Congo Square 2005

Clarence “Gatemouth” BrownBy George Hunt Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was a musical gumbo: A tasty melange of blues, R&B, country, swing, bebop and Cajun ingredients simmered to perfection for more than eighty years. Born in Vinton, Louisiana, Gate played guitar, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica and drums publicly for well over half a century. In 1982 at 57, 30 years after he began recording, Gate won a Grammy and was to be nominated for five more. At a time when most people turn to golf and grandchildren, Gate's " retirement" consisted of playing "only" 100 dates a year. We're sorry to report that he passed away on September 12th, 2005 in Orange, TX after losing his home to Katrina. He carried a great tradition forward with verve and will be sorely missed. Artist George Hunt has lived on a parallel, albeit visual, blues track. Hunt was born outside Lake Charles, less then a 30 minute drive from Gate's birthplace. Like his subject - the first Congo Square poster to pay tribute to a par