BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 116 8/14/18 7:08 PM VIRGINA´S GREATEST SHOW ever There´s not a single place in Virginia where the contributions and accomplishments of all of the singers, shooters, rockers, rappers and players who lived in Virginia can be considered. But imagine there was — for one night only. Virginia´s best and loudest, the dear and dearly departed sharing the same stage and time for a once in a lifetime event, on an impossible bill. It´s been a year since the Famefest landed on Brown´s Island, and music fans still aren´t sure what happened. By Craig Belcher Illustrations by Kristy Heilenday

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 117 8/14/18 8:16 PM BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 118 8/14/18 7:08 PM " Could this be real? "

usic fans were perplexed when the with sheer talent, the next act wasn’t afraid to shout names of dearly departed musicians to get the audience’s a ention. M and singers were among those on the Sister Rose a Tharpe, despite her recent induc- bill for the Virginia Famefest concert tion to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, wasn’t recog- last year on Brown’s Island. nized by many in the audience, based on the polite Some assumed that the roles of Virginia’s most response to the announcement of her name. legendary singers and musicians would be played by Tharpe soon won over the crowd with a studied actors, or even holograms, and hoped they’d be pre y confi dence that defi ed them to fi nd her less than good. A er surrendering mobile phones and other compelling. Her fl owing white evening gown and recording devices to event staff , the sizable crowd her Gibson guitar also made an impression. The was understandably anxious. Some of us looked former Barton Heights resident launched into rous- for the technology we assumed would be used to ing renditions of gospel songs she’d made popular approximate the presence of beloved artists who, like “Rock Me” and “Didn’t It Rain.” Yes, it was a gospel to the best of our knowledge, were no longer with singer named Rose a, who shopped at Thalhimers us. Others milled about aimlessly as the morning downtown, performed at the Mosque and created portion of the concert ran slightly behind schedule. rock ’n’ roll. Then, without preface, the voice of Maces Spring While the sky remained clear, there were some native June Carter Cash cut through the morning tears and laughter in the crowd as Tharpe prosely- air like a scythe, leading the Carter Family band in tized, bantered and fl irted between songs. She didn’t a stirring performance of “Can the Circle Be Unbro- want to leave the stage and said as much, adding, ken (By and By).” Her voice was clear and strong. If “But I got to go anyhow.” this was a recording, it was one from Cash’s prime. A er these performances, there was brief inter- You’d think that an artist showing up for a concert mission while stagehands set up mic stands, moved a er passing away in 2003 would shock and awe an monitors and tuned guitars. A group of music nerds audience, but many appeared indiff erent, at least at and audiophiles were overheard confabulating near fi rst. Perhaps they were there to see Jason Mraz or the stage. “Just like her,” they said. “That was unreal,” Dave Ma hews Band? they whispered. “I don’t believe it. It can’t be,” said The Carter Family exited the stage a er a short one. “Animatronics,” claimed another. set, having won over many of the disinterested with their harmonies and conviction, which have made Country, Funk and Flair the band — still performing today with newer mem- If we all believed the old axiom that the only certain- bers — a folk music mainstay for generations of fans. ties in life are death and taxes, we were comforted by If the Carters planned to overcome disinterest the realization that if the fi rst part of the saying

