filled with a storied cast of characters. Among them, there were many Alabamans (Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams and Dennis Edwards were born in the state). With all due respect to group co-founder Melvin, Eddie Kendricks stands out as the most essential of the Alabama Temps, taking lead on “The Way You Do the Things You” and “Just My Imagination.” At the Temptations’ height, David Ruffin was their fire, but Kendricks was their ice. And when I say the man was cool….! Without four soul stars behind him, Eddie forged his way into a consistent solo career with albums that still stand the test of time. Critically, Kendricks’ output is impenetrable. Disco hit “Keep on Truckin'” was a sneak-diss of sorts; a nod to his continued success after leaving his old compatriots. “My People Hold On” and “Intimate Friends” are two deep cuts that have kept his legacy alive through incessant sampling in the hip-hop and R&B world.

– Jared Boyd

Sun Ra

Birthplace: Birmingham

Sun Ra, in name, describes a man whose life encompassed many monikers, sounds and ideologies. Born Herman Poole Blount, Sun Ra’s impact on Earth redefined the expectations of a mere composer. Instead, he carried himself in a manner similar to that of a spiritual leader. Sun Ra led his stable of musicians, known as an “The Arkestra,” in teachings that felt like a cosmic cousin to comparable Black theologies such as the Nation of Islam. Tying Ra to his Birmingham roots almost seems cruel, as his constant fixation on outer space suggests no city or state was suitable enough to contain his perception of reality. This isn’t your typical jazz man. And, although his boundless approach to the genre might sound like a jumbled mosaic to listeners who have yet to be oriented, meticulous execution is ever apparent in Sun Ra’s recordings.

– Jared Boyd

Odetta

Birthplace: Birmingham

Odetta, a majestic folk, blues and gospel singer, did much more than perform for rapt audiences. She helped to change the world, raising consciousness and evoking thought during the civil rights movement. After coming up in folk clubs and touring around the country, the woman born Odetta Holmes (1930-2008) made her strongest mark by performing with fervent grace at marches and rallies. She knew how to combine protest with inspiration. She called for change in a memorable and meaningful way. Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie were her contemporaries. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were her followers. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. were her admirers. Her cover of “We Shall Overcome” became a staple for freedom fighters, and she sang “O Freedom” at the 1963 March on Washington. Odetta was beloved by celebrities and foot soldiers during her lifetime, and she remains a symbol of hope and freedom.

– Mary Colurso

Jerry Tavin/Everett Collection

Erskine Hawkins

Birthplace: Birmingham

Big Band music simply wouldn’t be the same without this fine trumpet player, bandleader and composer.  Hawkins created a classic in the genre, 1939’s “Tuxedo Junction,” that’s been influential for generations of jazz musicians and covered by countless ensembles, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Hawkins, known as the “20th Century Gabriel,” was a true showman during his heyday in the 1930s-1950s, with a flashy performing style and a knack for hitting high notes. Hawkins and his orchestra were regulars at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, eventually becoming the house band. During his long career, Hawkins (1914-1993) recorded many tunes, enjoyed a loyal following and received a long list of honors and awards. No wonder he’s a charter member of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and a distinguished member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

– Mary Colurso

Yung Vokalz

Birthplace: Birmingham

Sometimes you see a musical performance by an individual that possesses something special, a unique star power that separates them from mediocrity. One would think the characteristics that make a performer solid would be easy to spot in a place that has a reputation for civil rights and barbeque as opposed to good music. Birmingham, AL has not been stranger for a variety of musical acts to have seemingly huge success. Most notably, the “Magic City” has been responsible for the largest number of winners from one location to appear on the infamous series American Idol. With a rapidly increasing fan base, and uniquely captivating live show, Yung Vokalz is jogging down the road to becoming one of the south’s most notable R&B singers of our generation.
Being a product of the Birmingham area neighborhoods; schools and surroundings have been vital to the culture and vast genre of music that Yung Vokalz displays on stage, with having a strong church upbringing that played an important role in the development of such a vibrant and wide range of sound. Yung Vokalz ranges from hip to traditional rhythm & blues with a heavy amount of rock & roll, jazz & soul. Pulling material from some of the most popular artists of today, to timeless legends of the past,
Yung Vokalz has a vast flavor of sounds, and blends his original sound in well with the classic covers he re-lives. Currently Yung Vokalz is paying his dues, introducing his music all over the southeast and just released his first album titled “R.I.P.”. Birmingham locals can see him usually filling the duty of lead singer of the house band at Martinis or The Plum Bar both in Birmingham, AL, which is a feat that the group rocks out consistently with fresh material that never gets boring. He displays an attitude of charisma and bravado on-stage, proof that performing live music is what he was born to do.

