Gip Gipson
Henry "Gip" Gipson (born January 6, unknown year, in Uniontown, Perry County) is a former railroad car builder, the owner of the Pine Hill Cemetery and the proprietor of Gip's Place, a blues joint located in the back yard of his home on Avenue C in Bessemer.
Gipson worked at the Pullman Standard plant in Bessemer for 25 years before leaving to become a grave digger. He eventually purchased the Pine Hill Cemetery and continues to operate it himself.
An avid blues fan and part-time musician, Gipson began hosting barbecues in his back yard for musicians to entertain friends and neighbors. The weekend events grew in popularity and he gradually added a small enclosure with a stage. Lenny Madden built the garage that now houses Gip's Place. Gipson and Jeff Dunaway keep up with maintenance and repairs on the juke joint.
References
- Reynolds, Ed (August 7, 2008) "The Juke Joint: An authentic blues experience lies only a few miles west of Birmingham." Black & White
- Carlton, Bob (April 25, 2010) "For blues lovers, Gip's Place in Bessemer is the place to be on Saturday nights." Birmingham News
External links
- Gip Gipson on Facebook