Birmingham continues to make its mark on the global music scene

Published On: 12.30.21 |

By: 88

Birmingham continues to make its mark on the global music scene

Part3Feature

Among Birmingham's modern music greats are, clockwise from upper left, Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Emmylou Harris, Hotel, Brent Hinds, Frederick Knight, Brother Cane and Taylor Hicks. (file)

The list is long: Lynam, Slick Lilly, Oteil & The Peacemakers, Wild Sweet Orange, Wayne Perkins, Verbena, Black Jacket Symphony, Mars Electric, Nowhere Squares, Orenda Fink, Backwater, Trey Lewis, Three on a String, Buck Johnson, Gucci Mane, Locust Ford Band, The Pierces, The Controllers, Jimmy Hall and a capella gospel groups like the Sterling Jubilees.

The record of elite musicians being born in, or breaking out from metropolitan Birmingham perhaps reaches back to the Elyton Land Company Band in 1883. Today, 150 years after the city’s birth, the musicians who hail from Birmingham remain a source of pride for the Magic City. Indeed, even during the darkest days when the city’s reputation was in tatters, a symphony of singers, songwriters and master musicians gave most everyone in Birmingham something to boast about.

Alabama NewsCenter is presenting a continuing series marking the 150th birthday of the city of Birmingham.

Men and women of every race and religion picked up instruments and perfected their playing here. They put pencils to notepads, fingers to keyboards, notes on charts and created memorable music. At home, in church and in classrooms, they raised up their voices in wondrous sound.

Some Birmingham artists have made a good living through music, while the main reward for others has been to revel in the reaction of their audience. Since the late 1960s, a select group has managed to make music that reached beyond the boundaries of the city – and still reverberates. Some of these stellar artists still work at their craft, while others are just beginning to make their mark on the music world.

Here’s the first batch of a Birmingham baker’s dozen of modern music stars, in alphabetical order, noting their roots and artistic accomplishments:

Brother Cane

With a future guitar god leading them on, it’s easy to see why Brother Cane had a meteoric rise to the top of rock music 30 years ago.

Damon Johnson was born on July 13, 1964, in Macon, Georgia. He lived in Monroeville during his elementary school years and became obsessed with the guitar. He formed his first band there, before his family moved to Geraldine, where he graduated from high school and played in northeast Alabama bands.

In 1987, he moved to Birmingham to join Split the Dark for a couple of years before that promising band split up. Johnson joined the Atlanta band Witness in 1988, then the Memphis, Tennessee, band Delta Rebels in 1989, while also playing with the bands Chinatown (with Eric Dover of Jasper) and Chyld.

During his stint with Chyld, Johnson’s play attracted the attention of Virgin Records, which persuaded him to take over vocals, change the band name to Brother Cane and sign a recording deal in late 1990. Guitarist Roman Glick, bassist Glenn Maxey, drummer Scott Collier and Johnson released the self-titled debut album in 1993, selling 300,000 copies and reaching No. 14 on the national music charts.

It was the release of the Birmingham band’s first two singles, however, that sent Brother Cane soaring. “Got No Shame” reached No. 1 in America, followed by “That Don’t Satisfy Me” going to No. 6. “Hard Act to Follow” the following year peaked at No. 12.

Brother Cane. (file)

“First No. 1 song for an Alabama artist at rock radio, ever,” Johnson said on his website. “Tours with Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert Plant and Ted Nugent seasoned us quickly. In a word, it was awesome.”

Maxey left the band, Glick switched to bass, which was previously his preferred instrument, and Brother Cane brought in guitarist David Anderson before their second album, “Seeds,” was released in 1995. It reached No. 7, but the single “And Fools Shine On” hit No. 1 on the U.S. mainstream rock chart. The song became the musical theme for the film “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” and Brother Cane toured with Van Halen.

The follow-up singles “Breadmaker” reached No. 25 and “Voice of Eujena” topped out at No. 30 in 1996.

Brother Cane released the album “Wishpool” in 1998, with it reaching No. 40 nationwide. “I Lie in the Bed I Make” became the band’s third No. 1 single, followed by “Machete,” which reached No. 12 on the charts.

