Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awards Program

Welcome to the Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awards Program! Join us on Sun, Apr 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM at Overton High School for an evening celebrating the legacy of the legendary musician Jimmie Lunceford. This event will honor outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of music and education. Come enjoy live performances, inspiring speeches, and a night filled with music and celebration. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to be a part of history!

The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group Inc. Presents Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awards - Homecoming Court Celebration

Come out as various artists pay tribute to Jimmie Lunceford in their own unique way as well as recognize the Posthumous King/Posthumous Queen/King/Queen/Prince/Princess Court which include: the late Clarence "Big" Miller (Posthumous King), the late Dr./Sister Thea Bowman (Posthumous Queen), DJ Spanish Fly - Antonio D. Kimbrough (King), Deborah Swiney (Queen), Donald Richard (Prince), Powwah "Power" (Prince), and Phu'Cha (Princess). We will also be doing special tributes to Legend honorees (the late State Representatives Johnnie Turner and Barbara Cooper, Dorothy Mason, Tom Lee, Kia Shine, Thaddeus Augustus Matthews, Terry Scaffold and Pastor Paul Reed)

Special tribute performances by: Overton CAPA Choir, Line Dancers of Memphis, Memphis Jookin, Memphis Jookin, Ekpe Abioto (King, 2018), Cequita McKennley (Princess, 2017), Jackie Murray (Princess, 2020), Dr. Alvin Mckinney (Prince 2020), Legend Sandra Bray, Brother Bridge Muhammad, Memphis Jazz Workshop, Sister Patrica Lee, etc.

Recognized Honorees:

Floyd Newman (King, 2017), Earlice Taylor (Queen, 2017), Cequita McKennley (Princess, 2017), Logan Westbrook, Howard Grimes, Dr. Bill Hurd (Prince, 2017), Ekpe Abioto (King, 2018), Toni Green (Queen, 2018), Steve Lee (Prince, 2018), Tonya Renee Dyson (Princess, 2018), Kirk Whalum, Michael James (Miscellaneous), George Coleman, Charles Lloyd, Hank Crawford, Jr., Glover Mosely, Ronnie Williams, Johnnie Yancy, Malvin Massey, James Gholston, Dr. Alvin Mckinney (Prince, 2020) Dr. David and Yvonne Acey, Carla Thomas (Queen 2019), Sidney Kirk (King 2019), Carl Flake, Larry Dawson, James Alexander, Terry Saffold, Sandra Bray, Garnett Brown, Deborah Gleese Barnes (Princess 2019), Robert "Bobby Lavell" Garner (King 2020), Joyce Cobb (Queen 2020), Johnnie Turner, Barbara Cooper, Elaine Turner, Noah Bonds, Grover Mosely, Herbert Smith, Clarence Christian, Velma Jones , Maxine Starling Strawder, Andre Matthews “Chief”, Anthony Holmes, Alfred Rudd, Deborah Gleese-Barnes (Princess 2019) Nookie Taylor, Bennie West, Vivian Branch, Miran Decosta Willis, Deborah Manning Thomas, Phillip Joyner (Prince 2019), Deke Pope, Anthony Jones, Jackie Murray (Princess 2019)Lonnie McMillian, “Boo” Mitchell, Frank Phillips, Candice Ivory, Honeymoon Barner, Charles William, William “Albert” Bell, Charles Little “Buck” Riley, Naomi Moody, Ozzie Smith, Willie Hall, Judy Farmer, “Boo” Mitchell, Stephanie Bolton, Wendi Moten, Percy Wiggins, Booker T, Jones, David Dorton, Sandra Bray, John Gary, Al Green, George Ralph Collier, Herman Green, Donald Brown, Calvin Newborne, Dr. John Bass, Eddie Harris, Eddie Harris, Audie Smith, Vanessa Thomas, Harold Malburn, Kelly Hurt, Lester Snell, Anthony Quinn Richardson, Sr., Hattie Isenm, Howard Pistol Allen (Funk Brother), Mickey Gregory, Cedric Russell Moore, Kenneth Jackson, Charles "Chuck" Thomas, III, Marcel Holman, Sidney Ford, Gerald Harris, Charlton Johnson, Damion Pearson, Jack Ashford (Funk Brother), Dr. Bobby Rush (King, 2021), Beverly Johnson (Queen, 2021), The Temprees,(Harold Scott, Walter Washington and Deljuan Calvin), Larry Dodson (Prince(s), 2021), and Valetta Brinson (Princess, 2021), Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell (King, 2022), Wendy Moten (Queen, 2022), Christopher "Drumma Boy" Gholson (Prince, 2022), Deborah Thomas (Princess, 2022), Paul Mckinnley (King, 2023), Lucille Catron (Queen, 2023), Suavo Jones (Prince, 2023), Kai'yrs Slayer (Prince, 2023), and Brandi Pa'trice (Princess, 2023).

