| Author |
Message |
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 11:40 am
FOR THE LOVE OF SHIRLEY
September 18th – 19th at the Hi-Tone Café
With Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers
Snowglobe – Jeffrey James & the Haul
Greg Cartwright – Bullet Proof Vests
Impala – John Paul Keith & the One, Four, Fives
Vending Machine – The Angel Sluts
For the last 33 years, Miss Shirley Williams has worked as a bartender at Midtown's Lamplighter Lounge (1702 Madison Ave.), serving pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon, her famous Shirley Burgers and hand-cut fries.
Five nights a week, for three decades, she's also served as mother, sister, friend and confidante to thousands of customers, who have ventured in for a cold beer and a kind word.
Along the way, Williams has developed a clientele that includes musicians Alex Chilton and Jack White, authors Robert Gordon and Ace Atkins, filmmaker Craig Brewer, and the late Memphis painter Charlie Miller. The Lamplighter has appeared in numerous film projects, including music videos for Cat Power and the Country Rockers, and, most recently, in documentary films about Jack Oblivian and Jay Reatard.
The resolutely honest Williams has a tough side as well – she's occasionally wielded a club at rowdy drunks, and, in a legendary incident that made the pages of New York Magazine, she banned photographer William Eggleston from the Lamplighter for years after he tossed one of her just-made cheeseburgers at her head.
Eggleston has a precarious relationship with the Lamp, one of his favorite haunts. In fact, he's barred from entering. "I got really drunk one time," he admits, "and I threw a hamburger at Shirley, who had just made it. But we're still friends."
Shirley concurs. "He calls me up every now and then, asks how I'm doing, and I say, 'Good,'" she says, fond but firm. She is pleased to own an Eggleston photograph at home and proud of his success, but, like the Lamp's regulars, her feelings for her famous neighbor are complicated. "I like Bill, but he can't come in here. Will you be sure and tell him I said hello?"
– from New York Magazine, November 2, 2008.
Now Miss Shirley needs our help.
Faced with health problems in early August, Williams has been unable to make many of her shifts at the Lamplighter. Although she has some health insurance, she is faced with mounting medical expenses; simultaneously, her income is disappearing along with her connections to her work family.
That's why some of Williams' biggest fans have organized "For the Love of Shirley," a two-night benefit at the Hi-Tone Café featuring many of Memphis' finest musicians and the Lamplighter's best customers, who will be performing gratis.
The $10 per night cover charge (with additional donations welcomed and appreciated) will go directly to Miss Shirley. Photographer Don Perry will be hosting a "Prom Picture Photo Booth" at the Hi-Tone as an additional fundraiser. The Hi-Tone will also be donating ten percent of all bar sales that evening, so be sure to lift many glasses to our favorite bartender.
Shows start at 9:00 PM both nights.
For more information, contact Scott Rogers at (901) 485-2851 or memphisscottrogers at yahoo dot com, Dan Holloway (901) 278-8663 or hitonecafe at gmail dot com, or Andria Lisle at (901) 274-3186 or alisle at comcast dot net.
Friday night Sept. 18th
Jack O. and the Tennessee Tearjerkers
Impala
Angel Sluts
John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives
Bullet Proof Vests
Saturday night Sept. 19th
Snowglobe
Greg Cartwright
Vending Machine
Jeffery James & the Haul
|
Windy
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 11:47 am
Is there any way for out of towners to send some paypal love to Ms. Shirley?
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 11:50 am
Working on it.
|
Windy
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 11:51 am
Thank ya.
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 12:47 pm
nice.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 2:02 pm
If you aren't able to come to the shows, but you want to contribute anyway, just go to hitonememphis.com and buy a ticket. All proceeds go directly to Miss Shirley. Feel free to buy more than one.
|
BullyRook
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 2:17 pm
Scott asked me to roll out the Bubble Gum room again for both these nights. Take time out from getting your faces rocked off and plan on getting your picture made for Shirley. Pictures will be available on PartyPics and all procceds from print sales will go to Shirley. Don't make me get the stick out.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 2:35 pm
Right!
|
jerryd
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 3:07 pm
Woohoo!!!
|
Alisa
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 3:53 pm
Can we get a sticky on this?
|
Sunshine
Member
|
Posted: Sep 3, 2009 11:49 pm
Man when I was last time we tried to go see this lady in action,ohh noo they were closed. Instead I got to fucking witness a watermelon juicing and m.m bitch and moan about being punched by a girl all night...
Hope one day I can use foul language and be slapped up side the head one day by an ol'lady,might do me some good
|
dutch hercules
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 1:39 am
Lamplighter is RAD!!! like Windy said...how can we help..? Went there twice when I was down there last, 2nd round of cheeseburgers!! Ultimate Memphis weekend...Abe bumming last swig of PBR and a ride... an order of Friedl Fries and an Obliviburger. Get well Miss Shirley!!
(Obliviburger..?)
p.s. Sorry Eric..I'm wrong...for the Friedl Fries.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 7:45 am
Go here. Buy tickets. Even if you can't come, Shirley gets all the money. You won't be keeping anyone out who might actually come. There are plenty of tickets.
|
BullyRook
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 9:46 pm
Isn't there some way to set up a paypal account for donations?
|
Wire
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 9:47 pm
Paypal skims donations.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 10:20 pm | Edited by: Scott
Isn't there some way to set up a paypal account for donations?
Just buy a ticket. It's just as fast and easy as paypal.
[url=hitonememphis.com]Right here![/url]
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 10:22 pm
I don't know why that's not working.
URL
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 10:23 pm
That's it! ^
|
BullyRook
Member
|
Posted: Sep 4, 2009 10:57 pm
Paypal skims donations.
Just buy a ticket. It's just as fast and easy as paypal.