Alvin Garrett

Birthplace: Tuscaloosa

Every now and again, a voice comes along that stands tall in the midst of musical familiarity, Even more rarely, that voice will sing words and melodies that captivate the heart and inspire the soul in a lasting manner. Alvin Garrett has that voice, and Alvin Garrett has delivered that song. The Grammy Nominated Songwriter, Alvin Garrett, has pushed through the shadows into the light with his inspirational hit song, “By Myself.” In a world where people are motivated to conform and follow the masses, this song strongly encourages the individual to blaze their own path even if it means going on “By Myself.” Alvin’s passionate delivery and strength contagiously inspires listeners to adopt “By Myself” as a theme song for all life’s personal challenges.

The Grammy-Nominated Songwriter, Alvin Garrett, journeyed to Birmingham, AL from Tuscaloosa, AL in 1996 to attend Samford University on a football scholarship. Over the next four years, Garrett earned a BSBA in Business Management and made Birmingham his permanent residence after graduation. Like any proud and recent graduate, Alvin Garrett was eager to put his academic experience into motion. He quickly ascended the corporate ranks beginning with an INROADS internship with Saks, Inc, and an account manager position with Vulcan Chemicals Company from 2000-2002. But as enterprising as he was, the uniformity of the 9-5 life didn’t resonate. In June of 2002, Alvin Garrett took an intrepid leap of faith and resigned from Corporate America to pursue a career in the music business.

Several years before making the jump from desk employee to studio maestro, Alvin Garrett founded the band, Just A Few Cats, which he still manages and promotes to this day. He also founded the very unique and niche company, The Music Caterers, LLC, which hires and subcontracts musicians for corporate and private events. After Just A Few Cats’ original lead singer, Ruben Studdard, won the American Idol in 2003, Garrett joined him on the road as bassist and musical director. While touring the country with his good friend, Alvin Garrett continued to hone his artistic skills that would ultimately expand his talents into the world of production and songwriting.

In 2012, Garrett was nominated for a Grammy for his contribution to Gospel Album of the Year candidate, Trin-I-Tee 5:7. That year, he also won a Stellar Award with Gospel artist, Deitrick Haddon. In 2013, Alvin Garrett wrote a major hit song for the R&B artist, Joe, entitled “I’d Rather Have A Love”. He followed that song with three more hit singles with Joe, one of which featured Destiny’s Child’s own Kelly Rowland–which garnered a Soul Train Award. Garrett’s success as a songwriter was the catalyst that helped propel his solo career as a singer-songwriter.

Alvin Garrett aspires to utilize his platform to educate and inspire others to passionately and strategically pursue their dreams. He plans to release his highly anticipated sophomore album in 2016 as he rides the success of his current song, “By Myself.” This husband and father of two beautiful little girls is not only creating a musical movement across the country, he’s quickly becoming an artistic inspiration and an emerging pioneer in the world of music!

Logan The Entertainer

Birthplace: Birmingham

Logan’s commitment to entertainment begins at 10 years old, when he sang Michael Jackson’s part in “We Are The World” in front of his fifth grade class. Raised in west point, Mississippi, he grew up singing and performing in church, school plays, showchoir, and numerous talent shows including first place at amateur nite at the famous Apollo theatre in Harlem, NY. After graduating from Stillman College cum laude with a B.A. in mass communications and a minor in vocal performance in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (1997), Logan began the relentless pursuit as a professional entertainer.

In 1999, he went on to record his first CD self-entitled “Logan” at Bates Brothers Studios in Hueytown, Alabama, with producer Leonard brown of the hit group from Birmingham “The Controllers”. Realizing his love for the blues, in 2001 he recorded a tribute to late blues great: Johnnie Taylor.

He has appeared on stage opening shows for artist like Ronald Isley of the Isley brothers, Regina Belle, Glenn Jones, the O’jay’s, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Peabo Bryson, Dennis Edwards and the Temptation Revue, Lyfe Jennings, Anthony David, Robin Thicke, and Heather Headley. Plus, he has appeared as the featured act at several Birmingham heritage festivals and distinct nite spots in the city and throughout the state of Alabama. Also, he has appeared on several tv shows including BET’s “The Way We Do It” with Rickey Smiley (2003), Birmingham’s Fox 6 ‘”Good Day Alabama” (2003) (2004), and ABC 33/40’s “Talk Of Alabama” (2008), and original artist hosted by ABC 33/40 Birmingham, al which he and his band 5th element won the R&B competition (2009).