Past Posthumous King/Queen:

Emerson Able, Jr (2017) and Ruby Wilson (2017)

Isaac Hayes (2018) and Lulah Hedgeman (2018)

Johnnie Ace (2019) and Lil Hardin-Armstrong (2019)

Booker Little (2020) and Vera Little (2020)

Onzie Horne (2021) and Madame Florence Cole (2021)

D r. William H. Brewster (2022) and Lucille Campbell (2022)

Rufus Thomas (2023), Nat D. Williams (2023), and Jesse Hemphill (2023)

PostHumous Prince:

Jasper "Jabbo" Phillips (2021)

"Jimmie Lunceford has the best of all bands. Duke Ellington is great, Count Basie is remarkable, but Lunceford tops them both."

-- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller

James Melvin Lunceford was 'The Real King of Swing' & 'The King of the Battle of the Bands'...Jimmie should also be better known as The Father of Jazz Studies because he is credited as being the 1st person to teach jazz in a formal educational setting in any place in the world 🌎 🌍 🌏! He did this back in the 1920s at Manassas High School, a Rosenwald School, which was the 1st fully accredited high school for Black children in Shelby County,TN in what is now known as North Memphis. By many accounts Jimmie is considered the 1st high school band director at any Black school in the Memphis area and he was not even hired to be a music teacher. His student band, The Chickasaw Syncopators, was a very popular dance band in the Memphis area.

Jimmie Lunceford was a graduate of Fisk University and a dedicated member of Kappa Alpha Psi. He is the first band instructor of the Memphis City Schools and is considered the "Father of the Band" program.

In 1930 Jimmie quit his day job and hit the road with his best students and buddies from Fisk University. By 1934 The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestras was the house band at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem, NY succeeding the likes of The Duke Ellington Orchestra & The Cab Calloway Orchestra respectively. During its heyday The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra WAS BIGGER THAN THAT OF COUNT BASIE & DUKE ELLINGTON!!! During the Swing Music Era of the 1930s & 1940s THE JIMMIE LUNCEFORD ORCHESTRA WAS THE MOST POPULAR DANCE BAND FOR BLACK AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY!!! And for this reason they were nicknamed The Harlem Express!!! They were also known as the 'trained seals' because of their amazing discipline, precision and presentation. Featured in tailor made suits they were very skilled and adept at doing choreography, telling jokes and singing.The trumpet section would even throw their horns in the air mid-song and catch them and continue to play where they left off!!! Their sound known as 'The Lunceford 2 Beat' was the envy of many swing bands both Black and White. They were the NUMBER ONE ATTRACTION at The ApolloTheatre FOR ONE WHOLE DECADE!!! Not bad for a music organization that started out as a high school dance band 'straight outta memphis.'

Jimmie Lunceford was also an aviation pioneer. He owned & flew his airplane(s) ✈️ during The Great Depression. He brought his 1st one in 1940 for almost $500,000 in today’s money 💸💰…Remember this was during a time when Whites did not want Blacks sitting at an integrated lunch counter let alone flying high in the friendly 🌌 skies…He alo used to fly his plane to gigs as well.