“I’m so proud of the musical event that ‘Wishpool’ became, and that sentiment is echoed by the three other guys as well … to this day,” Johnson said.

Despite the five-year run of notoriety, Virgin didn’t extend its contract with Brother Cane and the band disbanded in 1998. They played a pair of concerts in 2005, one of them the Phillips Fest on March 10 at the Alabama Theatre to benefit an ailing Marc Phillips, the singer who’d first brought Johnson to Birmingham.

The past two decades have found Johnson involved in many high-profile projects, including ongoing solo efforts and time recording with Stevie Nicks and Carlos Santana. Johnson has been in the bands Damn Yankees, Slave to the System (with Glick and Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield), Whiskey Falls in 2006 (with Birmingham’s Buck Johnson) and Queensrÿche in 2009. Damon Johnson was the touring guitarist for Alice Cooper from 2004 to 2011. He left Cooper’s band to join Thin Lizzy and the Black Star Riders through 2019.

In 2021, Johnson & The Get Ready released “Battle Lessons,” his second solo album in three years.

Guitarist Anderson has been with Atlanta Rhythm Section since 2007. Glick plays in Jackyl and for Jesse James Dupree & Dixie Inc. Collier performed during 2008-2010 with Birmingham singer Eliot Morris.

Allison and Katie Crutchfield

Allison and Katie Crutchfield were born in Birmingham on Jan. 4, 1989. They were both passionate about music at an early age, forming The Ackleys when they were 15. Allison played keyboards and Katie guitar in their band that released a self-entitled EP.

When The Ackleys ended, the twins formed the popular feminist pop punk band P.S. Eliot, with Allison on drums. P.S. Eliot recorded two albums on Salinas Records and toured from 2007-2011, before the Crutchfields briefly recorded under the name King Everything online at bandcamp. P.S. Eliot reunited for a short tour in 2016, when an anthology was released.

Punk music “was a hypermasculine scene where we were sort of being alienated without even realizing it at first,” Katie told The New York Times in a 2012 interview. “The people in that scene can be sort of rotten, and you just pick up on it really quickly.”

After the breakup of P.S. Eliot, the sisters played in Bad Banana before Allison moved to New York City and started the band Swearin’, featuring her on guitar and vocals, and cutting the EP “What a Dump” in 2011, and the albums “Swearin’” in 2012 and “Surfing Strange” in 2013 before breaking up.

Allison made her solo debut in 2014 with the EP “Lean in to it” and toured with Waxahatchee. She signed with Merge Records and released “Tourist in This Town” in 2017. The National Public Radio program “All Songs Considered,” named Allison one of the best acts at the 2017 SXSW festival in Texas.

In 2017, Swearin’ reunited, releasing “Fall Into The Sun” and the single “Grow Into a Ghost” on Merge Records. The band continues to perform.

Katie eventually followed Allison to New York to join the Brooklyn bands Woods and The Babies, with singer-guitarist Kevin Morby (with whom she lives today in Kansas City).

Katie returned to Birmingham and recorded vocals and guitar for her debut album while snowed-in for a week at her parents’ home in 2011. What she initially intended as an acoustic solo project began to involve a backing band. She adopted the name Waxahatchee from the 21.7-mile creek that forms part of the border of Shelby and Chilton counties.

Allison Crutchfield performs in concert in 2017. (Paul Hudson)

Katie Crutchfield records and performs as Waxahatchee. (Jesse Riggins)

In 2012, Waxahatchee released “American Weekend” on Don Giovanni Records with background vocals by Allison. The album was listed among the best of 2012 by The New York Times and Dusted magazine. “Be Good” was a Song of the Day on NPR, which named the single one of the top 50 songs of the year. The single “Catfish” was featured in the podcast “Welcome to Night Vale.”

In 2013, Waxahatchee released “Cerulean Salt,” backed by Allison and members of Swearin’. The critically acclaimed album reached No. 1 on the Official Record Store Chart and scored 8.4 on the Pitchfork online music publication. Waxahatchee opened for Tegan And Sara on their U.K. tour, before headlining a U.K. tour of her own.