He currently has a highly anticipated album out entitled “MOVE” produced by Alvin “Cornbread” Garret of Jiffee Mixed Music which is out now available on iTunes and one of his best projects this year (2010). He still continues to work on several other aspects of entertainment including traveling frequently throughout the southeast performing live with a dynamic playlist to please any listening audience including his original music and #1 smash soul hit “No Never” quickly becoming everyone’s favorite along with others such as “I Like Watcha Doin’, You Gotta Move, and Grown and Sexy. Logan number “1” entertainer of the world!!!.

Clinton Babers

Birthplace: Birmingham

When acoustic soul meets rhythm and blues, nothing can compare to the rich and soulful sounds created by a union only shared from the heart of a musical mastermind. It’s within that union that you’ll find in, Alabama native, Clinton Babers.

 No stranger to critical and industry acclaim, Clinton Babers has been making his mark on the music industry as a talented singer, songwriter, producer, arranger and instrumentalist gifted on 18 different instruments. Often referred to as a cross breed of John Mayer and Brian McKnight, he has completed tours in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, as well as with the BET Music Matters Campaign. Babers has been privileged numerous times to open the main stage shows and festivals including Pepsi FunkFest (2015/2016/2017), One Music Fest (2015) amongst others.  He has worked with, and performed with artists like Leon Timbo, Tank, Tyrese Gibson, Patti LaBelle, Eric Roberson, Algebra Blessett, Big Boi (Outkast) PJ Morton, Rudy Currence, Joe (Thomas), Kerry Marshall, Sebastian Kole, Jason Mraz, Joe Brooks, Tyrone Wells, The Rocket Summer, The Classic Crime, Joseph Vincent and MANY more.

In Februaury 2014, Clinton Babers released his first independent album “Pieces of Me”.

(Currently available on all digital media outlets).

  Since then they’ve gone on to release:

  * “6/88” (2015) All piano and acoustic driven EP

  * “S.N.A.P.S” (2017) Full Length Album

  * “Hunching” (2018) Full Length Album

​Clinton Babers is guaranteed to wow fans and gain new ones with his artistry and musicianship. Babers has a smile as infectious as his melodious sound. He’s not afraid of the front stage or the background. Definitely defined as “one to watch and hear” Clinton Babers is on the cusp of lasting superstardom transforming the world of music one sweet note at a time

Mose Stovall

Birthplace: Birmingham

Mose Stovall was born in Birmingham, Alabama, where he sang in church and local musical entities through his young adulthood. In the early 00’s Stovall began working as an artist at Magic City Hitsville Records, where he helped co-found Music Makers Recording Studio, composing songs and singing background for Birmingham-area recording artists.

In 2003 Stovall released his debut solo CD, Private Party (Magic City Hitsville), with such urban R&B-styled songs as “Hold You”, “The Problem Is You,” “Good Lovin’,” “Dance” and “I Can’t Stand.”

Stovall hosted a TV show in Birmingham, worked the regional clubs, and in 2005 formed a band called Pharcyde. The same year, he heard the song “On And On” by a Southern Soul group named Daybreakk!

Daybreakk! was published by Soul 1st Records (the recording home of Omar Cunningham and, more recently, Vick Allen), whose CEO Reg McDaniel responded positively to overtures by Stovall that he’d like to move in a Southern Soul direction.

The result was Stovall’s statement album, Groove U (Soul 1st, 2007), whose first single, “Groove U Baby” (written by Austin Hall), became “the record that just won’t die,” according to Tyrone Da Don Davis of the American Blues Network. “I can’t go into a club and not hear it 10 times,” the deejay noted.

Then, again stimulated by demand from Southern Soul deejays, another single–an atypical, synthesizer-enhanced vocal dance jam called “Don’t Stop The Music”–became the second heralded single. Both songs drew heavy air play rotation well into 2008.

“Don’t Stop The Music” by Mose Stovall garnered Daddy B. Nice’s Southern Soul Music Award for Best Southern Soul Club Song of 2008, beating out such top contenders as Ms. Jody’s “Ms. Jody’s Thing,” Mr. X’s “Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle” and Nellie “Tiger” Travis’s “I’m A Woman.”

More recently, Stovall has sponsored a “Stovall and Friends Annual Weekend Getaway” the first weekend in June at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Savannah on the Historical Riverfront in Savannah, Georgia.

Big Roe Williams

Birthplace: Birmingham

He’s Birmingham, Alabama’s claim to southern soul fame (after the “king,” Sir Charles Jones, that is), and Big Ro Williams’ song “Sweet Sexy Southern Girl” begins with a pure synth-disco instrumental track. You wouldn’t know it was a southern soul tune through the first sixteen bars. Then Big Ro comes in, accompanied by a smoky organ (and later female background, and even later programmed strings), and it’s transformed into a blues vehicle–a singular southern soul single. The song has everything: melody, groove, lyrics and atmosphere, but it’s the infusion of the synth-disco elements meshing perfectly with Ro’s rough-hewn vocals that lend the song its credence. Two opposites collide and uniqueness is found.

