Roxy hosts seventh annual event

By Staff
Kim West
Seventeen local entertainers and the Russellville High School jazz band performed for a crowd of 200 people during the seventh annual W.C. Handy "Evening at the Roxy" show Thursday night in downtown Russellville.
"In the past we have used both local performers and musicians we pulled from the W.C. Handy Festival," said Susie Malone, president of the Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council, which sponsored the show along with dozens of local businesses and patrons. "For the last two years we have only used local performers, and I thought they all did a wonderful job tonight."
Individual entertainers included Franklin County Idol youth winners Chase Holland, Hannah Keller, Taylor Townley, Mollie Flanagan and Ethan Pharr; Russellville High School graduates Anne-Marie Hall, Pierce Malmquist, Laura Oliver, Brandi Poss and Kim Stanley Clonts; Russellville High School students Emma McDowell, Ariel Murray, Petra Malmquist; church music director Ella West and longtime Roxy volunteer Danyelle Hillman.
"They were all very professional, and I have a great appreciation for them," Malone said.
Hillman, who sang "At Last" and Summer Time," kicked off the three-hour event with a brief history of Florence native W.C. Handy, who is known as the "Father of the Blues." The RHS jazz band provided the grand finale with boogie-woogie classic "In the Mood," "Short Circuit" and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline."