When you see the phrase “West Seattle music legend,” you might think of, oh, say, Eddie Vedder. But long before grunge, there was Earl Robinson (1910-1991), the subject of this signal-box-portrait tribute in the Admiral District.
Above at right is artist Desmond Hansen, and at left is West Seattle filmmaker B.J. Bullert, whose one-hour documentary about the Admiral resident and West Seattle HS graduate, “Earl Robinson: Ballad of an American” will be screened at Admiral Theater tomorrow night as a fundraiser for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s summer concert series. That series, Admiral Music in the Parks, is just two weeks away – more on that in a moment. First, in case you missed the original announcement, the benefit screening is at 6:30 pm Thursday (July 2), which happens to be Mr. Robinson’s birthday. The award-winning film features “archival footage and performances of Earl Robinson’s iconic American repertoire by Joan Baez, Frank Sinatra, Paul Robeson, Josh White, Three Dog Night, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and of course Robinson himself,” the announcement notes, and will be followed by “a Q&A with the filmmaker, moderated by local historian Clay Eals, to learn more about Robinson’s life and works.” You can get your ticket here, with proceeds supporting the free-to-watch Admiral Music in the Parks on three consecutive Thursday nights starting July 16 – scroll down this page to see the lineup of places and performers!