Written by Linda Sickler
Originally published on Savannahnow.com
It’s only been open for a month, but Mars Theatre in Springfield is already bringing in some diverse talent.
Coming up next is the final concert of the Savannah Children’s Choir’s season on May 30, followed May 31 by a performance from blueswoman Beverly “Guitar” Watkins.
“Tommy Deadwyler is director of cultural affairs in Springfield,” says Cuffy Sullivan, executive director of the Savannah Children’s Choir. “Somehow he heard about us and came to a rehearsal and was impressed with what he saw.
“They’ve just undergone this massive undertaking to restore the theater, which just opened a month ago,” she says. “We are so excited to be part of its opening.
“My background is in historic preservation and downtown revitalization, so I know that is a key cultural indicator in a town,” Sullivan says. “We are so thrilled that we get to be part of this inaugural season.”
The premier choir will soon depart for a tour of Vienna and Prague.
“We always like to have one last performance of all the repertoire we’re taking with us,” Sullivan says. “This is our dress rehearsal before our tour.
“There’s a lot of stuff that we’re taking with us that we’ve been saving for the trip. This is the only chance to hear some of that music.
“Our kids are great from the moment they stand on the stage,” she says. “At the end of the year, these are our stronger concerts because they’ve been working on the music all year and have real stage presence.”
“Our kids are so excited,” says Roger Moss, the Savannah Children’s Choir’s artistic director. “We’ve been preparing all year so we can dazzle audiences with our sound, and also give our kids a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience.”
The following night, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins will offer music fans an entirely different experience. A blues guitarist, she performs at age 74 with the energy of a teenager, even playing her guitar behind her head.
Watkins started playing after her aunt gave her a guitar when she was 8 years old. Her first song was “John Henry.”
When Watkins was about 12, her family moved to Commerce. In high school, she played bass for a band called Billy West Stone and the Down Beats.
In 1959, while Watkins was still in high school, she met Piano Red, who had a daily radio show. She then joined Piano Red and the Meter-tones, playing several towns in the Atlanta area.
The group moved on to Atlanta clubs such as the Magnolia Ballroom and the Casino, then began touring the Southeast, appearing mostly at colleges. As Piano Red and the Houserockers, the band started touring nationally and recorded two hit singles, “Dr. Feelgood” and “Right String But The Wrong Yo-Yo.”
Later, Watkins played with Eddie Tigner and the Ink Spots, Joseph Smith and the Fendales and Leroy Redding and the Houserockers. Since the late 1980s, she has been based in Atlanta.
During her career, Watkins has worked with such luminaries as James Brown, B.B. King and Ray Charles. But it wasn’t until late in her career that she became a headliner in her own right.
After Watkins was re-discovered by Music Maker Relief Foundation founder Tim Duffy in 1998, she became part of the all-star Women of the Blues “Hot Mamas” tour with Koko Taylor and Rory Block.
Her debut CD, “Back in Business,” earned a W. C. Handy Award nomination in 2000.
“My style is real Lightnin’ Hopkins lowdown blues,” Watkins says. “I call it hard classic blues, stompin’ blues, railroad smokin’ blues.”
Originally published May 29, 2014
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