When I think of Black History month, I often reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders down in Birmingham, AL. Over the years Music Maker has had the great pleasure of performing in Birmingham with Taj Mahal. One of the greatest Music Maker Blues Revues ever lasted over 5 hours; Taj told me that the folks love the blues and they were there to have fun – and what a time we had.

Adolphus Bell. Photo by Tim Duffy

In recent years we worked with Adolphus Bell, the Greatest One Man Band in the World. Adolphus was from Birmingham, he often told me stories of his youth. As a young teenage boy, he had the fire hoses set upon him and the dogs chase him during those historic marches we can only experience through old TV clips. Adolphus lived it, and could bring it to life for me as I listened to him speak of those times. Adolphus had been living in his van for 15 years when we met him, then soon after beginning work with us was literally touring the world, all over Europe, Australia, Central America, the United States. Every show he would tell the audience about his beloved hometown; he would tell the crowd of the hate and fear that characterized the Birmingham he grew up in, but he would explain that Birmingham had grown past this and now was a city of love. He would tell every crowd that everyone loved each other in Birmingham; everyone should love each other everywhere. He meant it, was proud of it, and never forgot it; it defined him.

Sadly, Adolphus recently passed away from lung cancer, and not long after his friend Dr. Burt followed. Adolphus introduced us to Dr. Burt……