Tinner Hill Music Festival

01/30/2021

Dr. John

Here some fabulous Friday fun!

The Boogie Woogie Twins - Dr. John & Jools Holland's amazing duet from NBC's Sunday Night / Night Music show, 1988. #FlashbackFriday

01/27/2021

Monday, January 18, 2021 • Dedication of new permanent signs at Tinner Hill Historic Park

On Monday, January 18, NOVA Parks and the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation unveiled permanent signs commemorating the establishment of the first rural branch of the NAACP which took place at the home of Joseph Tinner.
The Tinner Hill Historic Park, 106 Tinner Hill Road, Falls Church, VA 22042, is located on the site where that home once stood.
Here are photos of the unveiling.

01/22/2021

Not sure how we missed this but looks like Bernie was hanging out backstage with Big Sam & Tori McKinney at the 2019 THMF. Maybe he'll be back for the 2021 festival & we hope you will too. We'll have info soon...

01/19/2021

NOVA Parks

NOVA Parks

Tinner Hill History Remembered

01/18/2021

Hope. Inspiration. Compassion.

01/12/2021

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Monday, January 18, 2021• 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
The People’s Holiday is NMAAHC’s annual program honoring Dr. King’s commitment to racial equality, justice, and service.
This year, it's proud to present six-time Grammy Award-winning bassist, composer, and educator Christian McBride in a digital performance inspired by his social justice-focused album The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons.
Join us online for a 45-minute performance of jazz and poetry, which also features students from the Julliard School and award-winning poet Evie Shockley. The program will conclude with a conversation between Christian McBride and NMAAHC Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs Dwandalyn Reece.
The People’s Holiday is generously supported by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust.

A museum that seeks to understand American history through the lens of the African American experience.

01/05/2021

Hope you have or plan to see "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" on Netflix. Here's some information about another woman of the Blues, Willa Mae Buckner.

From the Music Maker blog: The Ma Rainey/Music Maker Connection

Since Netflix released its film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” with Viola Davis masterfully playing the Mother of the Blues, critics all over the world have raved about the film. Rainey was a true pioneer of American music — and she was only one degree removed from the Music Maker Relief Foundation.

One of our original partner artists, Willa Mae Buckner, modeled her life and career after that of Rainey and even danced with her as part of her stage show on one occasion, her life showing the universality of the film’s themes across a generation of pioneering blueswomen. The parallels between Rainey and Buckner are striking, not only in their performances but also in their origins. Both were musical children of Georgia. Rainey was born in Columbus, on the state’s Alabama line, and Buckner came from Augusta, on the state’s border with South Carolina.

“Willa Mae was very cognizant of Ma Rainey” even though she was about 35 years younger, says Music Maker founder and head Timothy Duffy. Both women began performing in their early teens, Rainey with medicine shows and Buckner running away from home at 12 to join the Black Gilly shows, small traveling carnivals. They each adopted chosen families, both in their apprenticeships and later in mentoring others — in Ma’s case, famously, Bessie Smith. “She was definitely taken in like a family member,” Duffy says. “There was a husband and wife that treated her like a kid and took care of her.”
A Gun, a Knife, and Some Snakes

Rainey and Buckner were both intimidating characters who carried weapons. Buckner’s arsenal also included her trademark collection of snakes, which were part of her stage show and a potent deterrent to anyone who tried to rob her apartment. Violence was a presence in Buckner’s life, first via her abusive stepmother and later via her boyfriend, who shot her through the neck. As a result, she carried a Smith & Wesson gun and a knife, and she said she was always willing to cut or shoot anyone who threatened her, much like Rainey. In the film, we also see how racist violence suffered by the family of the character Levee leaves him with a hair-trigger temper. Duffy remembers, “The first time I went to a drink house in Winston, I saw a woman standing on the porch holding a razorblade and a man running across the lawn holding a deeply cut forehead.”

Rainey married and split with her husbands young, while Buckner never married. Both women instead learned to rely on themselves, radically independent of men and living defiantly in pursuit of their own visions.

