Music, Culture and History: Vehicles for Inter Generational Community Dialogue and Creative Place Making
The nephew and namesake of Jazz pianist and organist, Bill Doggett,
Arts packaging and promotion is instinctive to the younger Bill Doggett with its roots sourced from a 1985 pitched V.S.O.P project for a 1950s R&B reunion that was to pair his uncle Bill Doggett, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino.
This V.S.O.P event was pitched as a 30th Anniversary Celebration of Black Rock N Roll for The Greek Theater, Los Angeles to be hosted by Oldies radio station, KEARTH.
Recalling the glory years of the emergence of a Black Rock n Roll 1956-58: the years of Honky Tonk, Kansas City, Roll Over Beethoven, Tutti Frutti and Blueberry Hill logistical and other conflicts intervened....yet the art of event strategy had begun....for the younger Bill Doggett
Fast forward to 2015 Oakland, the younger Doggett re emerged with a marketing savvy focused for new and emerging talent and special projects using music, culture and history.
Beginning in 2010, Doggett assisted in early experiences as a promoter of jazz/blues and neo soul artists beginning with rep/promoting an extraordinary Country Blues singer named Ansar at the 2010 Fillmore Jazz Festival, Marcus Bookstore stage, Fall 2011-Spring 2012,Yoshi's San Francisco Local Artist Series placing Blues and Soul singer, Terrie Odabi and Jazz/ Blues Fusion Ensemble, Groovality and Neo Soul singer, Simon Russell .
Doggett additionally pitched a cross section of excellent Bay Area talent including Portuguese Fado singer, Ramana Viera Fall 2010 and French New York City based jazz pianist, Tony Tixier in 2015
Doggett was new audience development consultant with Magic Theatre, San Francisco for The West Coast premiere of the cutting edge theatre work, The Brothers Size by Tarrell Mc Craney. second in the Trilogy of The Brothers/Sisters Plays, Doggett created a team that collaborated with Laney College Theater Department, The Oakland Dinner Club and The African American Center at the Main San Francisco Library.
Doggett assisted in creating niched events and Talk backs reaching a larger African American demographic than would have been possible without his consultant work.
A highlight of his work was assisting the no ticket, standing room only performance of the play at Laney College Theater, Oakland.
For two years, 2012 and 2013, Doggett booked musician talent for The City of San Francisco Mayor's annual Black History Month Kick Off event at City Hall. The event is co-sponsored by The San Francisco African American Cultural and Historical Society.
For February 2012 event, he booked the African roots, Awon Ohun Amira Choir and Drummers, recipient of The California Alliance for Traditional Arts award
For February 2013, he booked, Grammy nominated Gospel and Neo Soul singer, Emma Jean Foster Fiege.
For two Summers, June 2011- September 2012, Doggett served as Community Outreach and Bay Area Elected Officials Liaison
interfacing with SF Bay Area legislative elected officials for the 18th and 19th annual San Francisco Summer Arts Festival,
AfroSolo Arts Festival.
The AfroSolo Arts Festival created by Thomas Simpson, founder of AfroSolo Theatre Company is one of the longest running cultural arts festivals in The San Francisco Bay Area.
For The Jacqueline Hairston Spirituals Ensemble Carnegie Hall February 2012 event, Doggett created and project managed the ensemble's Kickstarter campaign achieving 200% of the targeted fundraising goal.
THE BILL DOGGETT CENTENNIAL
Event Producer and Author
From 1986-2000, Doggett's career was as a Community and Entertainment Industry photographer based in Los Angeles, California.
One of his signature Community Relations events was King Week, the annual commemoration of the Life and Legacy of Reverend Martin Luther King.
Below are photos from one year of the annual city wide Dinner, held at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel.
Creating signature Cultural Legacy Events using The Arts and Music as an inter generational and cross cultural bridge:
The March on Washington 50th Anniversary, Berkeley California, Pacific School of Religion,August 17th, 2013
Doggett produced and underwrote a day long Symposium that used both iconic Negro Spirituals and inter active audience community singing of The Civil Rights Movement Freedom Songs intermixed with intergenerational panels of SF Bay Area Inter Faith, Social Justice and Youth Leadership.
Symposium topics included: The Theology of Freedom, From Seneca Falls, Selma to Stonewall: the impact of social protest legacies on social justice for Women, Hispanic and Lgbt communities in the SF Bay Area, Immigration,The Dream Act:A Civil Rights legacy, Youth Leadership and The Dream 1963-2014, an inter generational panel of 1960s and 2013 youth leadership.
Held at Berkeley's Pacific School of Religion with assistance from The City of Berkeley,The Symposium was dedicated in memory to the late Rev. John N Doggett Jr, Bill Doggett's father, a renown Civil Rights Movement leader in Los Angeles and St Louis andfounding pastor of Downs Memorial United Methodist Church 1947-49 on the border of Berkeley in North Oakland.
Thanks to Riess Potterveld, Graduate School of Theology, City of Berkeley Councilmen, Kriss Worthington and Darryl Moore, Jeff Steinberg/Sojourn To The Past and US Bank for their invaluable assistance. View the promotional video below created by Los Angeles filmographer, Andy Kimmel http://www.remembr.us/
Doggett's trademark is event specific branding with creative programming that promotes culture and legacy with cross cultural and inter generational appeal
Bill Doggett Productions LLC 2015