Jimmie Lunceford was both a real humanitarian and philanthropist when it came to loving and serving Black people, in particular the Black youths. When his orchestra would sell out on Beale Street, he would nonetheless provide free concerts and musician clinics for the students at his old stomping grounds of Manassas High School. He actually used his own money to start music programs for Black children throughout the country. He saw music as a rite of passage to help young Black boys and girls to become responsible Black men and women.

Unfortunately, Jimmie was gone too soon at the young age of 45. He allegedly dropped dead from a heart attack while signing autographs at a music shop before a concert in Seaside, Oregon on July 12, 1947. Some people suspect that it could have been foul play from some type of food poisoning. Allegedly, Jimmie had gotten into some type of argument with a restaurant for not wanting to serve him and his men because they were Black. Allegedly, they were served tainted beef sandwiches. Other band members got sick, but Jimmie was the only fatality.

Jimmie is buried in Elmwood Cemetery. However, his legacy should not be. According to the great historian and radio pioneer Nat D. Williams, Jimmie's Legacy should be treated by Memphis in this way:

Jimmy Lunceford was buried here in Memphis. The spot he occupies should have something of a special significance. ... He took a group of relatively unsophisticated Memphis colored boys and welded them into an organization which scaled the heights of musical eminence. ... He presented something new in the way of musical presentations by Negro orchestras. Lunceford and many others like him chose to remain at home, and with their people. [His death] should have meaning in inspiration and guidance to others. If we permit it, Lunceford's burial in Memphis can mean this."

King DJ Spanish Fly - Antonio Kimbrough – is featured in the Netflix Series "Hip Hop Evolution" season 4, Watch it to get a better understanding about Fly and The Start Of Memphis Rap. It’s difficult to imagine what Memphis rap music would sound like without the influence of DJ Spanish Fly. Serving as a house DJ at M-Town Clubs No Name and Expo in 1987 to the early ’90s, Fly spearheaded a generational transition from the disco era towards a slower, more aggressive sound driven by 808 thuds and gangsta themes. His taste – and his own warped bedroomish raps, tacked onto the beginning of his deep catalogue of mixtapes – helped to outline a loose mould of bass heavy menace that later day Memphis acts like Triple 6 Mafia, 8 Ball & MJG, Dj Squeeky, Gangsta Pat, Playa Fly, DJ Zirk Al Kapone, and Tommy Wright III would turn into a city-defining underground hustle. The sound spread quickly from there, to trunks around the country by way of hand-to-hand dubs and embedded itself deeply into the DNA of contemporary Southern rap. The legendary Memphis, Tennessee artist DJ Spanish Fly is a musical veteran and pioneer, well known throughout the Memphis area, and the Mid-South as the founding Godfather of Memphis Rap/hiphop music and culture in the region. Now, more than 33 years deep in the rap game… It's Fly time.

DJ Spanish Fly started out DJ'ing and rapping on the block in his South Memphis neighborhood of Clementine, off Elvis Presley Blvd with a group called the True Blue Cru including Chicago-based rapper Mighty Rappin Fishbone. Their extreme dedication in these early days of hiphop can be supremely illustrated by the fact that the group went as far as selling their blood to the Memphis blood bank just to get money for refreshments for the fans who attended their shows. Through performing local gigs in their hood for free, the group was also rehearsing to compete in a big-time rap/DJ competition at a top Memphis night club back in the day called "Club No Name", owned by part Beale Street owner, Bud Chittom who is now deceased.

His talents caught Chittom's attention, who back then also ran the popular 'Club No Name' in East Memphis on lamar ave. He was so impressed by Fly's performance that he went on to hire Fly to DJ, and that's when Fly started hitting the airwaves for the first time:
In early 1984, radio station Magic 101.1 FM would broadcast Fly sets live from the club for the Budweiser-sponsored Club No Name Hotmix where Fly would uniquely blend, scratch and break all the new songs of the day: Fresh Prince, Run-DMC, Cold Crush Brothers, 2 Live Crew, Mantronix, Special Ed, LL Cool J, The Fatboys, The Show Boys (Trigga-Man), Dana Dane, Geto Boys, World Class Wrekin' Cru, Ice T, N.W.A., Rodney-O and Joe Cooley and countless other groups who were then unknown artists.