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 119 8/14/18 7:21 PM Parliament, and if that wasn’t clear, he has “That was unreal,” they some choice words for the band’s leader, George Clinton, on a song from his fi rst album, called “Mutiny on the Mamaship.” whispered. “I don’t The drummer and former Brander- mill resident performed some P-funk believe it. It can’t be,” staples (“Cosmic Slop,” “Maggot Brain”) along with some jams of his own (“Funk said one. “Animatronics,” ’N’ Bop,” “Lump”) before cu ing his hand on the edge of a tom-tom. Bandaged but claimed another. unbeaten, he le it all on the stage. Major Harris, who, like Brailey, was born in Richmond, was the voice of the was looking iff y, the second was still ironclad. During The popular R&B group The Delfonics and enjoyed a semi-suc- Statler Brothers’ set, among the casually dressed men, cessful solo career. He strode onto the stage in an unbut- women and children in the crowd roamed undercover toned shirt with white tab collar, a few gold chains and agents from the Internal Revenue Service, given away by vintage wire-frame glasses. His mid-sized afro was backlit their earpieces and holstered calculators. If any of the art- as he made good use of his time, touching on songs from ists died with an outstanding tax bill, the Man was here to The Delfonics and closing with his hit “Love Won’t Let Me collect. The Statlers didn’t notice and kept with the gospel Wait” as cicadas chirped, almost in time. harmonies that have made them Staunton’s fi nest and one Scat singing is a lost art, maybe because it sounds so of country music’s most awarded acts. easy to do that no one bothers to try. Ella Fitzgerald made The Statler Brothers’ performance, which followed a it look eff ortless that night, improvising sounds like a jazz brief set from The Golden Gate Quartet, made plain their trumpeter as she riff ed with diff erent instruments and connection to gospel music. They were known as country improvised lyrics. After her performance of “A-Tisket, singers, but it was their gospel foundation, evidenced by A-Tasket,” backed by the Richmond Symphony, it really fl awless harmony, that made them. It was also a reunion didn’t ma er to the audience or the audiophiles within for the group, which featured only two brothers, had no whether it was actually Ella or not. Whoever she was, she one named Statler and disbanded in 2002. sounded good. Mutiny, led by one of the fi rst Virginians inducted to Fitzgerald, a native of Newport News, was a national the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey, treasure during her career, which spanned from the 1930s brought some funk and roll to the a ernoon. to the early ’90s. She acted in fi lms, was a guest on televi- Brailey joined Parliament Funkadelic a er a short stint sion shows and did commercials, accomplishments that as a session musician and co-wrote the group’s hit “Give Up weren’t easy to come by for African-American women in the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker).” His time with the her time. Today in Newport News, a theater bears her band ended on a sour note, with Brailey walking off a tour name, and there is a statute of her in the Yonkers, New bus in a snowstorm a er a disagreement over fi nances. York, neighborhood where she grew up. The name of his band referred to his turbulent time in She was a diffi cult act to follow, but the show went on.

One of the most infl uential gospel groups Worthy Performers of all time was born and bred in Richmond. Not even a fantasy concert can The gospel quartet known as the Harmonizing pretend to feature all of Virginia’s Four started in the 1920s and continued greatest musicians and performers. recording and performing into the 1960s. It’s been a long time coming, and The group achieved global praise and per- respect is due. Here’s more on some formed at the funeral of President Franklin of the faces from our cover, just a The Delano Roosevelt. Over the years, members few of the names to be considered came and went, but their sound remained Harmonizing distinct and revered. for another Famefest. Four

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 120 8/14/18 8:16 PM A Duel and a Misdemeanor duo on this day of reunions and apparent resurrections While the stage was reset with a grand piano and a Ham- was Clipse. The brothers from Virginia Beach were known mond B3 organ facing each other for a double-header per- for their rhymes about cocaine crimes over beats produced formance from R&B singer and pianist Stu Gardner and by fellow Virginians The Neptunes. But fans were only jazz legend Lonnie Liston Smith, more people crowded half-disappointed when Pusha T strode on stage alone, onto the island. Smith and Gardner are both sons of wearing a white T-shirt and designer Adidas sneakers. gospel singers who were born in Richmond, but outside His twin brother, once known as Malice, had abandoned of their instrument of choice, the similarities end there. the group when the consequences of slinging criminal Smith played behind jazz greats such as Miles Davis and slang got too real. He’s known today as “No Malice” and Pharoah Sanders for years before realizing he needed some has embraced Christianity. Pusha T held his own, touching space and forming his own group: Lonnie Liston Smith on the group’s hits such as “Grindin’ ” and cuts of his own and the Cosmic Echoes. Gardner is a tried-and-true soul including “Hold On.” Recently, the rapper a empted to man, who recorded for both the Stax (“Stu Gardner and ignite a beef with rapper Drake over a dis track on Pusha’s the Sanctifi ed Sound”) and Motown (“To Soul With Love”) new album, “Daytona,” released on Kanye West’s label. It record labels before producing music for fi lm and televi- was an a ention-grabbing move that fi zzled out when sion shows in the 1980s. the Canadian rapper all but ignored the song. A train slowly ra led the trestle near the stage as Gard- If Pusha T’s content was too dark for the audience, ner and Smith bowed and began their friendly duel of things brightened considerably when rapper and singer jazz and rhythm and blues. As the set continued, it grew Missy “Misdemeanor” Ellio followed his set. dark and closer to the time that the headliners would be The Portsmouth native is known for her o eat image taking over the stage. and songwriting, since her debut in oversized sunglasses While Smith and Gardner and most who preceded and a plastic-bag suit in her video for “The Rain (Supa them on the Famefest stage were born and bred in Vir- Dupa Fly)” in the late 1990s. That would be the last time she ginia, some of the acts’ connections to the commonwealth fi t into anyone’s bag, as her music crossed genres, and she weren’t always so clear. defi ed stereotypes and expectations. She opened with Das EFX, a rap duo known for their pop culture ref- erences and artistic phrasing, and generally thought to be a New York outfit, were on the bill. During a brief set that featured all of their hits, rapper Krazy Drayz, a former Virginia State University student, recalled Das EFX ge ing their big break at a nightclub on Broad Street, where they lost a talent contest judged by their soon-to-be mentors, the rap duo known as EPMD. Another greatly anticipated rap