Katie left Don Giovanni Records and recorded “Ivy Tripp” in 2015 at her Long Island home. The album reached a peak position of 153 on the Billboard 200 but was ranked No. 15 among the Top 20 albums of 2015 by Rolling Stone. It was also selected among the Top 20 records of the year by Stereogum and The A.V. Club.

Working with Sonic Youth producer John Agnello, Waxahatchee released “Out in the Storm” in 2017, recorded live, with Allison on keyboards and percussion and an all-female backing trio. Rolling Stone placed it at No. 14 on the 50 best albums of 2017, while The Philadelphia Inquirer ranked it No. 10, Stereogum placed it at 8 and Uproxx named it the No. 1 rock album of the year.

In 2020, Waxahatchee wrote and sang about alcoholism and her decision to get sober on “Saint Cloud,” named after her father’s hometown in Florida. The vintage Ford pickup on the album cover has STCLOUD Alabama plates. She sings about “Arkadelphia Road” on the record that reached No. 2 on the folk chart and No. 6 on the alternative chart. It was named Best Country Record by Libera Awards and ranked in the Top 10 by a dozen publications. Rolling Stone said it was No. 7 among the Top 50 albums of 2020.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris was born April 2, 1947, in Birmingham but spent much of her childhood in North Carolina and her teenage years in Virginia, where she was valedictorian of her high school class. She won a drama scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, studied music and learned to play Bob Dylan and Joan Baez songs. She later quit college, moved to New York City and joined the folk music community.

Harris became friends with Jerry Jeff Walker and David Bromberg in New York, married songwriter Tom Slocum in 1969 and recorded her debut LP “Gliding Bird” in 1970. Harris left for Nashville, Tennessee, got divorced and moved with her daughter back with her parents near Washington, D.C.

In 1971, members of the Flying Burrito Brothers saw her band at a Virginia night club and recommended Harris to Gram Parsons, who was looking for a female vocalist for his first solo album. Harris sang harmony on “GP” and toured with Parsons’ band, the Fallen Angels. In 1973, the pair worked on Parsons’ next album, “Grievous Angel.” Before the album could be released, he died and Harris moved to California to renew her solo career.

Over the past 50 years, she has released dozens of albums and singles, including “Boulder to Birmingham” in 1975, had 27 Top 10 hits, seven of them reaching No. 1 on the charts. She has had 14 Top 10 albums, won 14 Grammys and been nominated 34 other times. Harris was the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year in 1980, won Album of the Year in 2001 and many other honors, including induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2018, she was presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Emmylou Harris performing at the Ahoy Convention Center and Arena in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2006. (C. Kuhl / www.chriskuhl.com/music. nl:Gebruiker:Ckuhl, Wikimedia)

Emmylou Harris in 2005. (Ron Baker)

“By the mid-1970s, Harris had been embraced by the fledgling country rock community in Southern California,” the Country Music Hall of Fame notes. “Of all the performers to emerge from that scene, she received the greatest acceptance from the Nashville music industry and the mainstream country music world.”

Besides helping the public discover unfamiliar songwriters through her albums, Harris has earned a reputation for hiring outstanding young musicians. Her bands have included Rodney Crowell and Ricky Skaggs, guitarists James Burton and Albert Lee, and Americana mainstays Sam Bush and Buddy Miller.

In 1993, Harris became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1998, she was listed at No. 22 on VH1’s 100 Most Influential Women in Rock and Roll. A year later, Harris received Billboard’s Century Award. In 2002, she was selected No. 5 on Country Music Television’s 40 Greatest Women of Country Music. She was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2003. Along with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, Harris joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.

Taylor Hicks

Taylor Reuben Hicks was born Oct. 7, 1976, in Birmingham and in 1995 graduated from Hoover High School, where he played varsity baseball, soccer and basketball.

Hicks was 18 when he wrote his first song, “In Your Time.” He’d taught himself to play electric guitar and the church organ by the time he was 19. He pursued a major in business and journalism at Auburn University, while also playing in a Widespread Panic cover band.

