Iconic soul performer Sharon Jones will have her named immortalized by the former Riverside Village Amphitheater in North Augusta, South Carolina, which will be renamed the Sharon Jones Amphitheater. The area’s city council voted in favor of the change on Monday.
Jones was born across the Savanah River from North Augusta in Augusta, Georgia, where her family lived until she turned three. While the artist made a name for herself in New York City, she held a special relationship with Augusta, and spent a lot of time in the area during her life.
“She would be flabbergasted right now,” Jones’ sister Willia Stringer told Rolling Stone. “We didn’t live far from there. My father used to walk down with us down to the river. Back then, there was nothing there but trees and the river.”
The newly-named Sharon Jones Amphitheater opened back in June, where it has greeted only a few socially-distanced shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The venue’s opening was greeted by an event featuring speeches from city officials, as well as an appearance from the Kenny George Band.
While Jones passed away back in 2016 after battle with cancer, her legacy lives on in the posthumous releases put out by Daptone Records. Her first posthumous record Soul of a Woman came out in 2016, while a covers album called Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) was released earlier this year. This record held cover of “Little By Little,” which was made famous by Dusty Springfield.
Leave a Comment