This Month In Bossier Parish History

 June: Throughout the Years

June: The month of June is African-American Musician month. The United States has been celebrating African-American Music Appreciation Month since 1979. The month is set aside to appreciate the contributions of African-American musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters in American culture. The month honors the history and rich traditions that was the staple to different styles of music such as rap, hip-hop, jazz, rhythm and blues, barbershop, and swing. 

In honor of this month, we would like to recognize musicians from our local areas.  

Lead Belly, also spelled Leadbelly, by name of Huddie William Ledbetter, (born January 21, 1885?), Jeter Plantation, near Mooringsport, Louisiana, U.S.—died December 6, 1949, New York, New York), American folk-blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose ability to perform a vast repertoire of songs in a variety of styles, in conjunction with his notoriously violent life, made him a legend.
After resuming a life of drifting, in 1930 Lead Belly was convicted of attempted murder and imprisoned in the Angola, Louisiana, prison farm. There he was “discovered” by the folklorists John Lomax and Alan Lomax, who were collecting songs for the Library of Congress. A campaign spearheaded by the Lomaxes secured Lead Belly’s release in 1934, and he embarked on a concert tour of eastern colleges. Subsequently, the Lomaxes published 48 of his songs together with commentary (Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly, 1936). Lead Belly performed and recorded extensively. His first commercial recordings were made for the American Record Corporation, which did not take advantage of his huge folk repertoire but rather encouraged him to sing blues.
Lead Belly’s legacy is extraordinary. His recordings reveal his mastery of a great variety of song styles and his prodigious memory; his repertory included more than 500 songs. His rhythmic guitar playing and unique vocal accentuations make his body of work both instructive and compelling. His influence on later musicians—including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain—was immense.
Lead Belly was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (1986) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988). In 2015 the Smithsonian Institution’s Smithsonian Folkways record label released a five-CD box set of his recordings.
Provided below is a link to the only known footage of Huddle Ledbetter “Lead Belly"
https://www.openculture.com/.../only_known_footage_of... 

Ever Ready Gospel Singers: had their genesis at Barksdale Field (Barksdale Air Force Base) in 1944. The Ever Ready Gospel Singers sang in the old-time (predominantly) acapella Southland gospel style. They were the first African-American group to preform on KWKH, at the Louisiana State Fair, the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport as well as the first to appear on local TV.
They continued to work together for 60 years.
Provided below is a link of the group preforming “Jezebel” for the Robert Mugge film RHYTHM ’N’ BAYOUS: A Road Map to Louisiana Music in 1999 at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA
Previded below is a link to a video of the Ever Ready Gospel Singers
https://vimeo.com/76847679

Dave Alexander (born David Alexander Elam), also known as Omar Sharriff, Omar Shariff, Omar Hakim Khayam was an American West Coast blues singer and pianist Alexander was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1938, and grew up in Marshall, Texas. His father was a pianist, and his mother encouraged him to play in church. Alexander joined the United States Navy in 1955. He moved to Oakland, California, in 1957, and began a long history of working with various San Francisco Bay area musicians. A self-taught pianist, he played with Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Witherspoon, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Albert Collins. In 1968, he recorded his first songs for the compilation album Oakland Blues, released by World Pacific Records. He performed at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival in 1970 and at the San Francisco Blues Festival many times from 1973 onward. He was the warm-up act at the Last Waltz, a concert staged by the Band at the Winterland Ballroom, on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976. He also performed in Europe.

Leon (Ndugu) Chancler, a drummer whose crisp grooves and pinpoint fireworks of syncopation were heard on hundreds of albums — including Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” on which his drumbeat starts the song “Billie Jean”.
Mr. Chancler was born in Shreveport, La., on July 1, 1952, and moved with his family to Los Angeles. At 13 he started teaching himself to play drums, with advice from older musicians.
He started playing Latin jazz with the percussionist Willie Bobo while still in high school, and soon after graduation he joined Gerald Wilson’s big band. He performed with the trumpeter Hugh Masekela on weekends (he died on Jan. 23) while studying music education at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
He died Feb. 3 in Los Angeles at the age of 65.

