Photos courtesy of Melanie Jeffcoat
The fight to save Gip&#;s Place, the legendary Bessemer, Alabama juke joint, came to city hall Tuesday night. Hundreds came out to support Henry &#;Gip&#; Gipson and his back yard parties that are now more than fifty years old.
On Saturday night, the Bessemer police shut down Gip&#;s, the news of which quickly drew national attention and the scrutiny of thousands of fans across the globe in support of one of the last remaining original juke joints. News sources from every outlet surrounded Gipson upon his arrival, staying through the meeting.
Gip&#;s Place official Facebook page released this statement:
For those that attended the Bessemer City Council meeting in Bessemer, AL this evening, thank you for your support. Those who were given the opportunity to speak, your comments were moving and touched everyone in the room. We accomplished what we went to accomplish ~ to show the city how important Gip Gipson and his backyard parties are to people from around the world and how Gip’s Place brings people to Bessemer that normally would never come to Bessemer. Gip, Ms. Bay, Jeff, and Cindi were touched by the support and love every
&#;No black. No white. Just blues.&#; &#; Henry &#;Gip&#; Gipson
On October 8th, Henry &#;Gip&#; Gipson died. His death was first announced via Facebook by his son Keith, &#;My father past to today. From Gip.s place to a better place you can&#;t talk saying it as he always said.&#; The word &#;legendary&#; is tossed about willy-nilly these days, but in the Gip&#;s case, the term fits. He was almost larger than life in his honesty and simplicity.
Gipson was born in January 6th, , in Uniontown, Perry County, Alabama, making him 99 years old at the time of his passing. There is some good natured debate about his age however, as many locals claim he celebrated his 86th birthday a few times.
Gipson was a railroad man, having worked for 25 years at the Pullman Standard plant in Bessemer, Alabama. When he left his job at the plant, it was to become a grave digger. Eventually he purchased McCalla&#;s Pine Hill Cemetery, and operated it himself until his passing.
Gip was an avid blues fan, and a part time blues musician himself. He began hosting barbecues in his back yard for musicians to entertain friends and neighbors. The weekend events grew in popularity and he gradually added
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Legendary juke joint Gip&#;s Place is going through some changes, but the members claim it&#;s here to stay. Bham Now joined hundreds of music lovers Saturday night to celebrate 67 years of old fashioned blues.
Bessemer&#;s hidden treasure
Hidden away in a small neighborhood just outside of downtown Bessemer is one of the last authentic juke joints in America. If you drove by on a weekday, you might miss it. But on Saturday nights, you&#;ll hear the joint long before you see it. Folks come from near and far to hear the blues in this one-of-a-kind venue.
A slice of home
“I have a lot of family in a lot of small Mississippi towns, and Gip’s made me homesick for the first time in years”
Joseph Whitaker, first time attendeeThe inside of Gip&#;s Place is decorated with Christmas lights and posters of famous blues icons, such as Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. Attendees bring their own food and drinks, and are eager to share. Everyone is friendly and keen to make new friends, brought together by a mutual love of music. Once the music gets going, everyone taps their feet while the boldest members of the audience dance up in front of
Henry Gipson
Henry GipsonCounty Road , Ripley, MS
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Henry GipsonChurch Rd, Decherd, TN
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Henry GipsonKings Rd, Sanford, FL
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- Gainesville, FL
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Henry GipsonN 6Th St #2, St Louis Park, MN
- also known as
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- St Louis Park, MN
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Henry GipsonArkansas Highway , Smithville, AR
- also known as
- Henry W Gipson
- Henry S Gipson
- Henry Gibson
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- Pearl, MS
- Strawberry, AR
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