Fly continued to produce his own tracks but as the scene was in its untapped infancy, he ignored traditional music industry methods and set his own rules for format and distribution, disregarding copyright of his beats or lyrics.

Queen Deborah Swiney is a former background vocalist for Rev. Al Green, Deborah Swiney provides classy, jazzy entertainment that takes you from the elegant music of the Harlem Renaissance to the swinging sambas of Rio. Latin jazz, the Great American Songbook, a little soul, and a splash of blues: Deborah is versatile, elegant, and supremely talented.

Deborah transcends the usual definition of a jazz songstress by incorporating her Bluff City roots into the standards and bringing a soulful approach to Bossa Nova and other Brazilian music.

Deborah is masterful at a wide range of events, including corporate parties, weddings, festivals, and studio sessions. Her bandmates are some of the city's finest musicians, and she can perform with a range of combos, from duos to a full band.

Posthumous Queen Sister/Dr. Thea Bowan is currently being recommended for Sainthood by the Catholic Church. She died on March 30, 1990, aged 52, in Canton, Mississippi, and was buried with her parents in Memphis, Tennessee in Elmwood Cemetery.Thea Bowman (born Bertha Elizabeth Bowman; December 29, 1937 – March 30, 1990) was a Black Catholic religious sister, teacher, and scholar who made a major contribution to the ministry of the Catholic. She is in line to become a Saint. She is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, TN with her parents. Below is a quote by Dr. Bowman: I think the difference between me and some people is that I'm content to do my little bit. Sometimes people think they have to do big things in order to make change. But if each one would light a candle we'd have a tremendous light.She also helped found the National Black Sisters Conference to provide support for African-American women in Catholic religious institutes. In 2018, she was designated a Servant of God.

She became an evangelist among her people, assisted in the production of an African-American Catholic hymnal, and was a popular speaker on faith and spirituality in her final years, in addition to recording music. She also helped found the National Black Sisters' Conference to provide support for African-American women in Catholic religious life

Posthumous King Clarence "Big" Miller was a major influence on the Edmonton jazz and blues community as well as a substantial presence across Canada and around the world. During a Canadian tour in the early 1970s, Big decided to stay in Canada, and became a Canadian citizen in 1973. This was a pivotal moment for Edmonton. Big was one of the first significant blues artists to make the commitment to live and work in Edmonton, and as one of the last of the Kansas City blues shouters, he brought a new level of musicianship, professionalism, experience and cachet to Edmonton’s fledgling blues scene. Early in his illustrious career, Big performed and was associated with music greats such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, Jay McShann and Edmonton’s own big-band leader Tommy Banks. Together, Big and Tommy toured Europe, performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in 1978, and won a Juno award in the jazz category in 1979 for a similarly titled recording. There have been many tributes and accolades bestowed on Big – from a National Film Board of Canada documentary titled “Big and the Blues” to a tip of the hat from his dear and close friend Jay McShann, who composed a fitting piece titled “Big Miller’s Blues”. In 1985 Clarence “Big” Miller was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws from Athabasca University. It seems appropriate that Big recorded “Live at Athabasca University”, a recording produced by Stony Plain Records. Big Miller was one of the finest music ambassadors that Edmonton ever had, leaving an unforgettable legacy.