Hicks performed around the Southeast for a decade after college, during which he released two independent albums. He formed the Taylor Hicks Band that performed around Alabama from 2003-2005.

In 2005, Hicks auditioned in Las Vegas, Nevada, for “American Idol.” He won his golden ticket from Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but celebrity judge Simon Cowell voted against Hicks. After Hicks’ first Hollywood performance, Cowell admitted he was wrong about the Alabama singer. Hicks’ energetic performances playing harmonica and singing classic rock, blues and R&B earned him a following of fans called the “Soul Patrol.”

On the May 10, 2006, Hicks advanced to the Top 3 of “American Idol.” He returned to Birmingham for a weekend of promotional events, including interviews on FOX Channel 6, a downtown parade, concerts and an audience with Gov. Bob Riley. May 12 was proclaimed “Taylor Hicks Day” in Birmingham and he was given the key to the city. Riley issued a proclamation making May 16 “Taylor Hicks Day” in Alabama.

Hicks won the fifth “American Idol” competition on May 24, 2006, taking the title with 63.4 million votes (1.2 million more than George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential race) from a worldwide audience of 200 million. Hicks, then 29, became the oldest contestant to win “American Idol.”

Taylor Hicks will be among the performers at The World Games 2022 closing ceremony in Birmingham. (file)

Singer Taylor Hicks attends FOX’s “American Idol” finale of the farewell season at Dolby Theatre on April 7, 2016 in Hollywood. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

“American Idol” finalist Taylor Hicks of Alabama reacts to the judges’ comments after finishing his third performance during the “American Idol” Season 5 final performances May 23, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Vince Bucci / Getty Images)

Birmingham native and “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks performs in June 2006 at City Stages, an annual Birmingham concert festival that ran from 1989 to 2009. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of The Birmingham News, photograph by Linda Stelter)

Taylor Hicks (Photo/INSP)

Taylor Hicks says to expect some harmonica playing on his TV series, “State Plate.” (Photo/provided)

American Idol winner Taylor Hicks will perform at The Amp on Lake Martin on July 4 at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The Bank Walkers will open the show at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. (Getty Images)

Taylor Hicks. (Karim Shamsi-Basha / Alabama NewsCenter)

Taylor Hicks performs at the Schaeffer Eye Center CityFest. (Nik Layman / Alabama NewsCenter)

After signing a recording contract with Arista Records, his single “Do I Make You Proud” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The recording was subsequently certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In June 2006, Ford Motor Co., the major sponsor of “Idol,” signed Hicks to promote Ford’s “Drive on Us” year-end sales event. He was named Hottest Bachelor by People magazine for 2006 and appeared on the cover.

Hicks joined fellow Top 10 finalists on the American Idols Live! Tour from July to September 2006. Members of the former Taylor Hicks Band regrouped as the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra and shadowed the tour route. Hicks would sometimes join his old band as a special guest, often joined by others from the tour, including Chris Daughtry, Ace Young and Bucky Covington.

Hicks received $750,000 from Random House for his 2007 memoir “Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way,” ghostwritten by David Wild of Rolling Stone.

Hicks performed on Broadway in 2008 and on national tour in 2009 in “Grease,” playing Teen Angel. He was the first Idol winner to secure a long-term residency at a Vegas casino. He began his residency at Bally’s in June 2012 and moved to Paris Las Vegas in January 2013. In 2016, Hicks began hosting the INSP original series “State Plate” and in 2017 released a single, “Six Strings and Diamond Rings.”

Brent Hinds

William Brent Hinds was born Jan. 16, 1974, in Pelham and as a boy learned – at his father’s insistence – to play banjo. He then took guitar lessons for several years before starting high school. Hinds’ guitar style was influenced by his banjo-picking background, which ultimately led to recognition as “Best Shredder” at the 2007 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

Hinds has enjoyed progressive success in heavy metal rock bands since leaving Alabama for Atlanta, where he met Troy Sanders and joined the band Four Hour Fogger. Sanders said Hinds lived in a van and worked as a carpenter full time even after they later joined Mastodon, in which Hinds would share guitar duties with Bill Kelliher and vocals with Brann Dailor and Sanders.

