Bandmates honoring Eddie Wohlford's legacy with memorial concert Saturday
His fingers may not touch the keys anymore, and his voice no longer sings here on earth, but the legacy of Eddie Wohlford on Alabama's musical landscape lives on.
Wohlford, who passed away March 21 at 72, is being honored by family, friends and fans with a memorial concert Saturday at Blue Iguana, 1714 E. Main St., Prattville. Doors open at 6 p.m., with a $20 charitable donation admission at the door.
Music starts at 7 p.m. with the remaining members of Wohlford's band Harmony — Kelvin Holly, Bill Hinds, Jimbo Jones, and Tommy Beavers.
"We played together from a really early age," Jones said. "I guess I started playing with Eddie when I was 18 or 19... He was a big influence on me musically, all over the years."
Wohlford was a native of Bristol, Tennessee, who grew up in Montgomery and went to Lee High School. He was a resident of Birmingham.
Beavers said most of his time with Wohlford was at the Montgomery landmark and bowling alley lounge Kegler's Kove.
"We were like brothers," Beavers said. "He's dearly missed."
The concert is being held at the request of Wohlford's family.
"We plan to do a bunch of the songs that we used to do back in the Kove days," Jones said. "And even possibly a few of Eddie's original songs."
Wohlford is survived by wife Anna Sue McArthur Wohlford. He has six children: Robin Wohlford Pass, Jason Wohlford, Katie Wohlford McCracken, Jonathan Wohlford, Adam Wohlford and Daniel Wohlford, and several grandchildren.
"I've spoken with his daughter (Katie). She and her husband are a duo in North Carolina. They're going to do a few songs," Jones said. "Another of his daughters (Robin) may do a few songs with us. We're going to try to make it as much of a family thing as it is for everybody else."
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Admission donations are going to the Louise Wohlford Memorial Scholarship Fund, named after Wohlford's mother who was deaf. The fund is set up through the Alabama Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf in Birmingham.
"Eddie taught sign language," Jones said.
Saturday's show is taking place at the same spot where Harmony, including Wohlford, reunited for a concert in 2017.
"I think it's going to be a great thing for (Wohlford). I think he's up there smiling," Beavers said.
Wohlford's 1979 album Before the Beginning will be for sale for $25.
Wohlford's music history, in his own words
"He always was kind of the leader of the band and the leader of the show," Jones said.
The world is fortunate that a large chunk of Wohlford's music history on keyboard, vocals and beyond lives on at eddiewohlford.com — tales of music, various bands and the stories behind them.
Like that time early in his career in 1971 when he and the rest of the Hawg Band (Don and Louis Sheehan, Ronnie Lambert and Jimbo Jones) faced down a mobster at a club in Mobile while trying to get the $400 they were owed.
"He came to the club at 5 a.m. with two big guys who were carrying guns and told us to get out," Wholford said. "We were scared to death, except for Louis who never seemed to be scared of anything, but we refused to leave without the little bit we had coming after a week long bar tab."
After paying for all their expenses, the band walked away from that gig with $35 — $7 each.
A couple of years later, Wohlford was in the four-piece R&B, Led Zeppelin-type band Hot Rocket, with the Sheehans and Bill Anderson. They broke up because gas prices soared in 1974, and they couldn't afford to tour.
"Bill Andersen had the ability to keep it simple on drums that most drummers either won't do or they can't because they're limited by technique so they try to overdo themselves," Wohlford said.
1975 was a year of many musical seasons for Wholford.
In the winter, the Dixie Hat Band trio (Wohlford, Keith Brewer and Tim Jackson) was playing live at Kegler's Kove in Montgomery bowling alley Bama Lanes. Among their loyal fans was a huge truck driver named Calvin, who came to Wohlford's rescue once.
"One night there was a drunk guy dancing by himself right in front of the band, but no one was enjoying it, so I got up from the piano and asked him to sit down because people were trying to listen to the band," Wohlford said. "The man took a swing at me, but missed, and the next thing I knew Calvin had the guy under one arm and was walking out the door. The guy's feet weren't touching the floor."
By spring, Tommy Wyatt of Opp stepped into the trio in Brewer's place, and they were known as Wyatt, Wohlford and Jackson. Wohlford described Wyatt as easy going, grinning and ready to play. Wyatt's death later that year shocked Wohlford.
"Tommy Wyatt is one of those people I would like to call after all these years to renew a friendship," Wohlford said.
Summer saw the birth of Wohlford's son Jason. It was also the birth of Harvest, a little band with a legacy that stretches to today. It featured Wohlford, Jimbo Jones, Tommy Beavers, and future Styx rocker Tommy Shaw.
"I thought if I could get Jimbo Jones and Tommy Shaw to come play with Beavers and me that it would be an extra special band," Wohlford said.
Shaw, a Montgomery native, was ready for Harvest. He'd previously been in MS Funk, which paid mostly in experience instead of actual money.
“(Wohlford's call) was a real gift, because I was able to come back home,” Shaw told the Advertiser in 2021. “I didn’t come home with a prize, but I came home with some experience and some songs.”
Six months after joining Harvest, Shaw got the call to join Styx, so he left. They replaced Shaw's guitar power with the vocal strength of Beth Nielsen Chapman, and rebranded themselves as Harmony.
"Soon, we also asked Bill Hinds, the left-handed guitar-monster to join. It took two fine musicians to take Tommy's place but Bill is a great guitar player so we weren't hurting there and he helped with the singing, too," Wohlford said. "Beth is a show of the finest quality all by herself, so, more Montgomery music history was made."
Unfortunately, that history was short-lived. Chapman had to leave Harmony due to a contract obligation.
"We had to make it without Beth, but it wasn't easy and eventually we added Kelvin Holly to the group again," Wohlford said. "But for now Bill Hinds stepped up nicely to the singing parts and we were surprised at how well it turned out."
Chapman is currently on tour in Europe, but plans to send a video message to Saturday's concert.
Around 1980, Wohlford stepped into another strong vocal group, Sailor, which also had George Pappanastos, Tim McDaniel, Alan Hinds, Jack Fitzpatrick, and Tim Jackson.
"One of the main reasons I really enjoyed this band was because of George and his attitude," Wohlford said. "He was just good to work with because he seemed to enjoy it so much. We rehearsed a lot in his mom's garage and he was a hard worker, which is unusual among musicians."
In the late '80s after the Kove days, one of Wohlford's favorite paces to perform in Montgomery was the now-closed Fifth Quarter.
"I made a million new friends at the Fifth Quarter and we had a great time there," Wohlford said. "I was able to have many different musicians play with me during that time including David Jackson, Joe Tucker, Tommy Beavers, and of course Jimbo was there the most. There was more than once that T. Shaw came to town and wound up there with me playing our favorite songs from the past again."
Wohlford wasn't afraid to admit that through his years in music, he had a problem with addiction. In 1990, his life hit a new landmark when friends invited him to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the next day.
"I never wanted to think of myself as an alcoholic, but I knew I was, and I couldn't wait until the next day to see if I could be helped... I am thankful to the people I found who taught me a simple way to pray and depend on God, who has the strength I don't have, and who showed me how to live without drugs and alcohol." Wohlford said.
Along his personal and musical journey, Wohlford was also a songwriter. Among them are "I Know," "Just One Dance," "Thief in Babylon," The Lady and the Blues," "Cross The Bay," "The Silence" and more.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Eddie Wohlford memorial concert planned for Saturday at Blue Iguana
