Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80
Remembering
As I was walking down 14th Street yesterday afternoon I heard no less than six cars blasting Chuck Brown’s music. It was beautiful.
The Mayor’s Office issued a press release:
Mayor Vincent C. Gray today expressed his profound sadness upon hearing the news that D.C. native Chuck Brown, the singer and musician who came to be affectionately known as the “Godfather of Go-go,” has died.
“Go-go is D.C.’s very own unique contribution to the world of pop music, and Chuck Brown was regarded as Go-go’s creator and, arguably, its most legendary artist,” Mayor Gray said. “Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over, but especially in the District of Columbia. Without Chuck Brown, the world – and our city – will be a different place. What a loss!
I am thankful that I had so many opportunities to witness Chuck’s singular talent in person, and I enjoyed each performance immensely. My heart, my thoughts and my prayers go out to his family.”
Chuck Brown was born in Washington. His musical career began in the 1960s as he played guitar with multiple bands, including Jerry Butler and the Earls of Rhythm and Los Latinos. His solo career took off in the 1970s as Go-go, a subgenre of funk music that originated with performers and clubs in and around the District, began to gain national popularity. His early work included hits like “Bustin’ Loose,” and pop-music historians generally consider Mr. Brown one of the main driving forces behind Go-go’s creation. He continued to play in the Washington area and elsewhere until recently, when he canceled an appearance at the newly refurbished Howard Theatre due to illness.
Last night The Howard Theatre hosted candlelight vigil for Chuck Brown. “Mr. Brown was slated to play The Howard Theatre on June 29, and had played the theatre often.”
Photo by LaVan Anderson for The Howard Theatre
What an awesome sculpture/tribute from up in Silver Spring. The dedication says:
The unofficial “Mayor” of Silver Spring was a homeless man who collected hand-outs of money and food. Norman Lane walked the streets of Silver Spring for almost 25 years, doing odd jobs around the neighborhoods and handing out flowers to women on the street picked out of the Bell Flowers dumpster. Norman Lane was a mainstay in the community, and his enjoyment of life has been immortalized in a bronze bust created by artist and friend, Fred Folsom. The plaque beneath Norman Lane’s likeness reads, “Remembering the Caring Kindhearted Forbearance of the People of Silver Spring.” This is a tribute, not only to this local legend, but to the citizens of Silver Spring like Robert Phillips, owner of the Silver Spring Auto Body Shop, who kept a cot and a hot plate in the garage as a permanent home for Lane.
And Neal from Som Records, 14th St, NW just south of T, reminds me that Saturday is Record Store Day:
“Record Store Day is the third Saturday of April every year, meaning this Saturday. It was started 4-5 years ago by some independent record stores as a way to celebrate music and brick and mortar record stores. It has grown in size over the last few years and is now the busiest day on the calendar (by far) for most record shops.
This year there are over 250 special (and mostly limited) Record Store Day releases, mostly on vinyl. Som will have over 95 different titles available on Saturday including releases from Phish, Dr John, Esperanza Spaulding, Devo, Common, Luna and many more. Crooked Beat in Adams Morgan will probably have the most titles but Red Onion, Smash and Joint Custody will all be participating as well and are all worth a visit.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC
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Photo by PoPville flickr user thisisbossi
thisisbossi writes:
“The memorial service marking 100 years since the Titanic disaster, held at the Titanic Memorial in Washington, DC. Fire boats provided a fountain display.”
Logan’s Antiques is located at 3118 Mount Pleasant Street, NW.
5th and Harvard St, NW on the Reservoir side
“Dear PoPville,
I noticed this a while back while running around the McMillan Reservoir.
Do you have any clue what I presume this memorial in a tree is about? So odd!”
The reader then answered their own question finding this 2005 post from DCist:
There stands a tree — the middlemost tree, in the photo above, sans leaves — and to it is nailed or otherwise affixed a small bronze plaque dedicated to the memory of … well, in the time since it was placed there, the tree has grown around it. “UIS ALBERTO VASQUEZ,” to be sure. And whatever it was happened in mid-1997.
Sometime during the early morning hours of the May 9, an intoxicated 26-year-old Maryland man, Alberto Vasquez, lost control of his Volvo on Harvard Street NW and struck a tree. With him in the car was Louis Alberto Vasquez, his 27-year-old cousin, who died on the scene.
Today you can see the plaque is almost completely swallowed up by the tree.
Remembering – John A. Daly, DCFD (1861-1917) From Holy Rood Cemetery in Glover Park.
The Memorial to Japanese-American Patriotism in World War II is located at at Louisiana Avenue and D St, NW, not far from Union Station. It is a very moving memorial and looks stunning right now while it’s surrounded by full cherry blossom blooms.
You can read more about Mitch Snyder here.