Brought up in the Bloodfi elds neighbor- Richmond-based activist, singer and entre- hood of Newport News, Pearl Mae Bailey preneur August Moon, aka Dickie Diamond, became a heralded actress and singer in has led an intriguing life. Moon’s record the 1940s. Known for her exuberant per- labels put out quality soul music in the sonality and witty demeanor, she starred 1970s, and prior to that he was a performer in an all-black version of “Hello, Dolly!” in his own right, recording as “Mr. Wiggles.” on Broadway and had her own television Songs such as “Homeboy” reference Rich- show in the early 1970s. A Republican, mond with pride and panache, two quali- Pearl she was appointed “Ambassador of Love” August ties he’s well known for. Bailey by President Richard Nixon in 1971. Moon KRISTY HEILENDAY

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 121 8/14/18 8:16 PM “Sock It 2 Me,” and Ellio proved she still can, matching GWAR, Richmond’s most disgusting rock band, which the steps of her younger dancers while singing and smil- featured none of its founding members at one point, ing. “We gonna get our freak on?” she asked the audience, appeared at nightfall. In a day filled with a degree of most of whom recognized the question. “We know you like morbid curiosity, the antics of this raucous outfi t were to get your freak on!” She was talking about her platinum almost unsurprising, which assuredly is never their goal. single “Get Ur Freak On,” which sounded as futuristic as it Without a doubt, the band retained its usual level of did back in 2001, with production by her fellow Virginian off ensiveness, as the front of the stage turned into a mosh and partner Timbaland. pit, and blood spurted from various orifi ces on the band’s Ellio le the stage with puddles of sweat and roars costumes. If it weren’t for their cover of Pet Shop Boys’ for her to return, but it would be a while before the crowd “West End Girls,” some in the crowd may not have recog- heard music again. nized the majority of the set list, which included songs such as “Let Us Slay” and “The Private Pain of Sawborg Pop and Putridity Destructo.” Distance from the stage and lack of a mobile A er a considerable lull in the program, Brooklyn native phone prevented a reporter from determining what incar- Pat Benatar was found far from the main stage. One of nation of the band was performing, other than the obvi- the ATMs on the island was down, and Benatar, a former ous fact that it was probably the loudest. bank teller during her time in Richmond in the early ’70s, was using a knuckle-buster and paper receipts to dole out ‘Thank You for Dancing Tonight’ cash to hungry fans. She was eventually relieved and fi red Later in the evening, under a small tent on a separate her way to the stage, hi ing the audience with some of stage, a small audience sat before a jazz quartet. The Dave her best hits, such as “Shadows of the Night” and “Love Is Ma hews Band playing on the main stage at the other a Ba lefi eld,” as well as “If He Walked Into My Life,” from side of the island was audible, but not too distracting. The the record Benatar made while enlisted in a cover band in quartet’s pianist wore an applejack cap and was intently Richmond, “Coxon’s Army Live From Sam Miller’s Exchange focused on his instrument as melancholy jazz flowed Cafe.” That band, led by her then-husband, who was sta- from his fi ngertips. A handwri en sign near the stage tioned at Fort Lee, didn’t join her onstage. Her current read “Master Wel.” This was the name the jazz musician band features her second husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo. and composer Weldon Irvine adopted in his later years, as Benatar’s set was followed a performance from Rich- he mentored hip-hop artists such as Talib Kweli, A Tribe mond-born songwriter Aimee Mann. Mann’s serene stage Called Quest and Mos Def, who were infl uenced by his presence was the antithesis of the more energetic per- music and eventually hired him to play on their records. formers of the evening, but her sincerity compensated A Hampton native, Irvine wrote the lyrics for what is for a lack of dynamism. Her passion was evident when considered the anthem of the civil rights movement, “To she revisited “Voices Carry,” the lone hit of ’Til Tuesday, Be Young, Gi ed and Black,” and he was Nina Simone’s the band she fronted in the 1980s when she became some- bandleader and pianist for some time. His solo albums thing of an MTV darling. (“Liberated Brother,” “Cosmic Vortex — Justice Divine”), The subtlety of the Open High School grad’s solo work some of which were self-released, are among the holy grail drew in the audience as her set continued, but it failed to for jazz record collectors. He’s the subject of a documen- prepare us for the spectacle taking the stage a erward. tary in the works entitled “Digging for Weldon Irvine.”