“Their great-grandparents or grandparents were slaves,” Duffy says. “They didn’t want to be subservient to a man or woman or anybody. The traveling shows afforded different freedoms that the straight world didn’t have.” Angela Davis, in her landmark book “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism,” writes of Rainey’s and others’ ability to “explicitly celebrate their right to conduct themselves as expansively and even as undesirably as men.”

The performances themselves were also extravaganzas, going well beyond music. “Buckner learned to be a contortionist, painted her body gold, laid on a bed of nails, was a dancer, worked the side booth, did strip teases in these country fairs,” says Duffy, exuding sex appeal to her grave. In the snake shows she pioneered, she was accompanied in these performances by four- or five-piece bands.

In keeping with their wild performances, Rainey and Buckner were known for their flashy attire, a big deal in the culture. Attire was paramount in their world. The late playwright August Wilson created the character of Levee, played here by the late Chadwick Boseman, to represent the countless Black musicians who found their work exploited by the white men who ran the American music industry. In the film, we see Levee spend a substantial sum on new shoes — simply to show his worth to the world.

“Appearance was everything,” Duffy says. “It was very important.”

Lives of Importance (and Workaday Jobs):

The exploitation suffered by artists like Ma Rainey and Willa Mae Buckner was sadly a staple of the recording industry through the 1960s. Studios paid musicians flat rates for their recording sessions, often accompanied by fraudulent promises of more money to come, but the contracts left the artists with no royalty payments from their recordings, leaving them entirely dependent on fickle concert performance income.

Willa Mae Buckner when she worked as a bus driver

It wasn’t until long after her death in 1939 that Rainey began to get the recognition she deserved. Music Maker advisory board member Bonnie Raitt inducted her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and she entered the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999.

In their later years, both Rainey and Buckner ran music venues but were forced to work menial jobs. Rainey managed three theaters while Buckner hosted a drink house. But Rainey was listed on her death certificate as a housekeeper, Buckner was forced to take up driving a bus in Winston-Salem for a decade.

Still, throughout her life, Buckner’s verve and showmanship never disappeared.

Duffy recalls the first time he met Buckner at Ezell’s drink house in Winston-Salem, where he was hanging out with Music Maker’s very first partner artist, Guitar Gabriel.

“I had heard about the snake lady, but no one would take me to her house because she lived with these two big snakes and everyone was scared of it,” Duffy says. “No one would go there. Then, Willa Mae showed up at Ezell’s, where Gabe and I used to hang out. We started playing, and she started doing these risque songs. She cussed like a sailor. I became good friends with her. She invited me to her place. She had an old Epiphone Broadway [guitar] in pawn and I helped her get it out of pawn.”

Music Maker later helped Buckner land a performance at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall. She broke her elbow before the Carnegie Hall performance but did not tell anyone because she did not want to miss the show. Music Maker made sure she had proper medical care, and later helped admit her into a nursing home.

“To have only one degree of separation between Music Maker and Ma Rainey, who was one of the greatest legends, who helped create the blues, that makes me feel really proud,” Duffy says. “So many of our partner artists over the years were friends with and played with some of blues music’s earliest pioneers. And I’m glad that we were able to help someone like Willa Mae Bucker. Ma Rainey saw how special she was and invited her onto her stage.”

— Nick Loss-Eaton

01/05/2021

The best Gibson guitars were made by the 'Kalamazoo Gals'

During of World War II, Gibson’s Banner Guitars were made by women but their contribution in making the highly sought-after guitars was overlooked for years. https://www.michiganradio.org/post/best-gibson-guitars-were-made-kalamazoo-gals?fbclid=IwAR0VInUJUU1JivOqp4k-63SZwJakJQx2_p30FKLaD_hd2Abri8-CZPoIXbY

The “Banner” Gibson guitar is considered one of the finest acoustic guitars ever made. Over 9,000 of these Banners were carefully built during World War II

01/03/2021

On behalf of THHF & THMF, sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Gregory Woodyard. He was long time friend of Ed & Nikki Henderson and many of us had the pleasure of working with him at Tinner Hill events.