Prince - Donald Earl Richard II currently serves as the Director of Bands at Woodstock Middle School, a positionhe has held since 2014. Mr. Richard’s duties include teaching the beginning, intermediate, and advanced concert bands as well as the marching band. Under Mr. Richard’s tenure, the Woodstock band has grown to over 90 members in a school with an average population of 250. Other accomplishments include earning Superior ratings in the West Tennessee Band and Orchestra Concert Festival for three consecutive years (2019-2022), winning numerous first place awards in local battle of the band competitions, performing in Alabama A&M University’s homecoming parade, performing in Six Flags Music in the Parks Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Richard earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Alabama A&M University in 2013, and is currently studying for his Master’s degree in Music Education at Liberty University. Mr. Richard is currently active with the West Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association where he served as co-chair of the All-West Middle School Honor Band, the National Association for Music Education, and is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. Mr. Richard is born and raised from Mobile, Alabama and enjoys bowling and traveling on his spare time.

Princess Pha'Cha Phu' Cha

“We love hip hop because it represents the soul of the people, our history, and it time stamps events so we never forget. Sankofa, if you will,” says Future.

Phu’Cha, also known as Yo! Future Powers, is a Sagittarius 50 plus Memphis Beauty graduated from Melrose, with alias such as "Queen of Reggae Memphis, Gangsta Walk Queen of Memphis, DJ FreeQueenSings and Memphis Ma Dukes. She is a Master Loctician, DJ, MC, singer, and songwriter and movie producer soon to be director. Phu'Cha releases a new song every month on the 25th, on all major streaming platforms. Her latest songs include "So Dramatic," "A Real Woman," and “The Haters.” Phu'Cha's favorite tracks from her albums, "Nappi Hair Soul Sessions," and "On Everythang I Love," include "Feel So Good," "Sugar Honey Iced Tea," and "Prisoners of War," and "Bob Marley Tribute." Writing her first rap at 17, inspired by MC Lyte and LL Cool J, she blends southern twang with futuristic melodies reminiscent of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Her powerful musical background include being raised in Alpha Church as a child singer, piano lessons from world renowned Phineas Newborn Jr as a pre teen, and singing background for the late Queen of Beale Street, Ruby Wilson in her twenties accompanied by her late mother Chrissy Love, and Ruby's daughter, Stacy at B.B.Kings, casinos and countless venues. "I just feel like my music needs to be broadcasted in order to heal the world, so that's my ultimate goal and I plan to achieve it now," says Phu'Cha.

The Powwah of the Phu'Cha

Together, Powwah and Phu'Cha are the founders of Nappi By Nature Natural Salon & Cultural Spot, a Memphis staple for over 20 years in Blackhaven, now located at 4945 American Way, Suite 1. The space is a hub for locs, natural hair care, holistic products, and unapologetic real Black culture and African-centered ideology.

Powwah and Phu'Cha are proud Memphians deeply committed to community service, feeding the homeless since they first met in the year 2000, initially out of the trunk of their car. They have helped the needy, run a Scared Straight program visiting prisons to guide children, performed in prisons, and mentored many young people in their community. They have also assisted individuals with credit repair and taught them about entrepreneurship. As a loving Black family, they serve as a shining example in their community, embodying what a Black family is supposed to look like—then, today, and in the future.

Internationally rooted, Powwah and Phu’Cha run a popular travel blog and YouTube channel called “Living My Best Life in Ghana,” guiding first-timers looking to return or relocate to the Motherland. With over 5K subscribers and tens of thousands of views, the blog captures stories living between Ghana and Memphis since 2006—including their time living through the COVID-19 outbreak in West Africa and being evacuated back to the U.S. in 2020. They were very fortunate to have interviews with Professor Small, Dr. Ray Hagins, Dr. Gena Paige of African Ancestry, the famous water machine inventor, Moses West and the Late Dr. Ronako Rashidi.

As members of the global hip hop group Holla Blak, alongside Ghanaian artist Cease Fire and their son King Major, Powwah and Phu’Cha represent a powerful fusion of southern hip hop soul and African consciousness—something like the Fugees meets Outkast, grounded in purpose and powered by the ancestors. With slamming hits likes "Coming Home," "The Return," and "Hip Hop" they have taken fans by storm with countless live performances.