Duly noted.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 5, 2009 8:37 am
Make sure anyone you know who wants to donate understands.
|
m t millionaire
Member
|
Posted: Sep 5, 2009 10:40 pm
I don't know why that's not working.
I think the link has to have the "http://" at the beginning.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 6, 2009 11:55 am
Ah.
|
Snarky Doolittle
Member
|
Posted: Sep 17, 2009 12:41 pm
What's the official, most up to date, line up for this?
|
fag lotion
Member
|
Posted: Sep 17, 2009 5:23 pm
Is it true that they are gonna bring Shirley and Larry Finch on stage and Impala is gonna play the Memphis fight song?
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Sep 18, 2009 9:29 am
Jack could play "B-B-B Basketball!"
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Sep 18, 2009 10:27 am
Great piece from Bob Mehr! Great pic of Don Perry & Miss Shirley!
For Williams, the decision to attend Friday's gig was an easy one, as headliner Jack Oblivian has been a longtime Lamplighter patron. "I've known Jack for 20 years, and I've never seen him play; that's why I got Friday off. After all this time, I figure I should go see if he's any good," says Williams, with a chuckle.
http://www.gomemphis.com/news/2009/sep/18/outpouring-for-a-bar-icon/
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 9:56 am
holy crap that was FUN!
AMAZING to see shirley out... i sure hope she had fun- looked like it!
Thanks to all the bands- a great night!
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 10:41 am
Shirley - Up front & dancing=GREATEST THING EVER!
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 10:41 am
Doing it again tonight!
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 10:51 am
SHIRLEY BUTTONS for sale at Goner Booth at Cooper-Young... Bring it!
What is your money doing in your pocket? Lighten your load, and help a friend out!
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 11:06 am
Shirley - Up front & dancing=GREATEST THING EVER!
word up! awesome. shirley is the best!
|
jerryd
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 11:34 am
word up! awesome. shirley is the best!
yes.she.is
That was fun!!!
|
DJ HWY 7
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 1:32 pm
SHIRLEY BUTTONS !
|
cthort
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 1:58 pm | Edited by: cthort
Shirley - Up front & dancing=GREATEST THING EVER!
When she was returning from the front while Jack was playing I asked her what she thought. Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a stern look.
" I LOVE IT!" she exclaimed.
HOOORAY!!!
|
hethurr
Member
|
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 6:48 pm | Edited by: hethurr
Don. Please delete any and all pictures where I am on my knees or showing my ass. I drank too many sidecars last night. Had a BLAST!
|
littlemisslinda
Member
|
Posted: Sep 20, 2009 5:03 pm
is that what joe gave me ?
sam, or robin or joe t. gave me something that tasted kinda "girlie", so I drank it. 5 minutes later sanding upright and comprehention became an amuseing challenge.
I believe mr. Perry heas evidence on film
|
BullyRook
Member
|
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 5:33 pm
If blackmail=evidence, I got it.
Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Ms. Shirley and got their picture did. Especially all you whack jobs that brought your own full moon and got spanky in the bubble gum room. The wind machine was big hit late Friday.
Thanks to the Saturday kids for not being nearly as wild as the Friday kids. I was tired and couldn't take that same level of shenanigans.
Due to a technical glitch, pics probably won't be up till tomorrow.
|
rangefinder
Member
|
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 11:39 am | Edited by: rangefinder
Michael Donahue's video
|
kelleybean
Member
|
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 12:06 pm
[url=And CA article from yesterday]http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/21/bartender-f eels-the-love/[/url]
So glad there was so much money raised for her! The picture and the article had me all choked up again.
I had such a good time! Sorta dreading a couple of those spanking shots however...
|
kelleybean
Member
|
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 12:07 pm
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/21/bartender-feels-the-l ove/
oops...
|
SAMBEAUX
Member
|
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 9:11 pm
something that tasted kinda "girlie"
Mind eraser.
So what's the password for the PartyPics?
|
bruce
Member
|
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 9:27 pm
So what's the password for the PartyPics?
spanking shot?
|
hethurr
Member
|
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 10:28 pm | Edited by: hethurr
Guessed til I got it right: lamplighter
But they're not up yet...stay tuned ( you can put yer email in and it will send you a message when they are up).
|
BullyRook
Member
|
Posted: Sep 23, 2009 1:57 am
Sorry about the wait. Turns out that PartyPics is using new software my old ass computer no likey. Had to trek to the HiTone's Command Center to get them uploaded. Night Two is already up. Password is indeed lamplighter.
Night One and the spankage, if all goes according to plan and the program doesn't f-up yet again, should be up hopefully by sunrise.
|
Scott
Member
|
Posted: Sep 23, 2009 8:27 am
All didn't go according to plan, did it?
|
fag lotion
Member
|
Posted: Sep 23, 2009 2:33 pm
Michael Donahue's video
Where'd it go?
|
BullyRook
Member
|
Posted: Sep 24, 2009 2:24 pm
Pics are all finally up. Enjoy or repent as suits you. Partypics password=lamplighter or hitone
|
fredrick of hollywood
Member
|
Posted: Sep 24, 2009 5:44 pm
HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU THINK MISSLINDA NEEDS TO LOOSE?
55lbs.
starting yesterday
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Oct 6, 2009 3:02 pm
For The Love Of Shirley T-Shirts available via the online Goner Store:
http://bit.ly/366K6d
all proceeds to Shirley!
|
Windy
Member
|
Posted: Oct 8, 2009 10:57 am
You could always nominate her as something good in Memphis
|
eric o
Member
|
Posted: Dec 17, 2009 12:04 pm
Shirley's gonna be up at the Lamplighter tonight between 7:30 & 8pm... come on out if you can!
|
