DECADES OF HOT TIMES HISTORY

HEAR HISTORY IN THE MUSIC IS A MULTI YEAR MUSIC HISTORY AND DISCOVERY PROJECT. BRINGING HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT PERFORMERS, AND PERFOMERS WHO FEATURE HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT MUSICAL SYLES.

PAST PERFOMERS:

H BOMB FERGUSON

BILL PINKNEY AND THE ORIGINAL DRIFTERS

THE IMPRESSIONS

THE MAREVLETTES

JOSH WHITE JR.

ROBERT "JUNIOR" LOCKWOOD

JIMMY MCGRIFF

MIKEY DRED

THE MEDITATIONS

BISINGUO MUSICA

TAL NATIONAL

FRED WESLEY

CHARLES WALKER & THE DYAMITES

NIKKI HILL

C.J. CHENIER

BIG JOE DUSKIN

BISENGUO MUSICA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FubaYot4dYY

SMOKY BROWN OR GRANDPA SMOKY AS HE BECAME TO BE KNOWN WAS THE FIRST ART CAR ARTIST AT HOT TIMES. HIS OLD STATION WAGON COVERED WITH LIFE SIZE OR BIGGER PAPER MACHE HEADS BECAME HIS SIGNATURE RIDE. SMOKY DESIGNED HOT TIMES STAGE SKIRTS FOR DECADES AND HE WAS THE VERY FIRST HOT TIMES HONORED ARTIST. WHEN THE FESTIVAL WAS UP ON N. MONROE AVE. AND BROAD HE STAYED LATE AT NIGHT (WE ARE TALKING 2AM) PLAYING THE OLD UPRIGHT PIANO THAT USED TO GRACE THE STAGE WHILE DOUGHNUTS AND COFFEE FLOWED FREELY TO ALL WHO CAME THROUGH. 

SMOKY INFLUENCED THE EXTERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCULPTURE EXHIBIT THAT WAS PART OF HOT TIMES FOR YEARS. 

THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAINTING SMOKY DID FOR HOT TIMES. 

MICHAEL VANDERDOES PERFORMED FOR 32 YEARS AT THE HOT TIMES FESTIVAL. 

HERE ARE SOME OF HIS WORKS! HIS EFFORTS HAVE BROUGHT NATIONALLY KNOWN JAZZ ARTISTS Kidd Jordan, HAMIET BLUETT, DD JACKSON,  AND Marlon Jordan TO HOT TIMES.

PEACE SONG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gelgLIr6xnk

Kate Schulte CONCERT 

https://www.kateschultefoundation.org

SECOND LINE FOR KATE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvOsiqBn7Hw

WEB SITE

www.makejazznotwar.org

FOR MANY YEARS ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER COLUMBUS WOULD SEND IDEAS FOR PIECES AND 5 WOULD BE CHOSEN BY A COMMITTEE OF COMMUNITY PEOPLE AND ARTISTS TO BUILD THEIR PROPOSED WORKS. FROM THE WORKS BUILT ON THE HOT TIMES SITE THE PUBLIC WOULD CHOOSE A WINNER AND THAT ARTIST WAS AWARDED A CASH GRAND PRIZE. ALL FIVE ARTISTS WERE AWARDED HONORARIA TO FUND THEIR BUILDS.

PARTIAL LIST OF PARTICPATING ARTISTS:

LEON PAGE

BARBARA CHAVOUS

QUEEN BROOKS

RICHARD DUARTE BROWN 

YASUE SAKOKA

SMOKY BROWN

JIM ARTER

HARRY WASHINGTON

WALT NEIL

JAMES KWAME CLAY

DANIEL WORK

SEAN WILLIAMS

BILL MALIS

CHRIS MOHLER

BENJAMIN CRUMPLER

RUTH MACKLIN

CINDRA CONISON

MAC WORTGINGTON

LINDA SORRELLS SMITH

ROGER WILLIAMS

 Thanks to Henry's research, the history of  Ohio's  Underground Railroad has been preserved,  visitors to the Belpre Historical Society’s museum along the Ohio River can view his Ohio Underground Railroad exhibit. He also authored many books and articles on the subject. 

Because of his volunteer lectures places like HOT TIMES many people learned facts about Ohio and the Northwest Territories and history of the struggle for freedom.  Born in Columbus, Burke served nine years in the U.S. Army, part of it stationed in West Germany during the Cold War. He also worked for 35 years as a construction foreman. During the whole time he researched and wrote about the Underground Railroad and  the clandestine route of safe houses and abolitionists that led escaped slaves to freedom.

He also wrote about the approximately 200 African-American men from Washington County and surrounding counties known to have enlisted to fight in the Civil War with the United States Infantry.

Burke was recognized for his scholarship by the Ohio legislature and historical and educational organizations around the midwest. 

He was a humble man who enjoyed sharing his knowledge with others, as he did at HOT TIMES where he sat on the front porch and told stories and answered questions for many years up until his death in 2012.

Thanks to his knowledge and passion about the Underground Railroad and life in Civil War-era Ohio, Ohioans have a fuller understanding of this time in history.