Photo bu Suanne Strider
Adrian Dickey has been a local favorite on the music scene in Oxford for years, usually playing solo or with different incarnations of bands, but always delivering great music.
Oxford has missed him for the past year, and we are so glad to have him back from Wilmington, Delaware, although I am sure their local music scene was sad to see him go. Adrian played regularly at the Bellefonte Café, with much success touring around the area. But he missed Mississippi. So, he’s come back home to “bless our souls.”
Tonight, the Tupelo native and Ole Miss alum will play his first official homecoming show at The Wine Bar on the Square in Oxford.
Adrian released his first album, Bless The Soul, in November of 2013. It is a beautiful album filled with soul-swathed grooves reminiscent of Marvin Gaye or Bill Withers. The album was recorded at Tweed Recording Studio, one of the many wonderful sound studios in the Oxford area. Andrew Ratcliffe runs Tweed, and is known for producing great albums as well as being the host studio for the recent PBS Series, “Oxford Sounds.”
Adrian’s parents both graduated from Ole Miss in the late seventies. Adrian told me last night that his mother saw Cat Stevens play here when his “Magic Cat Tour” came through, and that his father was the DJ for the University station while in school (Danny Dickey, in case you were tuning in at that time). Most of Adrian’s earliest influences in music come from the albums his father bought to play for the station…Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. Adrian said a lot of the albums still have the stamp, “Danny Dickey” on them. My Otis Redding albums all have my mother’s name written or stamped on them. I can totally relate.
Photo by Suanne Steider
I can also relate to being a Sam Cooke fan, and am so excited about the song Adrian plans to open his show with. He has written a new lyric to add to the Sam Cooke classic, “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Sam Cooke is a native of Clarksdale, MS, and released this now infamous song in 1963. Here are the lyrics Adrian is going to add to the end….
“I’ve been gone from Mississippi…. a little too long,
Finally, the Good Lord, has called me back Home,”
(then back to the original…”It’s been a long time comin’
But I know a change gone come…Oh, yes it will.”)
It’s a free show and it starts at 9 p.m. See you there!
“Bless The Soul” can be bought on iTunes or you can buy it directly at Adrian’s website, For more on Adrian, follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Suanne Strider is a HottyToddy.com contributor and can be reached at suannestridermusic@gmail.com.
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