Shake Em' On Down Presents The Story of Fred McDowell

The Godfather of North Mississippi Blues Documentary about the man that influenced the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt. Screens February 16 at Bailey Hall

Davie, FL (February 3, 2017) – Bailey Hall presents the a one-hour documentary Shake ‘Em On Down, a story about Fred McDowell, the godfather of the North Mississippi style of blues, as part of the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers on Thursday, February 16th at 7:30 p.m. Following the screening, director Joe York will engage the audience in a discussion about the film and his work.

An important influence on the music of the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, RL Burnside, Taj Mahal and the North Mississippi All Stars, McDowell was working as a cotton picker and tractor driver when he was first recorded by American folk music field collector Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins in 1959. Those recordings launched McDowell into the upper echelons of the burgeoning folk movement on the 1960s and carried him around the globe in the thirteen years between those first recording and his death in 1972.

York is a documentary filmmaker and radio producer with more than three dozen films to his credit including Sorry, We’re Open, which was awarded the Hoka Award for “Best Mississippi Film” at the 2008 Oxford Film Festival. His feature length documentary Mississippi Innocence won the audience choice award at the Oxford Film Festival and the Transformative Film award at the Crossroads Film Festival.

“Fred McDowell traveled to Europe with the Rolling Stones and mentored Bonnie Raitt,” said Dr. Dan Barnard, associate dean of cultural affairs and director of Bailey Hall. “This film underscores the legacy and enduring appeal of the Mississippi blues.”

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of South Arts. Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The film series continues with “Some Beasts” (March 30) and “Hunky Dory” (April 20). 

Tickets are available for $10 with $8 tickets for seniors and children and can be purchased by visiting www.baileyhall.org or contacting the Bailey Hall box office at (954) 201-6884. The box office and phone lines are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and one hour prior to an event.

The flagship venue of Broward College, Bailey Hall is located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus at 3501 Davie Rd. in Davie and offers free parking.

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