Kim Scott

Birmingham

When you sit down to talk to musician Kim Scott, two things stand out: a 100-watt smile that spreads across her face effortlessly, and an often and quiet confidence that says the whirlwind of success she is in right now is exactly where she should be.

The classically trained flutist-turned-smooth-jazz-artist recently hit the number-one spot on the Billboard music charts with her new single “Emerge.” On July 19, Scott released her fourth jazz album “Free to Be” while handling duties at her day job as director of student services at the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA). She also is preparing for tour dates that will take her from Birmingham to California. This all seems to be, according to her, meant to be.

Scott recalls when she was a teenager on a choir trip, and a minister told the teens what she saw in their future. When she came to Scott she simply said, “I see your name in lights.”

“She told me, ‘I don’t know what you do exactly, but you are an artist,’” Scott remembered. “I never forgot that. Now when I see a billboard with my name on it, I think of that.”

Symphony and Funk

Scott grew up in a house filled with music in Birmingham’s South Hampton neighborhood. Her mother, Belinda Floyd, was a music teacher in Birmingham City Schools. Floyd and Scott’s father, Albert Felder, also toured with the group The Dynamic Sound Machine. Scott said her mother loved classical music and would often listen to symphony recordings, while her father gravitated toward funk.

“I really had the best of both worlds,” Scott said. “There was no type of music not played in our house. We just loved good music.”

With music in her blood, Scott would eventually try her hand at piano, which she liked, and violin, which she did not. She was in fifth grade when she found her first love—the flute—during a brief trip to North Roebuck Elementary School.

“Maybe they brought us over to meet the band director to choose instruments,” she said. “I had heard people say the flute is hard, … [but] I just remember making a sound the first time I tried it. It wasn’t a great sound, but I thought, ‘[This instrument is] cute, shiny, and small.’”

After that chance meeting, Scott was smitten.

“I think in fourth and fifth grade, I wanted to be a veterinarian,” she said. “Once I started playing the flute, [though], I don’t think I ever had a desire to do anything else. I didn’t know how I was going to make money or how that was going to be a career, but I loved it so much that is all I wanted to do.”

Laser Focus

By middle school, under the close tutelage of her band teacher Suzanne Winter, Scott made strides in her musicianship. She took practice seriously, skipping playtime with her neighborhood friends so she could hole up in her bathroom at home to practice. By the time she got to John Herbert Phillips High School, she was still laser focused on the flute.

“I would skip lunch to practice,” she said.

Scott was practicing one day at Phillips when a fight broke out, made its way down the hall, and came crashing into the room she was in. Scott remembers being knocked to the ground and her flute literally bent out of shape. That day, she told her mother it was time to make a change. She auditioned at ASFA and was accepted. She spent her summers at music camps in Alabama and North Carolina. She put even more time into her instrument and earned a scholarship to study music at the University of Alabama and then a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University.

Scott always had it in her mind to become a classical flutist in a symphony orchestra. When she was ready to get her doctorate and find a job at a symphony, her alma mater ASFA invited her to apply for a teaching job.

“I never wanted to be a teacher, but I thought I would be a fool to not come back,” she said.

That was 18 years ago, and Scott is happy she decided to return.

Fulfilling Destiny

During her tenure at ASFA, Scott joined the Tuscaloosa Symphony as a flutist and branched out into solo classical performances. About nine years ago, she decided to try something different and performed a cover of a Beyoncé song, “Deja Vu,” on her flute. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and Scott had unknowingly kicked off the next phase in her career. Jazz guitarist Keith Williams took notice, and soon she was opening up for him.

“People would ask where they could get a CD of my music, and I had not made any,” she said. “So, I started making CDs.”

Enter music producer Kelvin Wooten, who has worked with Scott on all four of her albums.

“She just does everything so well,” Wooten said. “She is able to flip back and forth from classical to smooth jazz.”

Growth

Wooten, who has worked with musicians in all genres, said he is struck by how much Scott continues to grow as a jazz artist: “Her approach to jazz is masterful.”

Scott and Wooten recently spent a week of studio time recording songs for her album—and she’s done all of this while maintaining hectic work and home schedules that include caring for her teenage son and her husband, who is also her manager. Scott said her calendar stays full.

“I don’t know how I do it,” she said. “It’s just Jesus. And I have a good team.”

When she has to juggle her life and her career, Scott remembers that she is doing exactly what she should be doing.

“I am a firm believer that God has already planned out your life,” she said. “You are living out those plans, so try not to stress out about it.

“[I believe] this is what I am supposed to do, and it is all going to work out.”