Powwah and Phu'Cha have been honored by so many throughout the years. Receiving accolades as the Kwanzaa King and Queen, Marcus Garvey Institute Certificate of Community Service, and more.

"Aluta Continua, meaning the struggle continues. We will never stop doing what we do. We appreciate the opportunity and we know we are making our Creator and our Ancestars proud of us," say Powwah and Phu' Cha.

Prince Powwah "Power" - "Power is the ability to define phenomenon and have it act in a desired manner," a quote by Huey Newton.

Memphis-born panther cub, raised in South Memphis graduated from Hamilton, Powwah (Power) is a Master Barber licensed in both Memphis and California, a profound lyricist, actor, poet, and African-centered edutainer. A father of two and proud grandfather of five, he is also known as Cutless Supreme, with powerful albums such as "Chapter 1: Liberation," and "In the Wind," featuring anthems like “That Is Where My People's From,” “Refuse to Back Down,” and “In the Wind.” His artistry reflects a deep love for hip hop as a cultural archive. Powwah is also shooting pass the stars, with his latest path on the silver screen as a bonified Actor. Starting out as a child actor at 14 years old in "Urban Gladiator," by World kickboxing champion, Anthony "Amp" Elmore of Orange Mound. Also, catch him on the full third season as an extra on "Young Rock." He has major roles in "Coming to Africa," which he co-wrote and produced, then there is "Blinded Shot," "Memphganistan," and more, with his latest lead role in the Movie entitled "Troublesome."

Legacy Recipient Tom Lee - In May 1925, a steamboat operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers capsized on the Mississippi River with 72 passengers.

River worker Tom Lee was the sole witness of the tragedy and rushed to the aid of the survivors drowning in the river despite the risk they posed to swamping his own vessel. Lee single-handedly saved 32 people – a feat made more remarkable by the fact that he himself could not swim.

Two years after his death, the park along the Memphis waterfront was named in his honor and now hosts some of the most popular events in Memphis.

Legacy Recipient - Thaddeus Augustus Matthews - Many will remember Matthews for the words he spoke on the radio and online. He was born and raised in Memphis and was a graduate of Manassas High School. He’d then go on to make his mark for his provocative approach to reporting.

“Thaddeus Matthews was controversial; you all agree to that. But Thaddeus was multi-talented,” said Willie Herenton, former Memphis mayor.

Still, his voice earned the respect of many.

“He had a unique voice, he was articulate, he could be passionate, he could be aggressive. Thaddeus could be whatever the occasion called for; that was Thaddeus Matthews,” said Herenton.

From his days on AM and FM radio stations from Memphis to Mississippi to hosting shows online, his reach spanned beyond the Bluff City.

In 2016, he became the founding pastor of Naked Truth Liberation and Empowerment Church and, according to those closest to him, was an ambassador for Memphis.

Legacy Recipient - Honorable Johnnie Turner - For decades she’s been a foot soldier and a leader of the civil rights movement and most recently a lawmaker in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Turner, who served as executive director of the NAACP, played a major role in the sit-in movement and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s and was inspired to help African-Americans achieve equality.

“Every march Dr. King led during the sanitation strike I was there and every speech he gave during that turbulent time I was there and the one gave April 3 at Mason Temple I was there. He inspired me to help other people.”

One of her biggest legislative accomplishments was sponsoring legislation to investigate unsolved cold cases of the civil rights era. She retired as a State Representative in 2018.

Lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and served as Past President, Memphis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Legacy Recipient - Honorable Barbara Cooper - First elected in 1996, she served for 26 years in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

"Education is the key to changing your lifestyle before you even progress it," said Cooper in 2019 after she drafted a bill to help Tennessee inmates further their education.

She was the oldest serving member in the Tennessee General Assembly: a mother, grandmother, colleague and friend.

Representative Cooper, a retired Memphis City Schools teacher, graduated from Manassas High School in North Memphis and obtained both her Bachelor’s and Masters’s degrees from Tennessee State University. She also earned a PhD. in religious studies at the Jacksonville Theological Seminary.

