Mike Hutchison was born into a musical family and points to the church as the catalyst for his early love for music. His career has involved stints as a youth music minister, a professional musician, a manager and owner of a retail music store, a music teacher, and a bandleader. His band, Blind Dog Mike & the Howlers, is a local staple and his Baldwin County Instrument Exchange store has serviced and guided local musicians for decades.

The mere mention of the name “Pirates Cove” brings a slew of memories to mind for most people living in LA (Lower Alabama). Like this writer, multiple generations of families have been coming to this oftentimes rowdy eatery and entertainment venue, and they come for not just the food, but the laid-back atmosphere, the pageantry, and the stories they’re sure to hear and share.

House concerts have become a thing. Private homes host musical artists with invited guests who help cover the expenses of the musical guests with a suggested donation.

On October 28, at the American Legion, Post 199 in Fairhope, there will be a musical celebration to benefit Singing for a Change, Jimmy Buffett’s charitable foundation. I sat down with Claire Powell, the Talent Purchaser for the American Legion’s Concert Series, to learn more.

Roman Street is the creation of two brothers, Noah and Joshua Thompson, who grew up on the Eastern Shore. Noah, now 39, picked up the guitar at the age of 15. He started taking classical guitar lessons in Mobile and auditioned for a scholarship to Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee after graduating from Daphne High School.

“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded,” Yogi Berra Long-time professional baseball player and manager, Yogi Berra, famous for his jumbled sayings that always made a point seemed to say it best. “It ain’t over til it’s over,” and “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” are some of my favorites.

I first met J. Willoughby about 25 years ago at a little dive bar in Pelham, Alabama, that I was part owner of called The Mug Shot Saloon. The Mug Shot was known to have customers dancing on the bar and was a favorite hangout for motorcycle "enthusiasts."

We are fortunate along the Scenic 98 Coastal area to have so many fine local musicians to see and hear at great venues! It’s something that makes the Gulf Coast special. A couple of weeks ago, Linda and I ventured to Avenue Pub in Orange Beach to hear our good friend, Mike Estep, play with his old high school buddies, The Selma Boys. The weather was a bit dreary that afternoon, but the music and food were outstanding.