His latest, “Worst of the World” combines a heartfelt and soaring melody with images of people and spaceships soaring high into the heavens, while Villines bares all. “I just wanted to feel something,” indeed! Watch this video, and you’ll feel it, too.
If you would like your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
It’s appropriate that when ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons makes his appearance at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale this Wednesday, April 9th, he will be celebrating both the creation of the “Muddywood” guitar, in honor of Muddy Waters, and the longevity of the museum itself. His vision of commissioning a guitar paying tribute to Muddy Waters went hand-in-hand with his discovery of the museum some 37 years ago.
“One of my associates in Memphis came back from a sales run which allowed him to pass through Clarksdale,” Gibbons tells me, recollecting events from more than three decades ago. “And he spotted a tiny sign simply stating ‘Blues Museum,’ stuck in the grass next to the curb.”
That alone should indicate how long ago it was, for now the Delta Blues Museum is one of Clarksdale’s and the Delta’s crown jewels. It’s educational programs are the toast of Mississippi, inspiring young people such as Grammy-winner Christone “Kingfish” Ingram to throw themselves into the blues. But when the museum opened in 1979, it was merely a single room, and a little hard to find, even well into the ‘80s, when ZZ Top frequently worked at Ardent Studios, and Gibbons heard tell of the place from his associate.
“The following week,” he says, “we headed down to Clarksdale in search of this blues museum. For a good hour, we were stopping around town asking about it, but no luck. But right as we were about to give up, we were filling up on petrol, and the gas station attendant overheard us talking. ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘you must be talking about Sid Graves and his blues museum, which is located in the public library.’ And with that, we turned around, marched up the steps to the library, and sure enough, found the annex room where Sid Graves had made a place to park his personal collection of artifacts from that great American art form called the blues.”
But there was more afoot than seeing artifacts on the day that Gibbons and company showed up. Graves had his finger on the pulse of the whole Delta region and beyond, including a wide network of blues aficionados. On this day, Graves was consulting with a fellow scholar.
“Lo and behold, visiting Sid was none other than Jim O’Neill,” says Gibbons, “who was the founder of Living Blues magazine. I had met Jim on a couple of occasions. He and Sid had gathered to discuss their concern over a recent storm where the high winds had dislodged a few timbers in the cabin that Muddy Waters grew up in. And they said, ‘It’s just a few miles down the road next to Stovall Farm.’ And we said, ‘Yeah, we will go.’
Muddy Waters’ cabin (Photo: courtesy Delta Blues Museum)
“Sure enough, there was a pile of rubble that had been gathered up and placed next to the highway. We had a nice visit for a while, and on departure, Sid said, ‘Listen, they’re hauling this refuse away tomorrow. Why don’t you take a stick of this wood as a souvenir?’ And there was a big, big square timber, about six feet long, and we piled it in the trunk of the car. About halfway back to Memphis, my buddy said, ‘What are you going to do with this log?’ I thought for a minute and then I said, ‘Well, I know a guitar maker. We could probably saw this thing, and glue the planks together and cut a guitar out of it.’”
That guitar-maker was none other than Rick Rayburn, Gibbons explains, who owned Pyramid Guitars at the time. Others have identified the cabin plank as cypress wood, and Gibbons said it just happened to be perfect for its new purpose.
“Once it was all together in one piece, there was a bell-like resonance. It was just a match made in heaven, and it turned out to be a really resounding and very strident-sounding instrument.” Its basic shape was a design Gibbons had been toying with at the time. “I had outlined the perimeter of a guitar, and we had it in in a blueprint form. And I thought, ‘Gee, now’s the time to break it out!’ We handed it over to Rick, and he said, ‘How shall we finish it out?’ And I said, ‘Well, let’s give it a nice, bright coat.’ And then I said, ‘I’ve got a design for a graphic.’”
The paint job Gibbons had in mind spoke to the very muddy waters that the great bluesman (born McKinley Morganfield) had lived beside for so long. “The squiggle down through the body and down all the way down the neck is the Mississippi River,” Gibbons notes. “The two colors represent the water and the banks of the river. And it culminates in the headstock, which is kind of a deltoid shaped piece, representing the Mississippi Delta.”