A Richmond native who’s penned A Williamsburg native, Bruce Hornsby’s songs for Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross fi rst single, “The Way It Is,” recorded with and Beyoncé, Harold Lily Jr. has written his band the Range, was a multiplatinum and arranged for some of the most seller that topped the charts in several popular acts in contemporary R&B. countries. But Hornsby never became a His father was an organist and choir huge pop star — instead he performed director for more than 50 years in with the Grateful Dead for several years Richmond, and Lily has sung back- and brought bluegrass and jazz compo- Harold ground vocals for Angie Stone and Bruce nents into his own music, creating his Lily Jr. Anthony Hamilton. Hornsby own lane. He still lives in Williamsburg, where he owns a radio station.

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 122 8/14/18 8:16 PM Far, far away from space jazz, Trey Songz was one of the few representatives of contemporary If any of the artists R&B on the bill. (Perhaps Chris Brown’s contract got lost in the mail?) The Petersburg native, who billed himself as the “Prince of Virginia” on his died with an outstand- fi rst mixtape, showed why he still rules with his fans. He greeted the crowd from backstage as ing tax bill, the Man his band played, teasing them by asking, several times, if they were ready. They should’ve been; a was here to collect. Songz concert is almost an annual event in Rich- mond. It was the most “adults-only” part of the ’Fest as Songz hip-thrusted, bumped and licked his way around 2001. By 2014, he cobbled together a warmly through his set list, which included the hits “Neighbors received third album and toured the United States and Know My Name” and “I Invented Sex.” His off stage behav- overseas, without a stop in Richmond. Now D’Angelo ior may have garnered the wrong kind of headlines in appears to have returned to hiatus mode, this time with- recent years, but onstage there is li le Songz does wrong. out the mug shots and warrants. There’s still an audience While he recently claimed to be at the nadir of his for the 44-year-old, who was born Michael Eugene Archer, recording career, Mechanicsville native Jason Mraz still in his hometown, but the question remains: Will he come commands a huge following. The “Have It All” singer-song- back to us? writer, who's known for his chapeau and a positive a i- The eventful evening was capped off by one last act: a tude, didn’t disappoint the crowd full of teens and young reappearance of Skillz, the rapper known for his popular adults. He stopped to savor the moment, openly pondering year-end rap songs, picking up a microphone le on the if he was worthy to share the bill with some of Virginia’s stage. He freestyled several verses about the day’s happen- brightest talents. “Someone told me a while ago to stop ings, a cappella until a DJ put on The Whole Darn Family’s questioning and start experiencing,” he said, over a few “7 Minutes of Funk,” a track by another band with Rich- high-pitched squeals. “There are so many great artists out mond connections. Skillz’s impromptu performance was here. Everyone deserves acknowledgement. Thank you nearly fl awless, as he referenced events that happened for dancing tonight.” only moments before and wove them into intricate rhymes. It was a thoughtful summation that not only solidifi ed A Missing Piece the extraordinary events of the one and only Famefest, The concert, it seemed, was over. We had seen some of the but Virginia’s contribution to American music. best Virginia ever produced or infl uenced, with the nota- The men and women who shaped the sound of America ble exception of Richmond’s own D’Angelo, who, despite and just happened to live in Virginia deserve recognition, being on the bill, was nowhere to be seen. and, collectively, they haven’t go en it. This is partly our Before Mraz, the R&B singer might have been the big- fault, but we can fi x it; events like the Famefest need not gest star the state had produced, with two acclaimed be a dream. Virginia’s music and those who love it deserve albums, a risqué video and a vigorous stage presence a permanent place for commemoration and celebration. propelling him to exalted status before things fell apart If we build it, they’re already here. R

