May 1, 2026
By Michele Miller
What’s What New Port Richey
I was not at all familiar with the Chitlin’ Circuit when Cheryl Spradling, president of the Suncoast Blues Society, reached out about promoting a documentary film showing at the New Port Richey Public Library.
The event, featuring a showing of the documentary, the Florida Chitlin’ Circuit: Where the Legends Came to Play During the Jim Crow Era, was held on a Saturday afternoon in April and hosted by keyboard musician. music historian and WMNF (88.5) radio host, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz.
Photo Michele Miller (April 2026)
Wirtz, who lives in Ocala and hosts The Rhythm Revival Show on WMNF, worked with author Bob Kealing in creating the documentary that serves to highlight Florida’s part in the string of black-friendly venues that from the 1930s to the 1960s, that in times of segregation, provided a living and launching pad for entertainers such as Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Denise LaSalle, James Brown, Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory and Richard Pryor.
I was unaware as one of those who came of age in the days of 60s’ rock n’ roll. These days, the blues is my favorite genre, spurred by a mid-life awakening when I realized many of the rock and roll bands I had been listening to in my 20s built their sound on the backs of talented black musicians. Entertainers, I’ve come to learn, who had to skirt the sundown towns of the south and reference The Green Book, to find safe places to stay and perform at, to eke out a living on a circuit named after a southern soul food dish.
Among them locally, were venues such as The Blue Note in Tampa and a Dade City juke-joint called The Cow Palace.
Built in the 1950’s, in Dade City’s Carver Heights neighborhood, the Cow Palace that opened doors to black entertainers, has fallen into disrepair but has gotten some coverage in local publications such as The Lakeland Ledger, The Hernando Sun, and The Tampa Bay Times, along with a GoFundMe campaign for building repairs since being named an official historical site by the State of Florida in December of 2021.
The film, funded in part with matching cultural grants from the state of Florida, features interviews with Reverend Wirtz and surviving club owners, music store owners, and musicians such as Sam Moore, of the R & B duo Sam and Dave, who gave us songs such as Hold on I’m Coming and Soul Man.
Back in the 1970s, Soul Man was featured on Dan Akroyd and John Belushi’s Blues Brothers Album, Briefcase Full of Blues, which is in my collection, giving me a nudge to take a deeper dive into the roots of music I came to love and be able to partake in Florida’s North Suncoast, an area that’s rich in blues talent.
Knowing that there’s still more to learn – to dive into – cracks a light on the might of song and laughter that can be fostered in the worst of times in our collective history – times made lighter with the music that was made.
Now Onward –
M
Michele Miller is the owner and editor of the community website, What’s What New Port Richey. Before founding the website in June 2020, she worked as a journalist for 25 years for the Tampa Bay Times/St. Petersburg Times. Contact her at mmiller@whatswhatnewportrichey.com
Be the first to comment