Nick Brownell was born in Kansas but raised in Sandusky, Ohio. He always loved to sing and had teachers that encouraged him. He has five brothers. When Nick was sixteen, a younger brother got a guitar. They learned to play together. Barry Ross, who was a little older, took Nick to house parties, and […]
Gospel Brunch “Come Sunday” Most agree that gospel music is the roots of blues and jazz. Key West’s Bahama Village has deep gospel roots. In fact, historically Bahama Village is the center of Keys music in general. The music of Bahama Village revolved around gospel, blues, and jazz. There is a venerable mural, […]
Mike Emerson – if you throw a rock in Key West you’ll probably hit a guitar player Mike Emerson was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He began playing guitar, which his brother Glenn bought him, at age 12. He attended high school in Northern Kentucky and would perform with bands in local country bars […]
Rich “In Spirit” McKay – Adventures of an American Hippie Rich McKay grew up in City Island in the Bronx in New York City. His family discouraged music study but Rich and his brother insisted. He graduated from Mount Saint Michael’s High School in 1962. McKay started playing guitar while attending Marist College in the […]
Alex Okinczyc “Island Alex” Alex Okinczyc grew up in Detroit, MI and, of course, was influenced by the Motown sound but at a young age, a friend turned him onto jazz … and he was hooked. In particular, he loved jazz horns like Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard. Oddly enough, while growing up near the […]
Michael McCloud – a plethora of useless information Michael McCloud grew up in Beckley West Virginia and decided he wanted to play music very early in childhood. His father was a man of music, but he was not a musician. His Grandmother was a piano player from Wales, she sang in Welsh. Early on his […]
Kim Gordon – angelic gently Kim Gordon was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She was a precocious little curly red haired child who started singing in musical theater at four years old, continuing as a young singer and dancer in many of the local children’s productions. Her mother, Bernyce Gordon, taught several generations of […]
Marjory Lee “Living on an Island” You have to travel South Carolina’s SR 21 through Beaufort, Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island, and Hunting Island before getting to the end of the road to reach the small barrier island called Fripp Island where Marjory Lee grew up. I mention this only to give a glimpse at […]
The Famous Psychedelic Tuba Everyone has seen Robert Barton’s (aka Bubba Lownotes) psychedelic tuba. It’s actually a sousaphone, commonly called tuba. It has appeared at almost every large Key West event, usually with Bubba’s buddy, Jeep Caillouet. Bubba Lownotes played tuba in the high school band and was always fooling around with the tuba; he […]
I love Key West history, especially the music history. There aren’t many Key West historical music figures larger than Fats Navarro. Navarro learned piano at age six and picked up his first trumpet at age thirteen. He graduated from Fredrick Douglas High School and soon left for Orlando, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and on to ‘big […]
