It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2009. The junction got its name from its proximity to the Tuxedo Park community of worker's houses platted in 1899 and used by Tennessee Coal Iron & Railroad Company employees. "Tuxedo Junction" was the street car crossing on the Ensley-Fairfield line at this corner in the Tuxedo Park residential area. This is a renter-friendly neighborhood, with 75% of residents renting their homes. Searching for an apartment in Tuxedo, a suburban neighborhood near Birmingham, AL? Tuxedo is close to Downtown Birmingham and the Smithfield Historic District. Birmingham City Councilor John Hilliard, of District 9, spearheaded this year’s event. In the late 1950s much of the area was demolished as an urban renewal project that resulted in the construction of the Tuxedo Court housing project. King & Nat King Cole! Tuxedo Junction, located in Ensley at the crossing of the Wylam and Pratt City streetcar lines, and also at Ensley Avenue and 20th Street, was a social hub for Birmingham's black community in the 1920s and 30s. Ensley was was annexed into Birmingham in 1910. Gov. When the song was developed by Hawkins with arranger Bill Johnson and lyricist Buddy Feyne, it focused more on the nightlife of the district. It was formally incorporated on February 12, 1899, but later annexed into Birmingham on January 1, 1910 under the "Greater Birmingham" legislation. By night it was the heart of the black community’s social paradise, and it will always be immortalized by Erskine Hawkins’ famous jazz tune “Tuxedo Junction”. During this time, The Junction was the black community’s only scene for live music, dancing, shopping, and the most savory food in Birmingham. This venue was on the Chitlin' Circuit, which was a mainstay of black performers in the segregated Deep South. The intersection of Ensley Avenue and 19th Street, also known as Tuxedo Junction, was once the heart and soul of social life for Birmingham and surrounding areas. It took its name from its close proximity to the historic Tuxedo Junction.The project included 110 separate buildings to house low-income residents. You can be sure of a great vacation in Birmingham when you visit Tuxedo Junction. This page has been accessed 15,482 times. Way down South, in Birmingham I mean South, in Alabam’ ’Ans old place Where people go to dance the night away They all drive or walk for miles To get blues - that southern style, So blue - it’ll make you want to dance the night away Tuxedo Junction - where I want to be “Tuxedo Junction” became a best-selling, national Number 1 hit recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra in 1939. All content on this site is Copyright Rushing Waters Media LLC/Bham Now 2016-2020. The Belcher-Nixon building at the junction housed an active dental practice and other businesses. Without words, it served as a musical "vamp", which signaled the next band to come to the stage. In the late 1930s, jazz great Erskine Hawkins wrote and recorded “Tuxedo Junction,” named for the place where the streetcars met. Since the two streetcar lines intersected here, many plant workers and streetcar passengers would hang out in … (*) The World of Swing by Stanley Dance, (1974) Scribner’s, page 197. Following its original release, the tune has been covered by many artists throughout the years and helped launch the careers of household names like Ella Fitzgerald, B.B. In the 1920s and 1930s, Tuxedo Junction stood within the Ensley neighborhood. All Rights Reserved. Places to stay near Tuxedo Junction offer something wonderful at different times of the year and bring you amazing experiences not to be missed. Tuxedo Junction not only gave Hawkins inspiration for his hit song, but also served as a springboard for an array of other soon-to-be musical icons such as Lionel Hampton (another boyhood resident of the Junction); Urbie Green (a local performer who was to become the most-recorded studio musician in the music industry); Ella Fitzgerald; B.B. It’s second floor once held the dance hall, a hotspot for all the jazz and jiving within The Junction. The real Tuxedo Juction was a colloquialism for the area in the Ensley suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, a club vased in the Nixon Building and Tuxedo Park. A housing community was then constructed to become what is now Tuxedo Terrace. "Tuxedo Junction" is a popular song written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, Julian Dash with lyrics by Buddy Feyne. Home Jazz in Birmingham at TUXEDO JUNCTION: Right Back Where I Belong! Birmingham-native Jazz musician, Erskine Hawkins, forever immortalized the area with his popular 1939 hit, "Tuxedo Junction". Locals simply referred to it as “The Junction”. The festival continues and it is the longest-running music festival in Birmingham, reminding the community of its vibrant roots. Many talented performers hailing from Birmingham got their beginnings by entertaining there. KD Born and raised in Birmingham, AL. Tuxedo Junction hotels - a brilliant base in any season. 