Center Mourns Passing of Lauren Hesse January 5, 1966 - January 6, 2010
Lauren Hesse
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Lauren Hesse, our friend and colleague at the Center for Southern Folklore.
Many of you knew her as the legendary volunteer chairperson who commanded the Check-In Area at our annual Memphis Music and Heritage Festival. We knew her as the bright, clever preserver of the CSF Multimedia Archives who literally grew up working at the Center. Her mother Sharon Sharrow began working at the Center in 1975 when Lauren was nine. And from then on Lauren helped with mailings, media lists, cleaning films (Yes, 16MM films) and lots more. She loved music, southern history and culture, and the stories of many of river folks like Annie McDaniel, Lil Buckewicz, baseball great Joe Scott (who Lauren met when she worked at Kinkos), Quilter Hattie Childress, and country singer and painter Roy Harper. For many years Lauren organized the Center's Heritage Hall at the Festival.
Lauren also loved Celtic Music and kept us all apprised of the exciting Celtic performers and festivals. While most recently working for FedEx, Lauren continued to work at the Center on special projects, especially during Festival time.
Our thoughts and love go out to her mom Sharon Sharrow, her dad John Hesse, her uncle Tim Curry (who works on digital sound and media in our Archives and writes press releases and articles) and Steve Steffens (CSF Secretary, Festival Stage Manager and Lauren's constant companion for over 20 years), her family and hundreds of friends who knew and loved Lauren.
Lauren Hesse made sure that we all kept our eyes on the prize, helped us attain our goals, and kept us smiling all the while. We'll always miss her.
Executive Producer For the Staff and Board of the Center for Southern Folklore January 6, 2010
For more information, please click the links below.
Art by Gray and Angi Cooper has been supersized for your viewing
pleasure. Take a look next time you're on the corner of Union and Cleveland in Memphis.
We have prints available in our store (20" x 16") scaled to
fit your home. A few originals are still avaiable so hurry over and grab
'em while you can!
The Center for Southern Folklore lost one of its all-time best friends August 15 with the passing of Memphis musician and record producer extraordinaire, Jim Dickinson. Jim was a longtime supporter who was there through every phase of the Center's development. In Jim, we found a kindred spirit; one who shared our passion for the music of this region and understood that those deceptively simple songs of blues, folk and country artists contained stories of rich complexity, lasting truths and the rhythms that are ingrained in the DNA of all of us
Though the world will honor Jim for his involvement with musical hall of famers Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones and others, we remember Jim as the man who preserved the music of local musicians such as boogie-woogie pianist Mose Vinson and the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band music of Northern Mississippi's Othar Turner.
Jim appeared on behalf of the Center many times with a variety of musicians over the years. He was there for us in 1982 with Mud Boy and the Neutrons when the Center moved into the Old Daisy Theatre on Beale Street. He was also a regular at our Memphis Music & Heritage Festivals throughout its history. Sometimes he would appear with an aggregation of friends and at other times with his sons Luther and Cody, who performed with Paul Taylor in DDT and later with Chris Chew in the North Mississippi Allstars.
Jim's last appearance at the Center was at the 2008 Festival when he reunited with his good friends and musical cohorts, Sid Selvidge and Jimmy Crosthwait for an acoustic set of Delta folk and blues. It was a fitting way of showing that whatever the accolades he received from the rest of the music industry Jim never forgot where he came from, where his heart and soul truly belonged.
Smart as a whip, honest to the point of recklessness, funny as all get-out, Jim was one of the best to ever come out of the Memphis/Mid-South region. While we at the Center for Southern Folklore will miss him terribly, we take comfort in knowing that Jim's music, his stories and his memory will still be with us for years to come. As Jim himself put it, "I'm just dead, I'm not gone."
It is with the utmost sadness that the Center for Southern Folklore acknowledges the passing of one of our great friends and supporters, Billy Lee Riley. Beginning in 1994, Billy Lee became a perennial favorite at the Center's annual Memphis Music & Heritage Festival. His blend of classic rockabilly and blues was always one of the Festival's highlights and he literally had 'em dancing in the aisles from the very first note. In fact, we always knew when Festival time was drawing near when we'd start getting calls asking, "Is Billy Lee Riley going to perform?" Luckily for us, the answer was always yes.
