Musicians Reunion Benefit

Celebrations at her funeral marked the 33rd Annual event, as shown here by NewsChannel5.

Started in 1983, this annual fundraiser benefitted the Marion James Musicians Aid Society, a mutual aid society, to help pay for healthcare for aging musicians.

Background: Marion James[edit | edit source]

Marion James appears on the cover of Vol.2 of the Night Train to Nashville compilation.

As Nashville's "Queen of the Blues," Marion James started in the 1960s playing clubs in North Nashville along the Jefferson Street corridor. Notably, a young Jimi Hendrix and Billy Cox played in her live band. A 45 released on Excello titled "That's My Man"^[1] helped present James to a larger national audience. Her husband James Stuart, a trumpeter and local bandleader, also featured prominently in the local music scene with his own releases and label. While her musical history included many highlights, her largest influence was her advocacy, argues writer Ron Wynn: "Despite the fact that she'd hired Jimi Hendrix in her band long before he was a superstar, or had a dynamic mid-'60s Top 10 hit on Nashville's Excello label with "That's My Man," those were rarely the things Marion James wanted to discuss. Instead, she would talk about what Jefferson Street was like before urban renewal, when the sounds of blues, jazz, soul and R&B lit up a host of clubs and Nashville was a hub of musical greatness."^[2]

Musicians Aid Society[edit | edit source]

In the 1980s, James took a break from touring to stay home in Nashville, however she maintained an active presence in sharing the history of the blues scene in Nashville. In 1983, she founded the Musicians Reunion Benefit, later creating the Musicians Aid Society from the proceeds.

In an interview with The Tennessean, Country Music Hall of Fame curator Michael Gray recalls her local impact: "But when I think of her legacy, I think of it in other ways than that. I think of her longevity and of her as a live entertainer who performed in clubs all over the world. And more than anything, I think of the impact she had on the community with the reunion shows and the Musicians Aid Society and all the community outreach. She had so much perseverance when it came to those efforts.”^[3] Nate Rau continues: "Ms. James also made helping retired musicians in need a priority. She started the Marion James Aid Society, which raised funds for musicians with medical or other needs. For more than 30 years, she organized a Musicians Reunion Benefit."^[4]

A member of the Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society, Jan Bossing, recalls Marion James fondly: "When I wear my Musicians Aid Society shirt, it reminds me of the many wonderful shows I saw back in the day. Marion James raised money for musicians who needed help; the shows were packed with amazing artists and ordinary fans like me. Ms. James herself would often be at the front door to greet her guests and thank us for being there. She always sang, too. And her set was the high-light of the night for me. We’ll miss her presence among us now, but her music and her love will live on — in the Society she founded." ^[5]