Marjorie Ann Johnson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on July 17, 1939. Internationally renowned Louisiana-bred artist, Margie Evans is a legendary entertainer, businesswoman, spokeswoman and historian. As the only African American President of the civics-oriented 5-4 Optimist Club of Los Angeles, she taught music history, respect for law, educational achievement, endless perseverance and integrity to local schoolchildren and citizens. These are the tools of community building that spring-boarded the conception of L. A. Music Week. Executive Director Margie Evans is well established as a multi-talented lyricist, classy multi-genre entertainer, blues historian, community leader and motivational speaker. She represents the Blues Genre with an uncategorical poise, dignity and trademark robustly effervescent, jovial sophistication, unlike the typical blues stereotypes. She shares, "I've been around a long time and I've really paid my dues."

Will J. "Dub" Jones was an American R&B singer. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and died in Long Beach, California. He was inducted as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Coasters in 1987. Other groups with which he recorded include The Cadets, The Crescendos, and The Charades.
Jones is a singer who is most notable as the bass vocalist for The Coasters and The Cadets. His best known vocals were on The Cadets' biggest hit single "Stranded in the Jungle" and his bass vocals on The Coasters' hits "Yakety Yak" and "Charlie Brown". Cornell Gunter and Jones joined The Coasters in early 1958, as replacements for Leon Hughes and Bobby Nunn.
Jones also appeared on various other recordings. In 1956, he sang on The Crescendos' recording "Sweet Dreams".  Jones died in January 2000, from the effects of diabetes. He was 71 years old, and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

Joseph Young Jr., known as Mighty Joe Young, was an American Chicago blues guitarist.
Young was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, moving to Milwaukee in about 1945. He was an amateur boxer in the 1940s, but he later recalled that "It was nothing to write home about... I decided that music was the best thing to do." He began his music career in the early 1950s, singing on the Milwaukee nightclub circuit and taking his stage name after the film of the same name. In 1955, he returned to Louisiana to make his recording debut, for Jiffy Records.
He then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a sideman, notably with Joe Little & his Heart Breakers and later Billy Boy Arnold. After recording "Why Baby" / "Empty Arms" for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records in 1961, he performed with Otis Rush in the early 1960s, playing on Rush's album Cold Day in Hell. He also continued to record under his own name for small labels such as Webcor, Celtex, and Jacklyn.[2] He played on Magic Sam's albums West Side Soul and Black Magic and also worked with Jimmy Rogers, Willie Dixon, Tyrone Davis and Jimmy Dawkins.
Young's album Blues with a Touch of Soul was released by Delmark Records in 1971, and two further albums followed on the Ovation label in the mid-1970s 

Jun. 6, 1940: On this day, the first annual Flower Show was held by the Bossier City Garden Club And the Home Demonstration Club.

The second annual Flower Show was held on May 7, 1941

*Photos are from the Bossier City Garden Club's Scrapbooks

The Planters Press

Bossier City, Louisiana

30 May 1940

Bossier Garden Club: Marie Wissman in front of a table with yellow plates. Behind her are various flower displays
2011.008.133

Bossier Garden Club: A poster presentation display featuring several variety of Louisiana Wildflowers
2011.007.106a

Bossier Garden Club: Display of moon and star plate arrangement with yellow flowers.2011.008.152

Bossier Garden Club: display of a flower arrangement.
2011.013.032

Bossier Garden Club: Marie Wissman and     unidentified members of the Bossier Garden         Club. Several displays of flower arrangements are behind them.   2011.011.058

Jun. 20, 1955: On this day, the formal dedication of the Miller’s Bluff Bridge took place.  Mrs. Eugenia Sentell Kennon had the honor of cutting the ribbon.

*Please enjoy the clippings from the 16 Jun 1955 issue of the Bossier Banner and relating photos.

Mrs. Eugenia Sentell Kennon cutting the ribbob across the center of the Bridge
The Times
21 Jun 1955

Bossier Banner
16 Jun 1955