In his day, Riley was considered one of the most crazed, unabashed rockers the Sun label had to offer. Considering that Jerry Lee Lewis, Sonny Burgess and Carl Perkins were also on that label, that says a lot. In the late1950s his shows got so wild and outrageous that they were banned by various town councils and college administrators who worried that Riley's raucous "devil's music" would corrupt the souls of innocent teenagers.
Even though he may not have the biggest star to emerge from the Sun label, he contributed two songs that will always be considered rockabilly classics - Red Hot and Flying Saucers Rock and Roll. But Riley wasn't just a singer. He was proficient on several instruments including harmonica, guitar, bass, and drums. This versatility earned him a career as a well-regarded sideman for many a classic Sun session, and his combo the Little Green Men became the Sun house band. In addition to their own songs, Riley and the Little Green Men can be heard backing the likes of Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other Sun artists of the day.
In 1959 Riley left Sun, but continued to perform and produce music throughout the 1960s working with everybody from Albert Collins, Willie Cobb, and Johnny Rivers, to Herb Alpert, Pearl Bailey, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Beach Boys. In 1973, Riley tried to retire from music, but his retirement was short-lived. An impromptu 1979 show at the annual "Memphis In May" rekindled his career and once he started performing again he kept going till the end. All of us at the Center for Southern Folklore join his family, friends and several generations of fans in mourning the passage of this rock and roll legend.
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Congratulations Judy!
Our own Judy Peiser has been honored by the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission as an Emissary of Memphis Music along with fellow honorees Jo Bridges, Joyce Cobb, Jackie Johnson, Susan Marshall, Di Anne Price, Reba Russell, Linn Sitler, Pat Kerr Tigrett, Deanie Parker and Ruby Wilson.
Beloved friend and musician "Sonny" Williams has passed away.
Robert "Sonny" Williams, one Memphis' most prolific and beloved saxophonists and friend of the Center, died February 16, 2009.
Sonny Williams began playing music as a teenager. He learned his early licks as a student at Melrose High School, joining the Melrose Music Makers and performing with the band throughout the South.
After performing at the 88 Theatre in Atlanta he joined the Sax Carey Band. This band backed up the great blues singer Helen Humes, Peg Leg Bates and the duo of Butter Beans and Susie among others.
A lover of blues and jazz, Williams played with a variety of iconic performers including Cab Calloway, Roscoe Gordon, and Gatemouth Moore. In the early 1960s he toured with bluesman Howlin Wolf on Wolf's first trip to England. He accompanied Memphis Slim for the reopening of The Peabody and was a stalwart with Memphis' Blues Alley Allstars for eight years. Whether performing as a duo with keyboardist Sidney Kirk or Kurl McKinney at the Center for Southern Folklore or as part of the larger Orange Mound Jazz Messengers with Nokie Taylor, Sonny Williams epitomized the heart and the soulfulness of Memphis music.
Since the 1980s Sonny Williams has been a part of the Southern Folklore Family. He performed at numerous Center educational programs, Memphis Music & Heritage Festivals as well as private tours and parties. In 1999 Sonny was a prominent member of the band for the Center's travelling musical production of Beale Street Saturday Night, starring Memphis jazz and blues legend, Joyce Cobb. Mirroring Williams' long and varied career, Beale Street featured music from every era of Memphis history from early gospel, blues, jazz, and swing all the way up to the more recent sounds of rock and rhythm and blues. Joyce and Sonny had worked together before but it was during this tour they bonded, developing a lifelong friendship and musical partnership in the process. According to Ms. Cobb, Sonny had a way of playing so that every note came directly from his soul. Much like a good singer, the phrasing on his saxophone was impeccable and never got in the way of the vocalist.
Whenever he would speak with student groups, Sonny would emphasize the importance of truly feeling the music as opposed to just playing the notes. He encouraged young musicians to follow his lead and listen to all kinds of music - swing, jazz, pop standards, rock & roll - and especially the blues which was why everything he played had that soulful quality.
