Alabama Music Legend Henry 'Gip' Gipson Has Died

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Anyone who knows blues music likely knows where to go in the Birmingham area to hear great live blues tunes. That's Gip's Place in Bessemer. The juke joint that has been in operation for decades has lost its legendary founder, however, as Henry "Gip" Gipson died Tuesday, just short of his 100th birthday.

Gip's Place, a little tin-roofed garage, has hosted the likes of the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and other music legends since opening in 1952.

The news of Gipson's death hit the music community in Alabama hard, as expected. But even those who never shared the state with him felt the loss of the Birmingham legend.

Mayor Randall Woodfin released a sentimental statement Tuesday afternoon. "Henry 'Gip' Gipson was the embodiment of blues – cool, smooth, passionate and dripping with soul," Woodfin said. "Gip's Place, his legendary juke joint, still stands a monument to Southern blues.

Rest well, blues brother."

Gipson had reportedly been in hospice care and had not run the club for some time. The news of his death was first confirmed on Facebook by his son, Keith.

Birmingham DJ and Birmingham music historian Lee Shook said Gipson was more than just a Birmingham blues musician.

"Gip was one of those rare birds whose venue was not only synonymous with his name, but his spirit as well," Shook said. "Aside from the music, he was the main reason people continued to make the Saturday night pilgrimage to his place in Bessemer for nearly 70 years."

Shook added, "It was a real institution here in Birmingham and he was as much a part of the grit, fabric and ambiance of the place as any of the musicians who were lucky enough to play on his stage. And he welcomed everyone, no matter who they were or where they came from, which was one of his most enduring— and endearing— qualities as both a man and business owner. Gip’s Place was truly one of the last of it’s kind and a space that offered a glimpse into a form of community, joy and music-making you don’t often find these days, and certainly not in someone’s backyard. It really did feel like you were stepping back in time a bit and getting to experience something really special and unique that so many people only get to read about in history books, even with with the addition of more modern accommodations and audiences over the years."

It was the hold onto the roots of Deep South music that made Gipson and his establishment special. "It was just a really tactile connection to not only the blues and juke joint tradition, but really a way of life in the Deep South that seemed to have been lost to time. But not at Gip’s," Shook said. "From the camaraderie in song, to the spirits— both literally and figuratively— that were passed around, to the sense of communal freedom people seemed to enjoy by just being there, it was a space that really drew folks together in a way few others have or ever will again. It was just that kind of place and had that kind of vibe and atmosphere. And it’s not something you can ever replicate with regards to either the man or venue. And if you were ever lucky enough to ever talk or dance with Gip, let alone see him play guitar and sing, you knew immediately you were in the presence of something— and someone— that really transcended time and space and took you back to another era in American life that really no longer exists.

"He was truly a local legend and someone that will be dearly missed by so many. Hard to believe he’s gone, but we can all consider ourselves very lucky to have had him for as long as we did. He lived a very full life that touched so many here, and for that we should all be thankful."

Shook said he hopes Gipson's legacy thrives after his passing. "I have no doubt his spirit will live on in not just the walls and soil of his home, but in the hearts, minds and music of everyone who was lucky enough to meet him or take part in such an incredible cultural tradition.”

According to a documentary on Alabama Public Television in 2018 about Gipson, he grew up in Uniontown, and Gipson worked at the Pullman Standard railcar company in Bessemer for more than 25 years before becoming a gravedigger. For years, he owned the Pine Hill Cemetery in McCalla.

Gipson opened the juke joint in 1952 and it became a Birmingham icon, although his manager Diane Guyton said the place never really turned a profit - just made enough to keep the place open.

Keith Gipson asked for anyone to come out to Gip’s Place Saturday night to celebrate his father’s life. There will also be a remembrance at the club at 7 p.m. Sunday to honor Gipson.

No funeral arrangements have been announced.