Marsha Music Live on Hastings Street! The Story of Joe Von Battle/The ArtX Festival
Hi Soulful Detroit,
I hope you don't mind me posting this, I have not posted here in years among you fine people, keeping the ol' school music alive [[I do lurk though).
For many years I’ve written about my [[and my family’s) experiences of life in Detroit. As some of you know, my late father, Joe Von Battle, owned Joe’s Record Shop on Hastings Street. He opened his shop and recording studio in the late ‘40’s and it became legendary in its time, for the production of especially Blues music, and the recording of the Rev. CL Franklin and his daughter Aretha.
After Hastings was destroyed to build the Chrysler Freeway, he moved his shop to 12th Street, where it remained until it was destroyed in the ‘67 Riots. I am writing a book about his life and times.
I write about growing up in the music/record business, as well as other aspects of life in Detroit and Highland Park [[where I grew up). I’ve contributed to narratives on Detroit including: an appearance in an HBO documentary many years ago called City on Fire, about the Tiger’s pennant victory the year after the Riots; a chapter in the book Untold Tales, Unsung Heroes, An Oral History of Detroit; an opening chapter in the recent book on Lafayette Park, Thanks For The View, Mr. Mies.
My narrative in National Public Radio/StoryCore project has been played numerous times on WDET and I am a “character” in Mark Binelli’s recent book, Detroit City is the Place to Be.
Last year [[2012), I was awarded a Kresge Foundation Fellowship in the Literary Arts. Every two years Kresge and Midtown Inc. put on the ArtX Festival, which showcases the work of the Fellows and it is a really cool, five-day series of events. Thousands attend everything from theatre to concerts and exhibitions in a dozen venues in Midtown.
As for my “performance” I will do a presentation in which I will narrate – with the help of photos, video and music - the story of Joe’s Record Shop, and my father’s life and work in the midst of the changes in music, and in Detroit.
Btw, ArtX is all FREE, April 10-14, 2013. My performance is April 14, at 5:00 p.m. at MOCAD. Thanks for letting me post this.
Marsha Music, Detroit
Some links:
ArtX – Marsha Music
http://www.artxdetroit.com/2013-art-...-marsha-music/
Video – Marsha Music
http://youtu.be/nCeTg4o0R_8
The ArtX Festival line-up
http://www.artxdetroit.com/2013-art-x-detroit/
My blog:
http://www.marshamusic.wordpress.com