Joyce Cobb said, "God only made one Sonny Williams. For me, he was a teacher, a marvelous musician, and above all, a good friend. I'm going to miss him."
Sonny Williams & Kurl McKinney
Pianist and organist Kurl McKinney performed with Sonny for many Center programs for tour groups and festival audiences. He said, "Sonny was a great musician. He was superior in whatever he played - gospel, blues or jazz. Also, he was a great entertainer. He loved people of all races. He was wonderful to work with on stage and fun to be with off stage, especially when we fished together. He believed in God and loved his church. Of all the places we played together, the Center for Southern Folklore was our favorite and we thank Judy Peiser who brought us together."
"Sonny Williams was a teacher, a performer and a great communicator about music. He has performed for many years for us at the Center for Southern Folklore. He knew how to read his audience and to perform the tunes that made the audience sit back and feel like they had known Sonny and his music for years. Whether it was young school children, large festival crowds, or tourists Sonny taught them about the soul of music." said Judy Peiser, Executive Producer, Center for Southern Folklore.
We've just heard from the Library of Congress that they're interested in receiving sermons and orations about the inauguration. If you'd like to learn more, go to http://www.loc.gov/folklife/inaugural/
A big shout out to our friend Ace Cannon who has officially been honored by the State of Tennessee! see below
Our other "big news" is the launch of this site, our virtual "Gems of the Festival" exhibit -- and, of course, the Festival itself - which was great THANKS! If that isn't enough, we are also very excited that along with this site we are initiating a program for our supporters to receive benefits in exchange for their contributions. This is new for us and is all part of an exciting new journey we are taking as we expand into the world wide web.
Sadly, we also have news to report that we have lost some of our extended "family". They include Mildred Feazel, BucketMan and - of course - the legendary Isaac Hayes. We are grateful to have known them and mourn their passing.
If you would like to inquire further about this news or any other item that we may know about (including events, new releases, images, bios, exhibits) please contact us by phone 901.525.3655 or e-mail
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"But enough about me. What do you think about me?"
click here to read Greg Akers article "Voices of the South" in the Memphis Flyer.
click here to read Mark Jordan's article "Live music, history merge in Folklore fest" in the Commercial Appeal.
Our Congrats to Ace!!
The STATE OF TENNESSEE, House of Representatives 105th General Assembly, honors ACE CANNON
Following a recent concert in Lexington, TN, Ace Cannon was presented with the Keys to the City of Lexington by Mayor Bobby Dyer. This was followed with the coveted legislative award from the State of Tennessee.
Representative Steve McDaniel presented Mr. Cannon with the sealed document of the Tennessee House of Representatives' House Resolution No. 217 which praised his six decades of contributions to the music industry and enumerated his many achievements and concluded with the following:
WHEREAS, artists of Mr. Cannon's caliber do not often walk among us, and this Body wishes to pay tribute to this extraordinary musician, entertainer, and human being; now, therefore,
"BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, that we hereby honor the inimitable ACE CANNON, "The Godfather of the Sax," upon a long and varied career that is truly unparalleled in artistry and achievement. We commend this gifted saxophonist for continuing to make great music and entertain his legion of loyal fans and wish him much continued success in his future endeavors."
RMD Music, Inc.
Carl Griffin Ace Cannon's Manager
Main Office & Folklore Hall:
119 S. Main Street
At Peabody Place Trolley Stop
Memphis, TN 38103
The Center for Southern Folklore lost one of its all-time best friends August 15 with the passing of Memphis musician and record producer extraordinaire, Jim Dickinson. Jim was a longtime supporter who was there through every phase of the Center's development. In Jim, we found a kindred spirit; one who shared our passion for the music of this region and understood that those deceptively simple songs of blues, folk and country artists contained stories of rich complexity, lasting truths and the rhythms that are ingrained in the DNA of all of us 
Jim's last appearance at the Center was at the 2008 Festival when he reunited with his good friends and musical cohorts, Sid Selvidge and Jimmy Crosthwait for an acoustic set of Delta folk and blues. It was a fitting way of showing that whatever the accolades he received from the rest of the music industry Jim never forgot where he came from, where his heart and soul truly belonged.