While he wasn’t born in the state, Link Born in Norfolk, Native American Wayne Wray left his mark on the commonwealth Newton parlayed a few hit songs into an and on popular music with a distorted esteemed career as a Las Vegas entertain- instrumental called “Rumble” in 1957. The er. He’s also a pop culture icon who has song is considered a precursor to heavy made appearances in movies (“Ferris Buel- metal, with its powerful beat and beautiful ler’s Day O ,” “The Hangover”) and televi- noise. A former Portsmouth resident, he’s sion (“The Lucy Show,” “Dancing With the lived to see a younger audience begin to Stars”) that span decades. Newton, aka Mr. Link appreciate his work, but the guitarist's Wayne Entertainment, is performing this month at Wray recent nomination to the Rock & Roll Hall Newton Bally’s in Las Vegas. of Fame went unrequited. KRISTY HEILENDAY

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 123 8/14/18 8:26 PM The Case for a VIRGINIA MUSIC Hall of Fame

labama has a state music pay tribute to Virginia’s musical best. For museum, as does Rhode example, a display at the Country Music A Island. Our neighbors in Hall of Fame in Nashville examines the North Carolina have one. career of Galax banjo master Ralph Stan- Oklahoma not only has a music hall of ley, who died in 2016. Also running cur- fame, it also has an Oklahoma Jazz Hall rently, the Smithsonian's Museum of Nat- of Fame (believe it or not). West Virginia, ural History in Washington, D.C., has an too? You've got to be kidding me. Virginia's exhibit devoted to Ella Fitzgerald, born in musical legacies arguably run wider and Newport News, which features artifacts deeper than any of those of other places. from the jazz singer's estate. "Ella at 100" So what gives? and "Ralph Stanley: Voice From on High" Perhaps it is because Virginia's musi- are perfect examples of outside exhibits cal legacy touches upon so many different featuring the commonwealth’s hometown styles of music — from opera (Dorothy greats that would be welcome at a Virginia Maynor) to heavy metal (Lamb of God), Music Hall of Fame and Museum. from old-time country (the Carter Family) I have no idea how many tourist dol- to space jazz (Lonnie Liston Smith). Or just lars such an institution would generate, or maybe it's that, while Virginia clearly has what it would do in terms of brand iden- given birth to legends, and even helped to tity for the state, or its host city. It might spawn musical genres, many of us simply be more of a roll of the dice than, say, First Class don't know. sponsoring an episode of a reality tv show Hundreds of prominent musi- But some of us do. Throughout the about competitive dating. I just know cians have called Virginia state, and especially in the western and that a grand acknowledgment of Virgin- home over the years. It will southwestern regions, there are places ia's place as a spawning ground for musi- take years to honor them all. and institutions that already expertly cal prominence is long overdue, and that Here’s a brief list of who could highlight the roots of the state's old-time Richmond — as Virginia's capital — would be considered for the first country and blues music, such as the folk- be the logical place for its home. We are class to be inducted to a Vir- life and musical traditions preserved at a place for history, and most of Virginia's ginia Music Hall of Fame. the Blue Ridge Institute at Ferrum College, major museums are already here. Nearby, near Roanoke, and the overview of coun- there are also some private endeavors of SAMPLE FIRST BALLOT try music's earliest days told in Bristol at note: the tiny Virginia Country Music Hall • R. Nathaniel Dett: African-Amer- the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. of Fame housed in the Chesterfield Fair- ican composer, conductor and But those are only chapters in the larger grounds, and a Virginia Music Museum Hampton Institute music direc- story that any Virginia Music Hall of Fame — filled mostly with rare, vintage instru- tor who founded and refined its and Museum would be poised to tell. ments — housed in Williamsburg. choral department and coached These are the kinds of rich history In short, this Virginia Music Hall of its legendary gospel quartets. lessons, and just a sampling of the great Fame is a no-brainer. When it comes to • Ernest “Pop” Stoneman: The music, that a Virginia Music Hall of Fame music, the Old Dominion has plenty of real father of country music, and Museum could showcase on a regu- stories to tell and notes to hit, as well as this stylistically diverse Galax lar basis. a lot of legends who rocked the boat. So singer, often paired with his Presently, we’ve allowed other states to let's get rolling. —Don Harrison wife, Hattie, cut some of the