Muddywood (Photo: courtesy Delta Blues Museum)
It came out better than anyone had dreamt possible. “We tagged it the Muddywood guitar,” says Gibbons, “and it was such a delightful instrument, we thought, ‘Gee whiz, this would make a nice addition to the collection that Sid Graves put together.’”
The rest is history, as that encounter led ZZ Top to contribute funds to the museum, which in turn spawned matching grants and an ambitious event in which Muddywood was added to the museum’s collection. John Lee Hooker even showed up. It was just the kickstart that the Delta Blues Museum needed, paving the way for its eventual move into a train depot in Clarksdale, which it still calls home today.
This Wednesday, the support that Gibbons and his band gave to what is now a Delta landmark will be honored in a full-circle moment, as the museum pays tribute to ZZ Top at a “Crossroads Connection” event, part of its annual Muddy Waters Month celebration. The program kicks off at 2:00 PM at the Delta Blues Museum Stage where local musicians, civic leaders, and state dignitaries will help the Museum thank Billy and ZZ Top for their long-time support of the blues and the culture of the Mississippi Delta. Live music will be provided by the award-winning Delta Museum Student Band, joined by Gibbons, who will play the Muddywood guitar for the occasion. That event in turn will serve as a lead up to the 2025 Juke Joint Festival that kicks off in Clarksdale this Saturday.
At 3:00 PM, festivities will continue inside at a ticketed reception in honor of Gibbons and in support of the museum’s programs. There, Gibbons will be joined in conversation by the Delta Blues Museum’s “Blues Ambassador,” Charlie Musselwhite, a Delta native, Grammy winner, and Blues Hall of Fame and Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductee. The two will discuss the life and legacy of Muddy Waters and his enduring influence on music. Visit this link for tickets.
Desmond Bane shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, April 5, 2025 (Photo by: Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies secured the season series against the Detroit Pistons with a 109-103 win Saturday night, marking their ninth consecutive victory over Detroit.
The Grizzlies dominated Detroit on the glass, out-rebounding them 64-44 and converted 17 offensive boards into 23 second-chance points.
Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant was sidelined due to food poisoning. His backcourt mate Desmond Bane led Memphis in his absence.
Bane exploded for 38 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists, while shooting 15-for-23 from the field. His 15 made shots tied for the second-most in his career, behind the 19 he made in a 49-point outing against the Pistons last season.
“He’s a good player and he can score in so many different ways,” Piston’s head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Bane after the game. “He can make open shots; he can put the ball on the floor and create his own. He’s good at driving the ball and creating contact. He’s just a well-rounded offensive player.”
Memphis held Detroit to just 38 percent shooting, a promising sign that the team’s defense might be back on track. Have the Grizzlies finally figured out their identity on that end of the floor? Let’s hope so. The question on everyone’s mind is: Can they sustain this level of defensive intensity going forward?
Bane said of the defense after the much-needed win , “That’s got to be our calling card for now, and for the rest of the season. We (have) to be able to get stops.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. posted 27 points, and added 11 rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He’s now scored 20+ points in five of his last six games and has reached double figures in 12 consecutive games.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocked shots.
Zach Edey set a new career high and Grizzlies rookie record with 21 rebounds, adding six points, six assists, and a block. He’s been dominating on the glass, grabbing 13+ rebounds in each of his last three games. Edey currently ranks second among rookies with 8.0 rebounds per game, just behind Yves Missi’s 8.2. His impressive rebounding effort also tied for the 12th-most in a single game in Grizzlies franchise history.
Grizzlies interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo on Edey’s night: “He had a huge impact. He’s had an incredible stretch of games, 21 rebounds today. I think that’s a franchise rookie record. He also had six assists on top of that. There’s a lot of noise in an individual game basis, but he’s grasping the tactical nuances, he’s disciplined and executing the game plan. He’s relentless in getting after the second shots and screening for our shooters. He’s got a very bright future ahead of him.”
The Grizzlies improved to 46-32 on the season, putting them in a heated contest for postseason aspirations with only four games left to play. Every game matters at this point.
Up Next
The Grizzlies will face the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ja Morant drives to the basket against the Miami Heat. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
Thursday night, the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing streak with a 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat.
Itwas the Grizzlies’ first win since longtime head coach Taylor Jenkins was fired and replaced in the interim by lead assistant Tuomas Iisalo.
This might be one of the most important wins of the season for this Grizzlies team, which has been in a tailspin for the past few weeks. After spending most of the season in second place in the Western Conference, Memphis is now trying to avoid falling past the sixth seed and the play-in tournament.
