Remembering Brian Hawkins

First Fridays at Bards & Brews

By Charles Kinnaird

Voice Porter (BPL photo)

 “Are you ready for the next poet?” Voice Porter would ask.

“Yeah!” the crowd would respond.

“Let’s hear it for our next poet!”

And the crowd would go wild, even if I was the next poet walking up to the mic.

It was an exciting happening that took place at the Birmingham Public Library on the first Friday of every month (with the exception of December). Usually, a local musician or band would get the evening started, and then Voice Porter (aka Brian Hawkins), would hold the room spellbound as he emceed a night of poetry. There would be “headliner” spoken word artists interspersed with any poet in the audience who wanted to sign up to present his or her work.

That was how Brian Hawkins operated. He bought people together, he celebrated the arts, and he lauded the spoken word. A supremely talented spoken word artist himself, Brian would often present his own work which we always loved, but most of the time, he ceded the stage to the artists he loved and to any poet in the community who desired a voice.

Helping Artists Find their Way

Several years ago, when I was re-entering the world of poetry, I decided to take advantage of every open mic that I could. I believe in the power of poetry and especially value the spoken word. Being an introvert may be an advantage to my writing, but it is a handicap when it comes to presenting my work. I knew that poets were receptive audiences and that I could only benefit by making myself get up before an audience whenever I could. One of the best and most reliable opportunities was with Brian Hawkins at Bards & Brews.

While I benefitted from the open mic opportunity, I benefitted even more from Brian. It was the way he celebrated local talent and brought the community together. I heard some of the best spoken word artists in the area because of Brian Hawkins. He took every opportunity to support local talent. In fact, that was his “soapbox.” He would tell the audience at every event that he wanted us all to use SOAP, which was his acronym for Support Our Artists, Please. He lamented that local artists often felt the need to go to Atlanta, or Nashville, or even New York and Los Angeles to hone their craft. Brian wanted a community that could support and encourage its artists enough that they did not have to leave town to find their way.

Feeling the Loss

I am still reeling from the loss our community experienced with the unexpected death of Brian Hawkins this week. Many are telling their Brain Hawkins stories, and many knew him far better than I did. There is much more of his life to celebrate than I can recount here. He named himself “The Voice” and he worked tirelessly to help others find their voice. Brian Hawkins cannot be replaced, but we can honor his memory by continuing to come together to celebrate the art that is already at work among us.

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[Learn more about Brian Hawkins at the WBHM Public Radio website]

Those who wish to offer support for Brian's family may make a contribution at Penny Foundation, Inc. 

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