On May 28, 2002, Mastodon released its first album, “Remission,” which gained critical acclaim for its unique sounds. They followed up with the concept album “Leviathan” in 2004, based on Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick.” Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer magazines all named it Album of the Year.

“Blood Mountain” (2006) was Mastodon’s third release, the first for Reprise Records, and the single “Colony of Birchmen” was nominated for a Grammy. The band played the song on NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” marking Mastodon’s first appearance on network television. The song was featured in the video games “Saints Row 2” and “Rock Band 2.”

“Crack the Skye” in 2009 brought the band to new heights, winning Best International Metal Album at the Danish Metal Awards. Mastodon performed a shortened version of “Oblivion” on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” The video for “Oblivion” was named the best at the Kerrang! awards. They performed “Divinations” on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Brent Hinds. (Alfred Nitsch / WikiCommons)

Hinds’ band in 2011 released “The Hunter,” which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard album chart and was named best album at the Kerrang! Awards, Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the Metal Storm Awards, as well as by Classic Rock and Rock Sound magazines. The single “Curl of the Burl” was nominated for a Grammy. On Oct. 5, Mastodon performed “Curl of the Burl” on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” They also released the double album “Live at the Aragon” in 2011.

Mastodon in 2014 released “Once More ‘Round the Sun,” which debuted on the Top 10 album chart and won Best Sludge/Stoner Metal Album at the Metal Storm Awards.

The 2017 album “Emperor of Sand” was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album and the single “Sultan’s Curse” won for Best Metal Performance. It won the Best Sludge/Stoner Metal Album at the Metal Storm Awards.

Hinds formed the supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra with guitarist Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan, former Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery and former The Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen. Their album “Broken Lines” reached No. 3 on the U.S. heat and No. 7 on the hard rock charts in 2016.

Hinds is also lead guitarist/singer for the surfabilly band Fiend Without a Face, and is involved in other bands, including The Blood Vessels, West End Motel, The Last of the Blue Eyed Devils and supergroup Legend of the Seagullmen, which released its debut album in 2018.

Mastodon’s songs have appeared on “Game of Thrones,” with Hinds having roles on the popular series. A new double album, “Hushed and Grim,” was released on Oct. 29 with cover artwork by longtime collaborator Paul Romano.

Hotel

Hotel was a rock group that formed in Birmingham in 1973 and disbanded in 1982 after a decade of success on regional and national stages.

Hotel solidified its lineup in 1976 with original members Marc Phillips on lead vocals/piano and Tommy Calton on guitar/vocals being joined by Lee Bargeron on keyboards/acoustic guitar/vocals, Michael Reid on guitar/vocals, George Creasman on bass/vocals and Michael Cadenhead on drums/vocals.

In its early days, Hotel was a favorite in clubs across the Southeast and opened concerts for national touring bands. The band was noted for its musicianship and note-for-note covers of songs by Steely Dan, Yes and the Beatles. Phillips’ lead vocals became a brand that would serve the band well in the years ahead.

Marc Phillips was once frontman of popular Birmingham band, Hotel. (contributed)

In 1978, Hotel released a single for Mercury Records, “You’ll Love Again,” which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1979, they signed with MCA Records and released their self-titled debut album. MCA released “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” which peaked at No. 54 and was Hotel’s highest-charting single, and “Hold On To The Night,” which reached No. 80 on the Hot 100. The second single was co-written by Phillips and prolific 1960s songwriter Barry Mann (“On Broadway,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”). The album was otherwise primarily written by Phillips.

In 1980, “Half-Moon Silver” was released along with the single of the same name, which reached No. 72 on the Hot 100. All but one of the 10 songs were written by Phillips, Calton, Bergeron and Cadenhead.

MCA didn’t renew its contract with Hotel, leading to the formation of the Calton Phillips Group in 1981 with Eddie Usher on bass and Steve Sample on drums. In 1983, the band name was changed to Split the Dark, and former Mortals singer Lolly Lee joined, adding rhythm guitar. The next year they released the band’s only album, “Keep It To Yourself,” which was written and produced by Calton and Phillips.

