Dear Friends of Crystal Spring,

Gerald Winegrad, our leader in our successful efforts (so far) to protect the forests, fields, and wetlands at Crystal Spring and save us from the traffic nightmare, will be performing at The Bates Legacy Center (1101 Smithville Street) on Saturday, April 6, at 2 p.m. in a show he researched and put together–“SEARCHING FOR THE SOUL OF ANNAPOLIS.”

The show will feature a PowerPoint with music of legendary soul performers and great old photos of the Annapolis soul music scene–Carr’s Beach, Hoppy Adams, The Van Dykes, and many others.

Hear the music of soul legends Gerald knew, met, saw, or listened to growing up in Annapolis starting in 1946 at 79 West Street. He lived next to Asbury United Methodist Church where Gerald experienced gospel music, the precursor of soul music. Come and hear of race relations, segregation, and racial prejudice in Annapolis during the 1940s to 1960s and how the performers and Gerald were affected by it.

Hear how soul music helped soothe the wounded soul of Annapolis and break down racial barriers. The show will be capped by an awesome performance by James Brown, perhaps the best ever captured on video.

Admission is free, but donations will be welcome to the Bates Legacy Center. Other sponsors include the Blacks of the Chesapeake and Koons Annapolis Toyota. The show is dedicated to Wendi Winters, Capital reporter who was killed in the shooting last year. Wendi wrote the article below on Gerald’s original presentation last June at 49 West.

We hope you will plan to attend and help spread the word.

Top Billing: Searching for the Soul of Annapolis
Capital Gazette, by: Wendi Winters, June 20, 2018

Annapolitan Gerald Winegrad, 73, grew up in Annapolis during the 1940s through the ‘60s. He was a member of the House of Delegates from 1978 to 1983, and the Senate from 1983 to 1994. Over the years, he rose to the rank of Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves, and is an environmental activist. And, through it all, he’s been a musician, too.

As a young man, Winegrad became very involved in the soul music scene. In that segregated era, he was drawn to the spectacular concerts staged at Carr’s Beach, one of the rare places African-Americans could enjoy a day at the beach in this region.

Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m., Winegrad is hosting a multi-media presentation, “Searching for the SOUL of Annapolis,” at 49 West Coffeehouse, 49 West St., Annapolis. [NOTE: THE UPCOMING SHOW IS ON APRIL 6 AT 2 P.M. AT BATES LEGACY CENTER.]

The presentation, Winegrad said, is the product of much research and gathering of old photos of the City scenes from that era and those of Carr’s Beach – and created after much cajoling from Brian Cahalan, owner of 49 West.

The show will consist of Winegrad doing a PowerPoint with great old photos of the Annapolis soul music scene, including some of Carr’s Beach, famed Radio Station WANN DJ Hoppy Adams, and the great performers Winegrad knew, met, saw live in concert, or listened to during the period of his youth growing up in Annapolis starting in 1946.

He said Hoppy Adams took him under his wing and arranged for Winegrad, then a teenager, and his friends to meet James Brown between the performer’s Bandstand-on-the-Beach Shows at Carr’s Beach.

As Winegrad discusses the various soul greats who performed at Carr’s Beach, their music will be playing. He will also present “an awesome live performance by James Brown, the King of Soul, in 1964, perhaps the best ever captured on video.”

He will also discuss race relations, segregation, and overt discrimination occurring back then, including to the performers, and how soul music helped soothe the wounded soul of Annapolis and break down racial barriers.

Admission is free, with donations to the [Bates Legacy Center] accepted. Call [410-263-1860].