This brings us to Thursday night’s game in Miami. The game started out with Heat big man, Bam Adebayo, torching the Grizzlies for 12 points in the first period, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Memphis was able to cut Miami’s nine-point lead to one by midway but did themselves no favors by giving up 10 points off 12 turnovers in the first half. It was not a great matchup for Jaren Jackson Jr., as evidenced by his game-high five fouls and five turnovers.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle that saw Memphis barely snaring out a win, thanks to a pullup at the buzzer by Ja Morant.
But there is an elephant in the room: the ongoing controversy regarding what the league calls a “finger-gun” gesture made between Ja Morant and Golden State guard Buddy Hield during Tuesday’s game against the Warriors.
The league issued a warning yesterday afternoon to Morant and Hield regarding the gesture: It was determined “not intended to be violent in nature” but still inappropriate. It was a warning Morant opted not to heed.
Now the league is issuing a $75,000 fine to Morant after he made the same gesture during last night’s game.
Hopefully, he will heed that warning going forward because the Grizzlies desperately need him on the court.
By The Numbers:
Morant led the team in scoring with 30 points on 11 of 22 overall shooting and 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. He added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
Desmond Bane finished with 17 points on 6 of 23 overall shooting and 1 of 9 from three-point range, plus 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal.
Jaylen Wells added 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 13 points, and added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
tap out for the offensive rebound bucket thru the contact
Scotty Pippen Jr. led the bench with 17 points on 6 of 9 overall shooting and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, plus 1 rebound, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will be in Detroit Saturday night to take on the Pistons. Tip-off is at 6 PM CDT.
Images from previous Indie Memphis festivals (Photo: courtesy Indie Memphis).
In an email to filmmakers sent this morning, April 4, 2025, the arts nonprofit Indie Memphis announced an “intermission.”
“Starting today, Indie Memphis will pause all programming — including our annual film festival — as we explore strategic paths forward for the organization. This includes evaluating potential partnerships and organizational models that can sustain our mission and community impact long term,” read the email.
“This decision was not made lightly. It reflects both the challenges we’ve faced and our deep commitment to preserving the spirit of Indie Memphis. We remain proud of the filmmakers, artists, and stories we’ve supported — and we’ll be sharing more about what’s next in the weeks to come.”
In addition to the annual film festival, which has been a staple in the Memphis fall events calendar for 27 years, Indie Memphis has also presented Shoot & Splice, a monthly program which presents workshops and forums for filmmakers looking to hone their craft; Microcinema, a semi-regular program of short films from around the world; the Indie Memphis Youth Film Festival, which helps high schoolers get a start in the art; the IndieGrant program, which funded more than 20 short films by Memphis filmmakers in the last decade; and most recently the Black Creators Forum, an annual conclave which brings together African-American artists and filmmakers from all over the country. All of those programs are currently suspended.
Indie Memphis executive director Kimel Fryer says this is not the end for the organization. “Indie Memphis has been around for 27 years. This intermission is to make sure that we are around for another 27 years because we are being intentional and thoughtful about what we’re providing to the community.”
Artistic director Miriam Bale resigned from Indie Memphis in 2024, and Kayla Myers took over as head programmer for last year’s festival. Fryer confirms that Myers and operations manager Joseph Carr have left the organization this year. Marketing director Macon Wilson had previously taken a position with the Orpheum Theatre.
Film festivals nationwide have been struggling in the current economic and cultural environment. First, the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered theaters and prevented in-person gatherings for two years, beginning in March 2020. Buoyed by government relief funds, “We didn’t slow down programming. Indie Memphis actually increased programming during the pandemic,” says Fryer. The nonprofit embraced streaming films with the help of Memphis-based Eventive, which was itself a spinoff of the festival’s ticketing system. The 2020 festival was entirely virtual, and all editions of the festival since then have had a streaming component.
But just as Covid relief funding was drying up, dual strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG/AFTRA) shut down film production for most of 2023. The resulting disruption of the production pipeline has put the industry under stress. “The film industry has changed a good three times since I’ve been here, and I haven’t even been here that long,” Fryer says. “But this is not film industry specific. … For all nonprofits across all industries, corporate sponsorship was down by 45 percent.”
