Michael Gillis – “Never worked a day in my life.” By Ralph De Palma John Michael Gillis was born in Hudson, New York. He spent his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia and Grove Hill, Alabama. Michael said, “I became obsessed with music by the time I was 10 years old. Even when I really […]
Bill Blue – Timing and A Touch of Serendipity By Ralph De Palma I assume that everyone reading this title knows a little something of the Key West Legendary Bluesman and entertainer extraordinaire, Bill Blue. Or has at least attended one of his almost monthly “Sound Checks” at the Green Parrot. If not, there […]
Cliff Sawyer – He would have been a household name By Ralph De Palma Cliff Sawyer was born and raised in Key West and has been singing since he was four years old. While growing up in Bahama Village, Cliff remembers hearing street corner bands singing and playing outside his window. His father played the trombone […]
Dottie Martin “…one of the legendary Key West classics.” By Ralph De Palma Dottie was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. At age 17, she fell in love with a 4ft. 10in. jockey. They were married, traveled around the country, and later, divorced. Dottie started singing and performing at the age of 20. In […]
Lance Taylor – Woody Guthrie Was the First Punk Rocker By Ralph De Palma Lance Taylor was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1973. His father was in the Navy so the family moved frequently. He started playing the trombone in the sixth grade. He received a partial scholarship as a pitcher to West Virginia Wesleyan […]
Gary Hempsey The Hippie Doctrine By Ralph De Palma The original American Bandstand was in Philadelphia, and Gary Hempsey’s older sister took him along to listen to the music. Gary was thirteen when Woodstock happened. He loved the music and began playing the guitar and taking lessons in Center City, Philadelphia. At seventeen, he started […]
The Annual Crooks Second Line Celebration is a special New Orleans style tribute to our loved ones that have passed on. The internationally famous drummer and long-time Key West resident Richard Crooks passed after a long illness in late 2014. Richard had been a musician’s musician all his life. He specialized in making songs better […]
In 2011 while sitting in the Smoking Tuna at the 2nd Annual Key West Musicians Festival – I began to realize there was something special happening in Key West. There were six musicians on stage entertaining, about ten more near the bar enjoying the performance, and another thirty musicians on the schedule. We were […]