She was initiated into the Beta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc in Memphis on November 22, 1947, while she was a student at Tennessee State.

Legacy Recipient - Terry Scaffold - is a drummer/percussionist currently based out of Memphis, TN. I am also classically trained and have done symphony performances. Hisversatility exhibits a diverse array of influences and of musical genres that has inspired my own flavor of Blues Jazz/funk and soul. Outside of being a drummer, I also hire musicians for other groups/acts when available I have played, toured and /or recorded with many artists such as: Blind Mississippi Morris, Butch Mudbone, William Callicuts Blue Silk Feat April Cole, Wyndie Oh and Gretchel Crane, and Willie Waldman Project .

He has also worked with: Al Greenl, Blues Legends (Cash McCall/BennyTurner), Bob Weir & Rat Dog, Bowser and His Rock & Roll Party, Clarence Carter, Coasters, Issac Hayes, Jeff Huddleston (Sax), Joyce Cobb, Mick Jagger, Rob Wasserman of the Dead, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Shirley Alston Reeves and the Shirelles, Sonny Turner’s Platters, Stylistics, The Drifters.

Scafford has opened shows with these Headliners with Saxophonist Dr. Herman Green, Chaka Khan, Grover Washington, Lee Ritnouer, Lionel Hampton, Roy Ayers, As well as: Ray White of (Frank Zappa and Mothers of Invention), and Ross Rice formerly of the Peter Frampton Band

Scafford completed a CD with Mike Watt (Stooges), Dave Aron (Snoop Dogg), Willie Waldman and Herman Green Just recently had the rare pleasure of jamming out with Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones in Memphis, TN. Recently shared the stage and played with Reggie Wooten & Karlton Taylor (keys with Victor Wooten) in Nashville, TN.

Legacy Recipent Dororthy Mason - is the Owner/President of Mason’s Professional Cleaning Service, LLC (MPCS). Dorothy has an AS in Business Management, but with the display of her skills and knowledge in Commercial Janitorial Business, you would think that she holds a master’s in business administration. Dorothy started MPCS in June 2000 as an independently owned, woman, minority-owned business. Dorothy has thirty-two years of Commercial Janitorial experience in which previous years of experience was gainful from working for other companies in the Janitorial Industry. Dorothy has held Janitorial Supervisor positions within other companies that she has been employed before she found her own company (MPCS).

Dorothy Mason has grown her business (MPCS) into a sensational, yet unbelievable powerful company; especially being an independent company with no Franchising or Partnership with other companies in the industry. Dorothy had a dream of accomplishing her goal of being a Janitorial business owner so that she could make sure that people would be able to work and visit an environmentally safe and clean environment as well as having an aesthetically pleasing appearance. She also had a goal to help people to be employed so that they could support themselves as well as their families.

Legend Recipient - Pastor Paul Reed - has always been active in church ministry. He served as a choir member, drummer, Sunday school teacher, deacon, and later as an associate minister at his home church, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, where he accepted his call to preach the Gospel in 1991 under the late Pastor B.L. Bess, Sr.In January 1996, God called him to a special assignment in South Memphis; New Friendship M.B. Church. Paul accepted his assignment with humility, grace and integrity. He has pastored New Friendship with love, patience, and compassion. Paul resigned as a manager for FedEx, where he worked for fifteen years, in 2003, and committed his life to full-time ministry. Paul is dedicated and enjoys serving the New Friendship family and community as he strives to make it a place of refuge, strength, and growth for all.

Paul has been married since 1982 to his lovely wife Debra G Reed, who serves in ministry alongside him as Co-Pastor. He is blessed with three wonderful children, daughter Sabrina and twin sons, Brandon and Brian. Paul also is the grandfather to three beautiful grandchildren Brielle, Bryson, and Ella. 