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BestConcertEver_rm_0918.indd 124 8/14/18 8:36 PM THE BLUEPRINT: See how our proposed Virginia Music Hall of Fame and Museum would work, from exhibitions to picking in- ductees, at richmondmag.com/ vamusichall.

genre’s best early 78s and was News but didn’t live there very “the house that Ruth built.” the teenage Martin was mar- the patriarch of a long-running long. Still, she always thought of • The Five Keys: Arguably the keted as “The Female Elvis.” family band, the Stonemans. Virginia as her home. purest and most romantic of all She started on Richmond’s Old • The Carter Family: The singing • Tiny Grimes: A Newport News of the early doo-wop groups, Dominion Barn Dance radio trio from Maces Springs whose jazz guitarist who played with this Newport News troupe show and, odd for the time, early country recordings have Charlie Parker and Art Tatum, he recorded timeless love songs wrote much of her own material. remained touchstones. Maybelle cut what are considered among like “Close Your Eyes.” • Patsy Cline: This beloved Win- Carter’s thumb-driven guitar the first rock ‘n‘ roll records, • Dorothy Maynor: The Norfolk- chester-born country singer style remains influential, and including “Tiny’s Boogie.” born opera singer and concert waxed classic hits like “Crazy” she and a later incarnation of • The Stanley Brothers and Clinch performer was the first Afri- and “I Fall to Pieces” while help- the group (featuring niece June Mountain Boys: From Dicken- can-American to perform at a ing to usher in Nashville's “coun- Carter) performed for a time in son County, one of bluegrass presidential inauguration. She trypolitan” sound. the Old Dominion Barn Dance. music’s most influential acts. later founded the Harlem School • Gene Vincent: Born in Norfolk, • The Golden Gate Quartet: From Ralph Stanley would survive his of the Arts. Vincent influenced all the right Norfolk, the most stylistically brother Carter by 40 years to • Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Not a rock musicians, from Bob Dylan inventive of the jubilee gospel become an Americana icon. native Virginian, but this trail- to the Sex Pistols. He’s remem- groups. The Gates’ pumping, • Ruth Brown: From Portsmouth, blazing gospel guitarist — the bered for his big hit “Be-Bop-A- rhythmic acapella sound set the “Miss Rhythm” was one of the mother of rock ‘n’ roll — lived in Lula,” his leather jackets and a stage for doo-wop. most vital 1950s R&B artists; Richmond for much of her life, hard-driving lifestyle. • Ella Fitzgerald: The greatest her gruff, explosive vocalizing enjoying a fruitful partnership • The Harmonizing Four (page 120) female jazz vocalist of all time. became so popular that Atlan- with the Harmonizing Four. • Pearl Bailey (page 121) Period. Ella was born in Newport tic Records was soon known as • Janis Martin: Born in Danville, • Link Wray (page 123) R BOB SCOTT

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