The Trump administration’s draconian slashing of federal funding for arts nonprofits, plus the increasingly uncertain economic environment, has hit all arts nonprofits hard in the bottom line, says Fryer. “It’s not just federal grants but all grants — state grants, foundations, and federal grants are all a piece of our revenue, and there’s a lot of ambiguity as to how a lot of that’s gonna work out. So this is really a way for us to think about how we can get stronger, how we can really utilize strategic partnerships, maybe in ways we’ve never done before, or maybe in ways that we used to do, and we just haven’t in a long time.”
“We’re not just a film festival; we are a nonprofit, thinking about sustainable ways for us to continue to thrive,” says Fryer. “Regardless of what’s going on, regardless of what might be happening with grants or whatever, as a nonprofit leader, you always want to be able to be in a place of being able to plan and move forward with this. I think we know what we need to work on. We’ve got a strategic plan, and we’re looking at a lot of different things.”
Citing the festival’s longstanding relationships with Malco Theatres and Crosstown Arts, Fryer says she believes one way forward for Indie Memphis is through new partnerships. “This intermission is also for us to think about partnerships with a lot of different organizations, maybe organizations we’ve partnered with in the past and maybe some that we haven’t. It’s a time for us to think about how we can come back in a way that is sustainable, strong, and serves our community — and maybe introduces us to more community members that maybe want to be a part of Indie Memphis but don’t know it yet. So I wouldn’t be opposed to any partnership with anybody, but I wouldn’t say a particular name at this point.”
Even the flagship independent film festival in the United States, Sundance Film Festival, has had to rethink operations. Sundance recently announced a move from the festival’s longtime home in Park City, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado — a decision that the Sundance organization had been pondering for more than a year. “I know that a lot of people are gonna be nervous and maybe even sad, but I really do think that this is a really a good place for us to rethink about how things are gonna be in the future, especially when you think about how one of the biggest festivals in the world, Sundance, took the time to think about what made most sense for them as a location, even though they’ve been at Park City since forever and they actually are moving to Boulder because it’s just a better fit for them.”
(Fryer clarifies that Indie Memphis is not considering moving. “Memphis is in our name!”)
“Yes, we can be upset or sad that there’s not gonna be a film festival this year, but at the same time, [think about] what new possibilities that it opens for us. There are some things I can’t talk about, but I think that being able to take a pause, take a beat, and be intentional about your next steps, that’s one of the bravest things that you can do, and Sundance kind of did that first. There are a few other festivals that have paused and then came back in a stronger, more intentional way, and it’s worked out for them. Indie Memphis provided 27 years of programming, and I do hope that, after going 27 years straight, there is some grace given. I think that if we’re able to think about what could be next, I honestly think that it might be phenomenal; it might be so much better than if we were to just keep doing the same thing that we’re used to doing.”
This storm system has already caused five deaths in West Tennessee. It has dumped around 4 to 6 inches of rain on Memphis already.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
“Generational flooding” is expected in the area as the storm delivers more rain on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This could deliver up to 10 inches of rain to areas along and north of I-40 through the weekend. If “generational flooding” was not enough to concern you, the NWS Memphis also predicts the storm could yield “catastrophic flooding.”
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
However, Memphis fares better in the NWS outlook for Friday than other areas. The agency predicts moderate chances of severe weather, damaging winds, tornados, large hail, and excessive rainfall compared to other areas.
Saturday, though, brings an increased risk for all of those here, especially excessive rainfall.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
Even when the storm system moves on, its effects will remain in the Shelby County watershed. The briefing predicts an above moderate flood risk for the Wolf River. But it predicts an “above major flood” for the Loosahatchie River, which runs through Frayser and more.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
Water levels in the Mississippi River began rising Thursday and are expected to continue until April 15th. River levels had sunk to around five feet early Thursday morning. By Friday morning, levels climbed to nearly 13 feet. The NWS predicts river levels will rise continually, peaking at around 36 feet by mid-April.
Credit: National Weather Service Memphis
Gov. Lee Surveys West Tennessee storm damage
Credit: State of Tennessee
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee surveyed storm damage in McNairy County Thursday evening after severe storms ripped through part of West and Middle Tennessee.
Lee immediately issued an Emergency Declaration, which was quickly approved by the Trump Adminstration.
Crews in several Tennessee counties continued to survey storm damage Friday and search sites for evidence of tornadoes.