12/30/2020

'Brother Robert' Reveals True Story Of Growing Up With Blues Legend Robert Johnson

'Brother Robert' Reveals True Story Of Growing Up With Blues Legend Robert Johnson https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/950794131/brother-robert-reveals-true-story-of-growing-up-with-blues-legend-robert-johnson?fbclid=IwAR1rbP92BzPpgHgEBtFBrYzyCQvwXnHvYugcIOqVg6TjAy0nfGZzgFPjkjI

Annye Anderson, the stepsister of Robert Johnson, whose life became a founding myth of American music, has written a memoir about the real life behind the legend.

12/28/2020

Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation

Thank You for your support & Best Wishes for a Happy New Year! It's been a year like none other and we say Goodbye with a sigh of relief. We hope 2021 will see a renewal of the American spirit that is politically and socially inclusive with "Liberty and Justice for All."
THHF's Mural District Project is well underway and its "Wall of Healing" will highlight the pivotal presence of Black life, past and present, in the area. Its Social Justice Committee will continue its work to address issues that precipitate violence and hatred. The 2021 Tinner Hill Music Festival is also taking shape and announcements of this and other projects will be forthcoming throughout the year.
As we've said before, THHF preserves early African American and civil rights history through its unique programming that includes history, art, music and culture. It celebrates this legacy with programs and events that build relationships, promote respect and work toward understanding among all people.
Your donations have made these programs and projects possible. We hope you will make an end-of year, tax-deductible donation in support of these and other up-coming events
To learn more or to make a donation, please visit our website www.tinnerhill.org If you prefer, mail your donation to Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 6117, Falls Church, VA 22040.

12/26/2020

Peanuts Gang Singing "La Grange" by: ZZ Top

Do a happy dance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RzU9egK6oQ&list=PLF5OCBXQ-XAz1U1mvs0nu5UmbywZGyJ88

(THANKS FOR OVER 400,000 VIEWS EVERYONE!!!!!)Ladies and gentlemen, here's another Peanuts music parody. This time they play "La Grange" by ZZ Top! Once again...

12/24/2020

If you need a little New Orleans, tune in tonight for a special concert featuring Irma Thomas.

Join us tonight at 6pm CT as we video stream Irma Thomas's set from the St. Louis Cathedral for French Quarter Fest's Holidays New Orleans Style Virtual Concert Series! We'll also be airing it on the radio at 7pm tonight.

Photo at French Quarter Fest 2019 by Marc PoKempner.

12/24/2020

Merry Christmas Baby

The best to all of you this Holiday Season. Here's DC's own Chuck Brown singing "Merry Christmas Baby"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqUuDbvrKhQ

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard EnterprisesMerry Christmas Baby · Chuck BrownThe Spirit of Christmas℗ 1999 Raw Venture Records & Tapes, Inc.Released on: 2...

12/18/2020

Charley Pride was a music legend and on Sat. Dec. 19 from 4-6 PM, “The Griot” (aka "Texas Fred the Zydeco Cowboy”) host of "The Trail Ride" on Bluegrass Country Radio, will pay tribute to him on his weekly program. The station is on HD radio at 88.5FM Ch. 2 in the DMV, online at https://bluegrasscountry.org/ & via a free smart phone app.

12/11/2020

Happy Birthday to Judi Ingemi Taylor & Linwood Taylor, a favorite of area Blues fans, who celebrated his earlier this week. If you've been to JVs, you've probably met them both.

12/11/2020

For Joseph ‘Mojo’ Morganfield, making music like his famous dad is a very ‘Good’ thing

It saddens me to pass on the news that Joseph "Mojo" Morganfied. the youngest son of Muddy Waters, collapsed and died earlier today. Sincere condolences go to his family & friends. The link below is to an article that appeared yesterday in anticipation of his upcoming single release. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/12/8/22163203/joseph-mojo-morganfield-muddy-waters-son-music-album-chicago-delmark-records?cx_testId=8&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s

The most recent of Muddy Waters’ offspring to pursue his own career in music, Morganfield has released a new single, "It’s Good to Be King," on Chicago’s longstanding independent Delmark label.

12/10/2020

The State Theatre

The State Theatre

Help save the State Theatre!

