Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Tour Birmingham music history at East Lake Village Arts on Saturdays [PHOTOS]
Reading time: 2 minutes
Interested in the history—the roots—of Alabama and Birmingham music?
Make your way over to East Lake Village Arts (7611 1st Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35206) to see Craig Legg’s “Alabama Roots Music” exhibit, which is showing every Saturday until March between 11AM to 4PM.
Craig Legg’s 300+ paintings
On each one of his 300+ paintings, Legg tells a story of music in Birmingham and the state. It may be about Hank Williams’ time here in the Magic City or a contemporary musician, like the beloved Herb Trotman.
“It’s Alabama roots music. It’s the roots music that makes up rock and roll, old time music, blues, jazz, country and western, gospel. It gets real nuanced. So there’s sub categories within. There’s rhythm and blues, hillbilly music and all that stuff that goes into feeding rock’n’roll.”
~ Craig Legg
Favorite Alabama musicians
Some of Craig’s favorite paintings include Daddy Stovepipe, Clarence Pinetop Smith and Ike Zimmerman, the guy who taught Robert Johnson how to play guitar.
“It’s a great story. It’s not spectacular, like we’re not Austin or Memphis or Muscle Shoals or like that. But we can be darn proud of who has come out of here and just about everybody back in the day had to leave here to make it somewhere else. So those are a lot of people on the wall.”
~ Craig Legg
A MUST SEE exhibit — it is FREE and open to the public. If you are lucky, Craig Legg will be there to answer your questions.
