Main Street Birmingham - Blues in The Night - Valentine’s Weekend Benefit Performance

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Atticus Rominger
atticusrominger@romingermedia.com
p 205.572.1370

Blues in The Night - Valentine’s Weekend Benefit Performance
Benefit for the Future of Ensley’s Nixon Cultural Center at Tuxedo Junction

Points of Interest

Dramatic revue featuring friends of jazz patron Dr. John W. Nixon
Shows and receptions Saturday, Feb. 14, 7pm and Sunday Feb. 15th, 2pm
Proceeds to fund planning phase of Nixon Cultural Center at Tuxedo Junction

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (February 5, 2009) - Friends of the late Dr. John W. Nixon will celebrate his dedication to jazz music Valentine’s Day weekend with two benefit performances of a dramatic revue, Blues in the Night at the Virginia Samford Theater. Proceeds will be used to fund preliminary study and design work for the future Nixon Cultural Center at Tuxedo Junction. Main Street Birmingham, Inc. has been awarded a matching grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts to perform the study.

The building, owned by the Nixon family, was the center of Ensley’s music scene in the first half of the 20th century. Jazz musician and Birmingham native Erksine Hawkins celebrated the area's night life in his song "Tuxedo Junction." Main Street Birmingham has obtained preliminary approval to have the the Nixon Building and the Ensley business district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building served as headquarters for the Alabama chapter of the NAACP as well as the home of black owned businesses.

Dr. Nixon served two terms as president of the chapter. He was a noted dentist and businessman. He was a founding member of Birmingham’s Town and Gown Theater Company and involved in a group that would become instrumental in preserving and restoring the Virginia Samford Theater.

Blues in the Night will feature Alabama Music Hall of Famer Cleve Eaton, Jazz Hall of Famer Rickey Powell, singer Tena Wilson and others. Shows are Saturday, February 14 at 8:00pm, with a reception for all ticket holders beginning at 7:00pm and Sunday, February 15 at 3:00pm, with a reception for all ticket holders beginning at 2:00pm. The reception will be catered by Michael Glenn of Creative Catering by Ambrosia. Tickets are $50 each. Tickets represent a $30 tax deductible contribution. For ticket information, contact 205.595.0562 or email MSBInfo@MainStreetBham.org.

Main Street Birmingham, Inc. is a nonprofit agency under contract with the City of Birmingham to foster neighborhood commercial district revitalization. The program targets nine urban commercial districts to strengthen economic development by utilizing the National Main Street Center’s Four Point Approach™ of design, organization, economic restructuring and promotion.

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