Body camera footage shows Tennessee troopers, McNairy County deputies, Selmer Police officers and firefighters searching the debris of a home for trapped or hurt survivors after severe storms battered West Tennessee in the early morning hours of April 3, 2025. (Photo: Tennessee Highway Patrol)
A chain of severe storms and a possible tornado killed at least five people across West Tennessee early Thursday.
The storms left a path of major damage in Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy counties, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). An EF-3 tornado struck the town of Selmer, Tennessee, according to preliminary surveys from crews deployed by the National Weather Service Memphis.
Residents of West and Middle Tennessee received multiple severe storm, tornado and flood warnings throughout Wednesday night into the early morning hours Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued more than 70 severe thunderstorm warnings, more than 50 tornado warnings and 21 flash flood warnings in the last 24 hours, TEMA reported Thursday afternoon.
NWS received reports of observed tornadoes and damage for seven of those tornado-warned storms.
State officials warn that “generational flooding” — flooding so severe it happens once a generation or once a lifetime — continues to pose a threat to multiple counties in Middle and West Tennessee as multiple rounds of heavy rain are forecast to stretch into Sunday.
Rain totals could reach at least 10 inches in areas of West Tennessee north of Interstate 40 by the end of the weekend, according to National Weather Service Memphis. The northwest corner of the state could see up to 15 total inches of rain.
Gov. Bill Lee requested an Emergency Declaration for Tennessee and TEMA Director Patrick Sheehan issued a State of Emergency Wednesday evening in anticipation of the severe storms and flooding.
Lee’s request includes federal assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance.
President Donald Trump approved Lee’s request around 11 a.m. Thursday, making FEMA assistance available to all 95 Tennessee counties. Under the declaration, FEMA can provide equipment and resources to support emergency response, and direct federal assistance under the public assistance program will be provided at 75 percent federal funding, according to the agency.
The state remains under a level 3 State of Emergency status, which allows state resources to support local requests for assistance following severe weather while continuing to provide support for ongoing Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts in East Tennessee.
Five deaths, multiple injuries reported
At least five people have been reported dead, state and local officials confirmed.
The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed one death each in McNairy County, Obion County and Carroll County.
A 48-year-old man was pronounced dead in Fayette County around 2 a.m. Thursday after the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting a tornado had overturned a modular home, according to the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency.
Four other family members were transported to a nearby hospital, two in critical condition and two in stable condition. The man’s 16-year-old daughter later died at the hospital, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Tornado damage assessments begin
NWS Memphis does not yet have an exact number of confirmed tornadoes from Thursday morning’s severe weather event.
Teams are assessing tornado damage in Selmer, Tennessee and Lake City, Arkansas to confirm and classify the strength of tornadoes, according to NWS Memphis.
Selmer saw an EF-3 tornado with peak winds estimated at 160 miles per hour, according to preliminary survey results released by NWS Memphis Thursday afternoon. The agency suspended further surveys of the area out of concern for surveyors’ safety in ongoing storms.
In Arkansas, the preliminary survey shows Lake City also saw an EF-3 tornado with top winds around 150 miles per hour.
Ratings could change after surveys are complete, NWS Memphis stated.
The agency received additional reports of tornados in the region from spotters and radar but crews have not yet been able to survey damage or confirm.
Tennessee Highway Patrol deployed a strike team to McNairy County to support local officials, according to TEMA.
“My heart breaks for our city and county at this time,” Selmer Mayor Sherry Inman stated in a social media post expressing gratitude for those who have offered assistance or prayers. “Please continue to pray for all the families and homes that have been lost.”
State officials report power outages, roads blocked by water or debris
About 9,700 power outage reports remained active statewide as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, according to TEMA. This is down from more than 15,400 outages reported as of 4 a.m.
Communications systems are experiencing problems in McNairy County and TEMA is working with local officials to remedy the situation.
Customers served by the Grand Junction Water Department in Hardeman County do not have water. The Henderson Water Department in Chester County is under a boil water advisory.
Multiple roads throughout Middle and West Tennessee have been impacted by downed trees and power lines and flooding, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Crews are working to clean up debris.
Excessive rainfall to come
Excessive rainfall continued Thursday with the “bullseye” of enhanced risk storms encompassing most of West Tennessee from Memphis to Clarksville along Interstate 40. Widespread flash floods were expected, according to NWS Memphis.