1 hit for Glenn Miller & His Orchestra in 1940. Tuxedo Junction: 'Where the Town Folks Meet'. So blue – it’ll make you want to dance the night away. As the scene died down, the majority of the area was demolished in the 1950s for an urban renewal project. Alabama's travel guide, information for your next Alabama vacation. It serves as a landmark of what used to be a cultural epicenter for the city’s black community. It stands as the only surviving commercial structure marking the formerly vibrant intersection. It's a junction where the town folks meet At each function in a tux they greet you Come on down, forget your care Come on down, you'll find me there So long town, I'm heading for Tuxedo Junction now Feelin' low Rockin' slow I want to go Right back where I belong Way down south in Birmingham … In the 1920s and 1930s, Tuxedo Junction stood within the … Ensley is a large city neighborhood in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States.It was once a separate and thriving industrial city. Its dance halls brimmed with the latest jazz music and dances—including the Jive Dance which originated there. The song was introduced by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra, a college dance band previously known as the Bama State Collegians. Birmingham Hotels near Tuxedo Junction Current page Hotels near Tuxedo Junction COVID-19 alert: Travel requirements are changing rapidly, including need for … Function Junction. Birmingham Times-March 6, 2021. He writes about the magical place that he can count on to raise his spirits, where he can lose himself by dancing the jive all night to his favorite jazz. Tuxedo Junction, located in Ensley at the crossing of the Wylam and Pratt City streetcar lines, and also at Ensley Avenue and 20th Street, was a social hub for Birmingham's black community in the 1920s and 30s. It is likely that the subdivision was named for New York's Tuxedo Park, an enclave of large estates dating to 1885 that later lent its name to the cropped Tuxedo jacket. Tuxedo Junction became a huge hit, and he remains one of Ensley’s most famous sons. Trending Now. Tuxedo Apartments for Rent - Birmingham, AL. Stream Tuxedo Junction free online. Finding pictures of historic Ensley and Tuxedo Junction is at the forefront this spring for authors compiling a new photo book about the once-thriving Birmingham community. The second floor of the Belcher-Nixon building located in Ensley was the dance hall and center of all The Junction happenings. Among these was the acclaimed musician and performer Erskine Hawkins. The song was a No. Construction of the original Tuxedo Court project was completed in 1961 after twelve blocks of existing housing were cleared. On a beautiful day (Saturday, April 20th) at the Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery, author Carol Ealons signed with The Ardent Writer Press to publish her well-researched book, Tuxedo Junction, Right Back Where I Belong. Community leaders are working with Main Street Birmingham on plans to develop a cultural center in the building. The jazzy festivities continue to fill the streets each year. Cook helped establish the annual Function in the Junction jazz festival, one of the Magic City’s most popular community affairs. This event commemorates the life and legacy of Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame inductee Erskine Hawkins. King; and Nat "King" Cole. (**) The Swing Era 1940-1941, Time-Life Books (1970), page 57. Birmingham City Schools Students Return to In-person Learning on Monday. Since 1985 the annual Function in the Junction festival in Erskine Hawkins Park has celebrated the musical and social heritage of Tuxedo Junction. "Tuxedo Junction" was the street car crossing on the Ensley-Fairfield line at this corner in the Tuxedo Park residential area. And the song set in the Tuxedo Junction neighborhood of Birmingham is also the title of her new play, which is receiving its world premiere at Birmingham Children’s Theatre beginning today. Function Junction. An hour of traditional jazz hosted by Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame member Bart Grooms. The district was built in the 1890s as a neighborhood zoned for professional, middle-class black families. Way down South, in Birmingham I mean South, in Alabam' That old place Way down South, in Birmingham I mean South, in Alabam' 'Ans old place Where people go to dance the night away They all drive or walk for miles To get blues - that southern style So blue - it'll make you want to dance the night away Tuxedo Junction - where I want to be KD's deep Southern roots have helped to cultivate and continue the sound pioneered by rap legends such as Three Six Mafia, Master P, UGK, Master P, Goodie MoB, 8Ball & MJG, Scarface, and Dirty. In 1985, residents of Ensley decided to celebrate the culture of Tuxedo Junction by creating the annual Tuxedo Function in the Junction Jazz Festival. The idea in starting this group rides on a hope that someone somewhere may Google "Birmingham" or "Little Italy" or "Moore School" and stumble into our group and provide us with some history,... Little Italy and Tuxedo Junction of Ensley in Birmingham, AL Settled between two busy streetcar lines, Tuxedo Junction was conveniently located for those who worked around the community at the ironworks, steel mills, and lumber mills to get together after a long day’s work. Other noteworthy musicians were connected to the area throughout the years, with many beginning their early careers playing the local bars and blues joints in the area. Listen to Hawkins’ original version here: The Nixon building is shown above. Commuting to and from work takes about 25 minutes. Way down South, in Birmingham I mean South, in Alabam' 'Ans old place Where people go to dance the night away They all drive or walk for miles To get blues - that southern style, So blue - it'll make you want to dance the night away Tuxedo Junction - where I want to be The spring of 1967 saw the coming together of Coventry’s prime blues unit, The Tuxedo Junction Blues Band. BIRMINGHAM, AL — The 33 rd Annual Tuxedo Function in the Junction will be held this Saturday, October 20 th, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Erskine Hawkins Park. In 1939, Hawkins released the Birmingham favorite “Tuxedo Junction” in honor of his hometown. Author Grace Howe - May 13, 2020 June 2, 2020 The Bama Street Collegians led by Erskine Hawkins got their start performing at Tuxedo Junction before hitting it big in New York City. The whole district was filled with locals’ favorite eats including fried chicken wings, burgers, pig ear sandwiches, red beans and neck bones, and chitterlings. Carol Ealons, author of Tuxedo Junction, signs with The Ardent Writer Press! From rag time to big band, bebop to swing, we showcase the latest and greatest of America's native art form. Tuxedo Junction played locally in the Coventry and Birmingham ... with Peppermint Circus being signed to A&M Records and Tuxedo Junction being as true blues as you could get in the area. Big Band Public Radio Host Stephen Lloyd with Thousands Saturday Evening July 23, 2005, at the Erskine Hawkins Park in Tuxedo Junction, Birmingham, Alabama As its popularity continued to thrive, it became the city’s hotspot as club-goers would dress to the nines to dance the night away in their suits and sparkly dresses. The Magic City is home to countless cultural influences that contribute to our city’s vibrant culture. RCA released it in 1939 and it climbed to #7 on the American pop charts. History. Photo courtesy of Birmingham Public Library. The Magic City is home to countless cultural influences that contribute to our city’s vibrant culture. In 1930, at the age of 16, Hawkins graduated from Birmingham Industrial and moved to Montgomery to attend State Teachers College (now Alabama State University) on a tennis scholarship, but gave that up to major in music and join the Collegians, one of the college’s three bands. Hawkins’ attended each celebration until his death in 1993. What remains within the Junction is one final standing structure, the Nixon building. At its closure, the project contained 488 low-income units. Tuxedo Junction -- Function in the Junction. "Tuxedo Junction" is a song co-written by Birmingham, Alabama composer Erskine Hawkins and saxophonist and arranger Bill Johnson.The song was introduced by Hawkins's orchestra.Lyrics were by Buddy Feyne.This original version, by the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra (the new name for the college dance band known as the Bama State Collegians) rose to number 7 on the national hit parade. To Hawkins, the ensuing commotion of bands coming and going resembled the busy Tuxedo Junction streetcar hub. https://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tuxedo_Junction&oldid=87919, Ruisi, Anne (October 5, 2009) "Hope anew for Ensley revival.". The junction's nightlife was immortalized by Alabama jazz great Erskine Hawkins in his classic song, "Tuxedo Junction," recorded by many other artists, from Glenn Miller in 1940 to the Manhattan Transfer (1975): The familiar and hypnotic song originated during the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra's residency at the Savoy Ballroom. KD describes his sound as 'hardcore, yet conscious street lyrics over hard and soulful beats, never let that pimpin and that gangsta die'. This page was last modified on 28 July 2012, at 14:42. Tuxedo Junction was comparable to Harlem in New York City. Birmingham issues guidelines to restaurants reopening and extends face covering rule to May 22, Roll into summer with new wheels + more outdoor gear from 5 Birmingham businesses, Search over 700 local restaurants, bars and businesses offering deals, curbside delivery and more, Support over 160 local nonprofit organizations, Main Campus Children's of Alabama Birmingham, AL, Main Campus Children's of Alabama in Birmingham. Tuxedo Junction was the name of a ballroom in Birmingham, Alabama located at 20 th Street and Ensley Avenue. 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