Big Band Public Radio Host Stephen Lloyd with Thousands Saturday Evening
July 23, 2005, at the Erskine Hawkins Park in Tuxedo Junction, Birmingham, Alabama
Photograph Copyright 2005-2006 www.TuxedoClub.org -- Publishing permitted with Copyright Credit

Despite the 99-degree Birmingham, Alabama, temperature, more than 7,000 turned out on July 23, 2005, for this year's annual Function in the Junction at the Erskine Hawkins Park in the original Tuxedo Junction -- a real place in Birmingham, Alabama.  People came by groups in buses from as far away as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The event was held in the park adjacent to the Nixon Building which is home of the Tuxedo Ballroom (aka Tuxedo Junction) where Swing-era orchestra leader Erskine Hawkins along with Julian Dash and William Johnson composed it (original lyrics by Buddy Feyne) intending it to be the flip side of "Gin Mill Special" -- another tune written by the talented Erskine Hawkins.

Glenn Miller is noted for having sparked the song's success by popping it into the number one position during its 1940 release -- selling over 7 million copies of his unique rendition of the now worldwide famous tune.  Erskine Hawkins had no small success with his own original version selling over 3/4 million copies.  Although Erskine Hawkins was considered one of the premiere trumpet players of the big band era, it was Wilbur "Dud" Bascomb, not Hawkins, who performed the trumpet solo on the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra's biggest selling record, "Tuxedo Junction."

In joint celebration of the annual Function in the Junction, and in honor of the great success of the tune written by Birmingham orchestra leader Erskine Hawkins, the United States Airmen of Note, following in the style and tradition of Captain Glenn Miller, can be heard playing Tuxedo Junction on the following link:


Listen Now to a Salute to the Function in the playing of
Tuxedo Junction by the United States Airmen of Note


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