Most areas of Middle and West Tennessee have seen between 3-5 inches of rain over the last 18 hours, with some areas nearing 7 inches, according to TEMA. Another 3-4 inches was forecast for Thursday evening, and 5-7 inches are projected on Saturday.
Severe weather forecasts also include continued tornado, large hail and damaging wind threats in addition to flood risks.
This is a developing story.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Photo Credit: Memphis Public Libraries via Facebook
Thanks to a new grant, the Memphis Library Foundation will be able to further aid in workforce development by helping residents grow in fields such as entrepreneurship, culinary arts, and digital media. This is all part of the foundation’s Innovator-in-Residence program, which will expand as a result of funds from Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
Today, foundation officials announced they received a $300,000 grant from the department. This represents a portion of $167 million in grants TNECD has allocated across Tennessee for workforce advancement.
“This two-year grant will specifically enable the Foundation to expand upon successful Memphis Public Libraries programs and offer additional resources, expertise, and training to local community members seeking to enhance their digital skills and workforce development opportunities,” Memphis Library Foundation officials said in a statement.
As participants work to sharpen their skills, the program will connect them with professionals such as podcasters, chefs, lawyers, and more, who will help them “monetize their talents” while also contributing to growth in the city.
The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Industry Report 2024 by the Greater Memphis Chamber and Greater Memphis Economic Research Group found that as of 2021, small businesses accounted for 98.9 percent of businesses in the area.
“By providing access to professional guidance and resources, we aim to create a robust network of aspiring entrepreneurs, contributing to the overall economic growth in our city,” Christine Weinreich, executive director of Memphis Library Foundation, said.
Memphis has been referred to as a “hotbed for entrepreneurship” by Epicenter Memphis. The organization said the city has an advantage over places like San Francisco and New York, which tend to show “startup saturation.”
The Urban Libraries Council noted the opportunities this Innovators-in-Residence program opens to the city — specifically to African-American communities the library serves.
“Memphis Public Libraries provides access to resources, opportunity, and hope,” the Urban Libraries Council said. “Cossitt Library serves Downtown, where 52 percent of residents are African American and 14 percent live in poverty. The area faces economic disparities, with wealthy neighborhoods near some of the poorest. Raleigh Library patrons are 76 percent African American, and 26 percent live in poverty.”
The program is tailored to the offerings of each library branch. Cossitt Library was home to the initial pilot of the initiative, which led to Ena Esco’s podcast, Verbally Effective. Weinreich said the grant will allow them to expand to five different innovators as opposed to one.
Other libraries will be involved in the program, including Raleigh Library, which houses an “on-site kitchen” where they will focus on culinary skills and development. Officials said they plan to bring in local chefs to help advise participants on how to secure funding for a business and how to manage restaurants.
Babbie Lovett has about 2,000 to 3,000 garments that she’s collected in her 92 years of life as a model, show producer, store owner, and mentor in Memphis’ fashion industry. “You know there’s a fine line between collecting and hoarding,” she jests. “I’ve got a house full and three apartments full of racks.”
But, even as she jokes, she says, “It’s like I have a whole box of paints and crayons that I can use.” For her fashion shows, that is. Just last year, for instance, she put the show together for the University of Memphis: Memphis Fashion Through the Decades. “These last 10 years, all my dreams seem to be coming true,” Lovett says, “because I’ve always wanted my collection to be used for education or for fundraising.”
These days, though, Lovett has to organize her shows by feel and memory, since about two-and-a-half years ago she went blind. “It’s one of the most interesting times of my life. It’s a real journey of learning,” she says, ever the one to take a positive outlook.
Her most recent project has been with the Tennessee Ballet Theater, which will honor the last nine decades of her many-chaptered life with The ICON, Babbie Lovett, Fashion Legend this April. Directed by Erin Walter, TBT’s artistic director, and with works choreographed by Max Robinson and Steven Prince Tate, the ballet will traverse the “peaks and valleys” of Lovett’s life, with four ballerinas representing Lovett. “There are 15 dances, and some are literal depictions of aspects of her life,” Walter says, “and some are abstractions from things that we were inspired by.”
For The ICON, Walter has incorporated pieces from Lovett’s collection in two numbers. “It thrills me because [the pieces in] my collection are really my friends,” Lovett says. “All of my clothes have a story with them. And they’ve never been worn but maybe once or twice, or most of them have been made for shows. And to see them dance just thrills me to death.”