We have created an online auction to help us get through a long winter.

Now is your chance to own some of your favorite show posters, have your very own message displayed on our marquee, as well as front row tables and tickets to future show and much much more!

Bidding starts this Thursday and ends December 31st. New items are being added regularly!

Check out the auction here: https://www.32auctions.com/StatetheatreVA

12/10/2020

THANK YOU to all who donated on GivingTuesday to support Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation & Tinner Hill Music Festival. We'll have more information about the 2021 festival and other events in the weeks ahead. Of course, we're still accepting donations, big or small & hope you'll consider making a year-end donation. Click to donate: https://www.tinnerhill.org/donate

12/10/2020

THANKS to all who donated on GivingTuesday to support Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation & Tinner Hill Music Festival. We'll have more information about the 2021 festival and other events in the weeks ahead. Of course, we're still accepting donations, big or small & hope you'll consider making a year-end donation. Click to donate: https://www.tinnerhill.org/donate

THANK YOU to all who donated on GivingTuesday. Your support of Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation & the music festival is so appreciated. We'll have more information about 2021 events in the weeks ahead. Of course, we're still accepting donations, big or small & hope you'll consider making a year-end donation. Click to donate: https://www.tinnerhill.org/donate

12/03/2020

THANK YOU to all who donated on GivingTuesday. Your support of Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation & the music festival is so appreciated. We'll have more information about 2021 events in the weeks ahead. Of course, we're still accepting donations, big or small & hope you'll consider making a year-end donation. Click to donate: https://givingtuesday.mightycause.com/donate/Yhm8eg

12/01/2020

Today's the day & we hope we can count on your support. https://givingtuesday.mightycause.com/donate/Yhm8eg

GivingTuesday is December 1 but why not get ahead of the rush & make a donation today to the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF). Your financial support, which helps make its programs & events possible, is very much appreciated. Click here to donate: https://givingtuesday.mightycause.com/donate/Yhm8eg

THHF preserves early African American and civil rights history. We create unique programming using history, art, music and culture to help people examine, learn from and utilize our past to address current local and national challenges. It presents and celebrates the African American legacy with programs and events that build relationships, promotes respect and works toward creating understanding among all people.

During 2020, THHF successfully completed several events including the annual Dr. Martin Luther King march and celebration, African American History Month program, the 3rd Annual Women's History Walk and the Dear Editor Contest for students. The Social Justice Committee of Falls Church and Vicinity, an initiative of THHF, presented a series of workshops dealing with "Difficult Conversations About Race." Other 2020 successes included the completion of new permanent history signage and expansion of the pollinator/Monarch butterfly garden at the Tinner Hill Historic Site. The annual music ♫ festival was cancelled due to the pandemic, but work has begun on the 2021 festival.

The highlight of 2020 was working with local citizens and the City of Falls Church on our newest initiative, the Historic Tinner Hill Mural District. The project proposes the creation of a series of exciting, large scale, unique, inspiring and educational murals, and sidewalk trails in the Tinner Hill Historic District/South Washington Street Corridor. THHF continues to work with the city and other organizations to connect and highlight our shared history.

Upcoming Events*
►Silent Witness Against Racial Injustice: This on-going bi-weekly event takes place along Broad Street in the City of Falls Church. It is under the coordination of Falls Church Presbyterian and other members of the faith-based community. Local residents and organizations are invited to attend.
►January: Social Justice Program.
► February: African American History Month program; Dear Editor Contest kickoff.
► March: 4th Annual Women’s History Walk.
► June 19: Dedication of the first mural of the Historic Tinner Hill Mural District. It will focus on history, hope and healing.
► July : THHF Annual meeting (on-line and open to the public).
► August 21: 27th Annual Tinner Hill Music Festival, Cherry Hill Park.
*Due to COVID-19 precautions and constraints, the THHF's events calendar is being revised. Information about these activities will be posted on our website (www.tinnerhill.org) & pages.

Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and your donation is tax deductible contribution in support of our programs. If you prefer, mail your donation to Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 6117, Falls Church, VA 22040. Thank you!