Blues and BBQ Event Coming May 2

"Bull" Corry wears many hats.On a typical day, the Oakman resident and former mayor works eight to ten hours at Walter Energy. After arriving home, you'll find him either cooking steaks at his restaurant, The Bull Pen Steakhouse, or overseeing maintenance work on the grounds of the rustic property and small Old Western town in Oakman, Alabama where The Bull Pen sits, known as “Old York Farms.” And sometimes he's busy making calls and putting together a future event.Bull is no stranger to planning and hosting events. Old York Farms has hosted numerous musical concerts and cultural events in years past; a Scots-Irish festival, classic car shows, bluegrass festivals, music concerts, and many more. Several well-known country music artists have played on stage at Old York in the last couple of decades, including Jerry Reed, Gene Watson, Willie Nelson, and Bobby Bare.On this particular April evening, with daylight fading as the Alabama sun disappears behind the pine trees, Bull stands at the entrance of the authentic Western saloon on the Old York grounds, dressed in T-shirt, jeans, and boots. Flanked on each side by good friends Johnny Willcutt and Jeremy McCollough, he talks about the next Old York event; the 2nd Annual Blues and BBQ Festival. His words are frequently punctuated with a joke or a witty reply. "This is a multi-cultural event," he says in his distinctive Southern drawl. "Seven hours of music, we're gonna have barbecue and butterbeans at the Bull Pen Steakhouse, and we've got a children's area. It's a very family-oriented atmosphere.""This is our 26th year at Old York," Bull continues, his goateed face and tall frame only faintly visible now in the dim evening light. "We've always done concerts and shows. I'm doing this because I want my children to experience Old York with music, vendors, and artists."Old York Farms Event Coordinator and Bull's long-time friend Jeremy McCollough nods in agreement. "This is music you don't hear on the radio. You have to subscribe to satellite radio to hear it. This is good quality music."Leaning inside the open doorway of the saloon, gazing out over the nearly 60 acres of grass, dirt, and gravel, underneath a dark blue velvet canopy of stars, Bull's deep voice takes on a more serious tone. Waving a hand toward the amphitheater, restaurant and surrounding area, he says earnestly: "None of this would be possible if it weren't for my friends. It's all about friends and family. People like Johnny Willcutt here and Jeremy, and people that work in the restaurant, they put in long hours, and they've been with me a long time. They're the reason all of this is here. You gotta have a dream, gotta have a vision. They believe in my vision."The festival is set for Saturday, May 2nd, with several blues artists scheduled to appear: Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Chris Simmons, The Elijah Butler Band, Earl "Guitar" Williams, Clay Swafford, and the return appearance of "Gip" Gipson, owner of Gip's Place in Birmingham. Long-time radio personality Jay Michaels from WZZK will emcee the event."This is going to be a great festival this year," says Jeremy McCollough. "We've got over 30 vendors expected to be here. Kenneth Marr, an artist from Kentucky, and Jenny Holloway will both be here. Another artist, Barry Graham, was just chosen to have some of his watercolor art on exhibit in Slovenia. The Magic City Blues Society and The American Legion will be here. The Nikki Mitchell Foundation from Nashville has confirmed they will be a part of the festival. Nikki was Waylon Jennings' personal assistant who died of pancreatic cancer. We've also confirmed The Alabama Autism and Asperger's Statewide Info and Support Network."News of the festival has already spread to several nearby states. "We're being promoted by other groups out of state, " Jeremy says. "Bridging The Blues is an organization that promotes music culture in Arkansas, Memphis, and Mississippi. They've added the Blues and BBQ Festival to their list of events."On Saturday, May 2nd, gates open at 1pm, and the Bull Pen Restaurant will open at 2 pm. Seating is not provided, so be sure to bring your lawn chairs. Admission is $10 for adults, and free to children ages 12 and under. For ticket information, call 205-544-1108. 78For event info, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/392117260966573/Photos by Terrell Manasco