Lovett herself fell in love with dance, long before she fell in love with fashion. “I learned to sing and dance my own way before I could walk,” she says. Even today, she’s still dancing. “I may be as blind as a bat, but in my head I’m just going to keep dancing. … There’s certain music I hear. I get up at night and sometimes I hold on to my walker and dance.”
This production will be the fifth installment of TBT’s 901 Stories, which has brought to life histories of Earnestine & Hazel’s, the Annesdale Mansion, the Medicine Factory, and the Jack Robinson Gallery through dance. “We like to celebrate things about Memphis that maybe people don’t know,” Walter says. “Maybe half of Memphis knows who Babbie is, but the other half doesn’t.”
And to Walter, at least, Lovett is Memphis history. At 92, she began life in the Great Depression, saw the fashion industry boom in Memphis, and took part in it, modeling here and in New York; she built businesses, pioneered “trashion” (taking trash and making it into fashion), and advocated for the arts and causes close to her heart. She was and still is a mentor to many. To try and describe her life in a paragraph is a disservice; to do it in a ballet, however, will put Lovett on the stage, where she’s always belonged, sharing her joy to as many people as possible.
She once wrote, and now recites from memory, no longer able to read or write due to her blindness: “There’s nothing I like better than being a star. Give me your undivided attention. God made the stage. The show is life. Fashion are the costumes we wear on stage, backstage, or in the audience. The play, music, dance, comedy, tragedy. We laugh; we cry. It’s good; it’s bad. We clap; we boo. We leave. The show goes on. My name is Babbie. Fashion is my passion. The one thing we all have in common is we’re born naked and we cover up.”
Walter says that she always brings a notebook with her for moments like this and many others when Lovett says something that catches her ear. For that reason, Walter has also set up a multisensory exhibit to accompany the show featuring old phones that, when picked up, will answer with recordings of Lovett telling stories from her life, moments not included in the show and moments that, Walter says, “she says in a much better way than I was able to write [for the show’s monologues between the dances].”
Profits from The ICON will go to TBT’s Frayser Dance Project, which offers free dance classes to students in the Frayser neighborhood. The program is in its fourth year and is sponsored by Nike and Alliance Healthcare.
“That’s why I’m so excited about being a part of all of this because the funds that are raised when you do shows, even if it’s just the beginning, if you can get people interested, then you can get the contributions that you need to preserve the arts or give people an opportunity that they didn’t have before,” Lovett says.
In the meantime, Lovett looks forward to experiencing the ballet. “My talent has always been able to feel an audience and to be able to see that audience was wonderful. But to be able to feel that audience now is also a gift, so I’m looking forward to feeling and hearing the show.”
Purchase tickets to The ICON: Babbie Lovett, Fashion Legend, sponsored by Alliance Healthcare Services,here. Performances are at the McCoy Theatre at Rhodes College on Friday, April 4th, and Saturday, April 5th, at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday, April 6th, matinee at 2:30 p.m., and Friday, April 11th, and Saturday, April 12th, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 and include a wine reception immediately following the performance, where you will have a chance to meet Lovett, and models and dancers showing Lovett’s collection and Sue Ambrose’s couture designs constructed from bicycle tires.
On Wednesday, April 9, Soul Coughing will play the Hi Tone. It will be only the second time the band has played Memphis. The first was in 1995, when they opened for Jeff Buckley at the New Daisy on Beale Street.
A lot has happened since then. After three innovative albums and a string of hits unlike anything else on the radio, the band broke up acrimoniously in the late 1990s. Bandleader Mike Doughty pursued a solo career which took him all over the world. Ten years ago, he moved to Memphis, where he still resides today.
Last year, the classic lineup of Soul Coughing patched up their differences and embarked on a modest comeback tour. To the surprise of everyone involved, the tour sold out in a matter of minutes.
Now, the band is headed out on the road again, and they’re kicking it off in Doughty’s adopted home town of Memphis. The Hi Tone will be the smallest venue on this leg of the tour, so this is a chance to see the 90s underground legends in an intimate setting.
On this week’s Memphis Flyer Podcast, Mike Doughty sat down with Chris McCoy for a wide-ranging conversation about music, Memphis, and life.
