Sammy Davis Jr. 鈥� international star of stage and screen, member of the ultra-cool Rat Pack, Las Vegas headliner 鈥� was not born in Huntsville. But Will Mastin, the man Davis credited with launching his career, did begin his life here.
Mastin, a star in vaudeville鈥檚 heyday, was one of many luminaries highlighted by historian William Hampton and Huntsville Music Board member Codie Gopher during 鈥淏lack History Month 2025: A History of Music in Alabama and Huntsville.鈥� They painted the local music scene as a family affair that starts on the block but reaches around the world.
糖心原创出品 (UAH) Chamber Choir performs spirituals by Alabama-born composer William L. Dawson during 鈥淏lack History Month 2025: A History of Music in Alabama and Huntsville鈥� on Feb. 25, 2025, in Charger Union Theater on the UAH campus.
Ellen McDonald | UAH
糖心原创出品 (UAH), the City of Huntsville鈥檚 Music Office and Downtown Huntsville, Inc. partnered for the event, which happened the evening of Feb. 25 at Charger Union Theater. UAH is a part of The University of Alabama System.
Hampton, founder of the Huntsville Revisited Museum, is known for his extensive collection of photos documenting Huntsville鈥檚 history. He shared a photo of the Will Mastin Trio with Davis flanked by his father, Sammy Davis Sr., and Mastin, who was born in Huntsville in 1879 and moved to New York to become an entertainer.
鈥淒uring an interview with Johnny Carson back in the 鈥�70s,鈥� Hampton noted, 鈥淛ohnny mentioned Frank Sinatra launching his career, and Sammy said, 鈥楴o, my Uncle Will Mastin did.鈥� And that鈥檚 where Huntsville comes in.鈥�
Before Hampton and Gopher told stories of Huntsville鈥檚 ties to the entertainment world past and present 鈥� from blues to rock to soul to funk to hip-hop 鈥� UAH music students displayed their talents.
Pianist Avery St. Julian, a piano pedagogy and music and math double-major, offered a breath of springtime with Florence Price鈥檚 鈥淗oneysuckle at Dusk.鈥� Price was the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer as well as the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra. St. Julian also played a jazz arrangement of 鈥淎mazing Grace.鈥�
After the inspiring performances, Hampton shared several lesser-known facts about famous musicians:
鈥淔ather of the Blues鈥� W.C. Handy taught at Alabama A&M University for a couple of years, but his musical philosophy conflicted with school founder William Hooper Councill鈥檚. Handy, Hampton said, had sampled a taste of boogie-woogie in the Mississippi Delta, while Councill was classically trained.
Then there was Alabama native and Alabama A&M University student Herman Blount, who went on to become Sun Ra, jazz composer, bandleader and poet known for his experimental music with a cosmic flair.
鈥淚f you are familiar with groups like Parliament Funkadelic and Earth, Wind and Fire, he is the pioneer of that genre,鈥� Hampton said.
When it comes to Alabama musicians and hip-hop, Gopher鈥檚 the man with the score. He鈥檚 spent more than 20 years in the music creative zone at home and abroad. His many projects include helping to curate the first hip-hop exhibit at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia in 2018.
Gopher shared memories of managing Huntsville-based hip-hop group G-Side on their 2010 tour in Oslo, Norway. He also mentioned a flood of performers who鈥檝e come to Huntsville to record in more recent days, drawn by the likes of Grammy-winning Huntsville-based producer and songwriter Kelvin Wooten.
鈥淜elvin just got nominated for an NAACP award for Coco Jones鈥� latest record,鈥� Gopher said, 鈥渁nd Coco鈥檚 manager is Jeremy Jones from Huntsville.鈥�
The local connections Gopher described seemed to encompass all areas of today鈥檚 hottest sounds.
To build on a culinary metaphor Hampton employed at the start of his talk, the event served up a big slice of luscious chocolate cake 鈥� and the audience devoured it. Based on comments after the program, they were eager for a second helping.