Brian Blair poses with vocalists Maryann Kyle (left) and Brenda Parker (right) as the trio prepare for the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s 2006 performance, “A Toast to Broadway 2.” Kyle and Parker will perform Sunday at Blair’s benefit. (Photo: Photo from the University of Southern Mississippi )
Sitting in his room at Bedford Care, Brian Blair’s hands still move to find the correct keys to play the songs he has loved since he was a child.
It was less than a decade ago that Blair, 52, was a fixture behind the piano at local events and the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, leading guests in rousing sing-alongs and skillfully playing his favorite songs from the Great American Songbook.
In 2008, the talented musician was diagnosed with a central nervous system disorder caused by iron deposits in the brain, eventually leaving the charismatic performer unable to perform.
Hattiesburg Arts Council Executive Director Rebekah Stark Johnson said Blair’s contributions to Hattiesburg — both culturally and historically — struck a chord with the council’s board members.
So much so that on Sunday, Blair will experience his first tribute concert from the opposite side the piano when the Hattiesburg Arts Council presents “With a Song in My Heart: A Tribute to Brian Blair.”
“I figured while he is still able to communicate with us and be happy to be with us that we needed to do something for him because he’s done so much for us,” Johnson said.
Johnson said since she first met Blair in 1991, she has been astounded by her friend’s talent and virtuosity.
“I’ve always felt like he was documentary material,” she said. “From a very early age, he was intrigued with ’20s, ’30s and ’40s music. … Almost as if he was prepared to be in the nursing home with people who this music was part of their early youth.”
Led by the afternoon’s masters of ceremony — local author/restaurateur Robert St. John and Leaf Foundation Pageant Director Michael Marks, the tribute concert will begin at 4 p.m. at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center.
“Primarily, I think the most important thing is that we do something he can come to, and that we are now sharing what he’s been sharing with us,” Johnson said. “Also, we are starting a Brian Blair Tribute Fund that we will be kicking off at this event. With that we will be using that fund to continue to put on shows where he’s being honored.”
Johnson said the fund eventually will be able to provide exceptionally gifted musicians with scholarships.
St. John, a childhood friend and classmate, said Blair began playing piano at an early age.
“He and I started taking piano at the same time in second grade,” he said. “Our church organist taught us piano at the same time. She wanted to teach out of the Methodist Hymnal, and I wanted to play rock ’n’ roll. So, Brian stuck with it and became great, and I moved on and played guitar for a little while.”
St. John said it was clear from an early age Blair had a rare talent.
“I think he’s brilliant,” he said. “Here’s a guy in junior high school who could play music from four decades earlier — music that took me getting into my late-20s and early-30s to even realize. He knew it in his teen years to the point in his 20s that you could research the most obscure song from some off-Broadway musical in the 1920s, and you couldn’t stump him.”
With a grin spread across his face, Blair said he remembered performing at Hattiesburg High School talent shows and causing a stir.
“I would bark to confuse them,” he said. “I would come out and (bow) and (bark).”
Of course, the bark would be followed by the 1953 hit “(How Much is) That Doggie in the Window.”
After graduating from Hattiesburg High School as members of the Class of 1979, St. John said he and Blair both found themselves attending Mississippi State University.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and piano performance, Blair continued working as a professional musician and later reconnected with St. John when he began playing piano at the newly opened Purple Parrot.
It was there that St. John witnessed first-hand how Blair offered a unique entertainment experience to each of the restaurant’s patrons until 1990.
“What I love about it is he is such a professional and so talented, and I know he wound up playing in New Orleans a lot, but he stayed here,” he said. “Brian could have played anywhere in the world, and he stayed in Mississippi.”
Blair’s lifelong friend Tom Ray Phillips said he’s always been in awe of his friend’s talents.
“You could name a tune, and he could just work that piano and flow from one song into another,” he said. “He’d point and say, ‘Name a year!’ or ‘Guess what year that song came out?’ and we’d usually lose. … I’ve seen and heard people perform, but it will never be like Brian.”
Phillips, who serves as the historian of the Hattiesburg Historical Society, said Blair always had a passion for his hometown and took pride in his family’s history in the area.
“He was a member of the historical society and was also part of the board prior to his illness,” he said. “There were so many people and households in Hattiesburg that he was a part of.”
From performing at the Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp to helping various Miss Mississippi contestants with their talents to playing for Mississippi governors William Winter, Ray Mabus, Kirk Fordice and Haley Barbour, Phillips said Blair has always been willing to share his love of music with others.
Now, even though he can no longer play it, Blair’s musical legacy will continue through his grand piano that was purchased by Kennard, Jennifer and Sarah Crosby McKay and donated to the Hattiesburg Arts Council in his honor. It now has a home at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center.
Johnson said she has always marveled at Blair’s ability to learn and care about people.
“He personalized everything,” she said. “It didn’t matter what party it was, he would see someone walking in the door, and he’d immediately start playing their song.”
Now, Johnson said it’s time Blair got a personalized showcase of talent of his own, as his fellow artists and friends come together to serenade him with his favorite songs from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s.
“I went to visit him and brought the poster for the tribute concert and went through the whole program and singers and instrumentalists with him,” she said. “He was saying, ‘That’s one of my top 10 favorites.’ And then we’re doing a slide show of different pictures of his life, and when I showed it to him he was laughing and carrying on and having the best time looking at the photos.”
St. John said he was honored when he was approached about being a master of ceremony.
“It took me about half a second to say yes,” he said. “I think it is a much deserved and long overdue. Kudos to the Hattiesburg Arts Council and Rebekah Johnson for putting it together. We need to celebrate art in this community and all disciplines of art. Certainly, we need to celebrate our local artists, and he’s been one of the best.”
Johnson said she hopes the public shows up to sing along and give Blair the standing ovation he deserves.
“Our mission of the Arts Council is to support, promote and sustain artists in the arts in the community,” she said. “Brian is a perfect example of that. We want to keep him feeling supported and to help sustain his life’s mission. … I really do think that everyone will be saluting him for all he has done for Hattiesburg and for bringing us to great heights with his music and his character.”
If you go
Hattiesburg Arts Council presents
“With a Song in My Heart: A Tribute to Brian Blair”
• Time: 4 p.m. Sunday
• Location: Hattiesburg Cultural Center, 723 N. Main St.
• Featured artists: Vocalists Brenda Parker, Maryann Kyle, Dean Bellais, Connie Roberts, Mildred Hong and Rosemary Collins. Instrumental music will be by Larry Panella, saxophone; Rebekah Stark Johnson, cello; Raoul Jerome, bass; and Stan Collins, piano. Michael Marks and Robert St. John will deliver a tribute and perform as masters of ceremony.
• This concert is open and free to the public, and all who attend are encouraged to wear Blair’s favorite colors — black, white and red.
• Blair’s extensive collection of scrap books will be on display at the tribute concert.
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