The final touches on North Augusta’s Sharon Jones Amphitheater went up earlier this week as crews placed letters on the sign outside the riverfront space. A dedication to honor the late singer originally planned for Saturday, April 24, has been postponed until April 30.
Ryan Abel is excited to see the dedication happen. He was one who championed to have the venue named in her memory.
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“There was not even a doubt that it should be named for her, for our crown jewel. It 100% had to be Sharon Jones,” he said.
Jones was born in an Augusta hospital, but she lived in North Augusta in her early years before moving to New York. She spent her latter years in a home on Jackson Avenue in North Augusta. She died from pancreatic cancer on Nov. 18, 2016 at the age of 60.
Abel, the co-leader of Ed Turner and Number 9, the band scheduled to headline the sold-out concert, had performed with Jones over the years, but she was more than a singer to him.
“Sharon and I were friends,” he said.
Jones, who was inspired by the music of James Brown, didn’t release her first record until she was 40, according to her obituary in “Rolling Stone.” Her sound with the band the Dap-Kings was a blend of R&B, soul and funk. The group’s sixth album earned the band its first Grammy nomination in 2014. The documentary “Miss Sharon Jones!” was released the year before her death.
The obituary said that it wasn’t the recordings that revealed the magic that was Sharon Jones.
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“It was her exhilarating live shows, which functioned as equal parts Baptist church revival, Saturday night juke joint and raucous Las Vegas revue, that showcased the singer’s unparalleled energy. In venues filled with people half her age, Jones was the most dynamic person in the room, bolting onstage and commanding the crowd like her idol James Brown. It was homage without mimicry; respecting the soul and funk elders that defined the genres while displaying seemingly boundless vitality. Jones’ power was the ability to straddle the line between thankful humility, born out of late-in-life success, and boastful performer,” wrote Jason Newman in his Rolling Stone obituary.
Karen Gordon, one of the musicians slated for the dedication concert, said she’s pulled a group of female musicians together for this special night. The women will perform songs with the same vibe as Jones’ music, but she said no one can put on a show like Jones did, so they won’t attempt that. They are just happy to be part of the event.
“I’m excited we are being the first to honor her in this way,” Gordon said.
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The concert has an impressive line-up, but Abel said tickets sold out in just a few hours after they went on sale.
People may not be able to be part of the first event, but the venue will be there for years to come.
Weddings, concerts and other events have already been booked at the site, according to Mandy Nelson, tourism and marketing manager for the City of North Augusta.
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Nelson said events will be placed on the city’s website, northaugusta.net. She said there are plans for a new website that will focus on things to do in North Augusta. With no COVID-19 restrictions, the amphitheater’s capacity is 1,000, she said.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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