After several more personnel switches, guitarist Damon Johnson joined for a short time. Split the Dark won the “MTV Basement Tapes” competition in 1986 with 71% of the vote for the song “Always a Chance.” The band disbanded in 1988 after playing a final show at Louie Louie on Birmingham’s Southside.

Phillips became an owner of Airwave Production Group, writing and performing for a variety of commercial efforts before devoting more time to Christian music, leading various Birmingham worship teams and becoming children’s choir director for King’s Home. In 2003, he released the album “Color Me His,” dealing with racism and faith.

In 2004, Phillips was diagnosed with throat cancer, leading to the Phillips Fest at the Alabama Theatre in 2005, featuring Brother Cain, Telluride, Locust Fork, Mr. Lucky and Kevin Derryberry, which raised about $50,000 for Phillips’ medical bills. He survived and published the autobiography “Pouring It Out On Me” about his experiences. Phillips performed in Groove Daddy from the 1990s until his death from COVID-19 at age 66 on Jan. 21.

Creasman died on June 9, 2020, at age 67.

Frederick Knight

Frederick Knight was born on Aug. 15, 1944, in Birmingham in a family that included several teachers. He became interested in music at Abrams High School, performing in local groups and the school chorus. He attended Alabama A&M on a music scholarship and, after graduating, went to New York City to launch his music career.

Knight recorded “Throw the Switch” for Mercury Records and “Have a Little Mercy” for Capitol Records’ subsidiary 1-2-3 before signing with Stax Records in 1972. The single “I’ve Been Lonely for So Long” was on the national charts for 10 weeks, reached No. 8 on Billboard’s R&B chart, No. 22 in the pop music rankings and was certified gold for exceeding 500,000 sales. The follow-up “Trouble” stalled at No. 102, then five other singles failed to chart before “I Betcha Didn’t Know That” on the Truth label reached No. 27 on the R&B charts in 1975.

Frederick Knight. (file)

Lack of further hit songs often leaves Knight labeled as a one-hit wonder, but his musical talents blossomed into a successful publishing, production and management career. He appeared in 1972 in the Golden Globe Best Documentary “WattStax” starring Richard Pryor, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers and others who shared billing with Knight at the music festival.

After the demise of Stax, Knight returned to Alabama and launched Juana Records in 1975, which complemented Frederick Knight Enterprises, which he founded earlier. He released a dozen singles and three albums of his own on Juana, but only the single “The Old Songs” reached the charts at No. 74 in 1981.

Knight signed The Controllers as his first Juana group, then wrote and produced for them as they had seven R&B hits between 1976 and 1982. Their 1977 single, “Somebody’s Gotta Win, Somebody’s Gotta Lose,” reached No. 3 in the nation. Their follow-up “Heaven Is Only A Step Away” reached No. 37 on the R&B charts. The Fairfield singing group released three albums under the Juana label.

Knight wrote and produced Anita Ward’s million-selling hit “Ring My Bell” in 1979. Ward had to be talked into recording the song by Knight, who insisted she cash in on the new disco trend. It would be the only hit of her career, reaching No. 1 on the U.S., R&B and dance, as well as U.K. charts, putting Ward in the one-hit wonder category with her Magic City mentor.

“Be for Real,” written by Knight and performed by Marlena Shaw on her 1976 album “Just a Matter of Time,” was covered by Leonard Cohen on his 1992 album “The Future,” and by The Afghan Whigs for the 1996 movie “Beautiful Girls.”

Knight’s songs have been recorded by KC and The Sunshine Band, Barry White and DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince. Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dog’s 1993 No. 1 hit “Nothin’ But A G Thang” sampled heavily from Knight’s single “Uphill (Peace of Mind).” In 2000, Juana expanded into gospel with the “Juana Praise” label.

Editor’s note: The information for the bios of Birmingham musicians was compiled from their websites, as well as Alabama NewsCenter, the Encyclopedia of Alabama, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Bhamwiki, Billboard, Country Music Hall of Fame, The New York Times, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone, Wikipedia and many other sources.

Tomorrow: The second batch of Birmingham’s baker’s dozen of musical greats from the modern era.