After uniting with the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International in 2011, under the Presiding Bishop and Founder Bishop Paul S. Morton Sr, Paul was soon assigned to serve as First Assistant to then District Overseer Michael E. Ingram and later appointed as Regional Director of Home Missions under Bishop Edward H. Stephens. In March 2014, Paul K Reed was appointed as District Overseer of West Tennessee and in January 2025 he was elevated to the national position of General Overseer for the College Elders .

Legacy Recipient Nakia Shine Coleman, better known by his stage name Kia Shine, is an American rapper and record producer. His most successful single, "Krispy", peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 24 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. He has worked with artists like B-Hoody, La Chat, Mike Jones, Yo Gotti, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, Nelly, Jim Jones, Blak Jak, Wifey, and more. His aliases are Nakia Shine, Kinfolk, Kia Shine, and Kinfolk Jones. In August 2006, he hosted an episode of BET's Rap City. He signed a deal with Universal Records. Kinfolk Kia Shine is a co-CEO with rapper/CEO Jack Frost of Rap Hustlaz. Kia Shine won the Southern Entertainment Award this year for best underground artist having sold over 200,000 albums with his independent label, Rap Hustlaz.

Bridge Muhammad is a native of Como, MS the last of 11 children to Rev. and Mrs. Mack Taylor, Sr. His aspirations to be a songwriter was inspired by his Love for the Jackson 5 as a young boy which served a Saving Grace for him and his peer group during a very tumultuous period after forced integration finally arrived in North Mississippi in the fall of 1970. His screenplay " The Love U Save" is set in North Mississippi circa 1970. He currently serves as a Student Minister and Protocol Director for the Nation of Islam's Whitehaven Study Group or Muhammad Mosque No. 55-B where Bro. Student Minister Demetric Muhammad is the Student Minister. Aside from being close relatives, he and Bro. Demetric have served together for over 35 years taking them from Clarksdale to Tupelo and Holly Springs, MS. They have served in Memphis since 1999.

Being a student of history and certainly Memphis history, Bro. Bridge has much Love and admiration for the work and research of his other relatives Dr. Callie and Bro. Ron Herd. Some of his work has been featured in a successful TV ad for a well-known lingerie conglomerate. His tribute to Black Women "The Original Woman: Queen of the Planet Earth" has received rave reviews all over America. He's a Loving father of three with two grandchildren.

Bro Ronald Cortez Herd II, Founder and President/CEO of "The W E A L L B E Group Inc."

Ronald Cortez Herd II aka R2C2H2 Tha Artivist aka Bro. Ron is a BEliever, ManifeSTAR & Visionary. He is the founder & ‘Chief Executive Artivist’ of The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group, Inc., a non-profit organization that creates annual events that highlight the greatness of Memphis’ cultural heritage from an African American perspective as well as promotes educational empowerment via Knowledge-of-Self enrichment projects. The organization creates and sponsors annual projects such as ‘The National Fort Pillow Massacre Wreath Laying Ceremony’ as well as ‘The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival.’

Bro. Ron created a popular YouTube channel, WEALLBETV (http://YouTube.com/WEALLBETV ), where he has prolifically interviewed iconoclastic and colorful characters such as Baba Dick Gregory, Judge Joe Brown and other notables. He is a successful visual artist whose works can be viewed at www.R2c2h2.com. In 2005, Bro. Ron wrote, illustrated and self-published a book called 'James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant.' The book which celebrates the life of the unsung jazz pioneer, World War One hero and founder of the legendary Harlem Hellfighters military jazz band is listed on "The Smithsonian Institute's Recommended Jazz Books for Kids & Young Adults List." Bro. Ron also plays trumpet and cornet.

Bro. Ron is a proud product of the Shelby County Schools and their Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) program (Overton High School ‘98). He is also a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) (B.F.A., 2002) as well as an alum of WUSTL’s John B. Ervin Scholars Program. Bro. Ron also holds a M.B.A. from Bethel University (2009).

http://www.R2C2H2.com http://YouTube.com/WEALLBETV http://Instagram.com/r2c2h2 http://Facebook.com/r2c2h2 http://Twitter.com/WEALLBE