James Timothy Shaw, a/k/a the Mighty Hannibal, never did anything "nice and easy". Once I heard someone tell him to "relax" during a heated conversation and he replied, "YOU RELAX- I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!"
He phoned in the day before his final exit on January 30, and the day before that, too, to announce Pete Seeger's passing. I remember thinking then, did he forget we talked the day before? I didn't say anything. Getting a personal obit recitation was a welcome daily event here at Norton HQ. Hann would call every morning.
"Did you hear?" he'd say, and proceed to break the news of the passing of a musician, a politician, a movie star. He'd detail the death, and then he would make a positive statement about the person, saying what the departed had contributed to our world.
"Too soon," he would say, no matter what the age of the deceased. Hannibal said that death always came in threes. I can't help but think he gave me two Pete Seegers in a row to make himself the last man out.
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After commiserating on Pete Seeger a second time last Wednesday, I asked Hann if he would to be part of a Sun Ra book event at St Mark's Church that was set for mid-April.
"I'll be Atlanta by then," he said. " I told you that before-- I'm packed!!" Hann had been enforcing my promise to get a hip pocket book out on him so he could get out to talk with his fans, and he was peeved that I was talking about Sun Ra instead of him. The squeeze was on. I assured him that we'd do a book party for his own hip pocket book in Atlanta, when the presses had rolled and the tribes had gathered. He chuckled. "That's more like it, Miss Miriam," he said with a giggle. As usual, I felt like I was getting hazed and dazed by an ex-drill sergeant high school principal who wouldn't let you out of his office until his you-can-do-it pep talk had done its thing. I guess I should have listed "motivational speaker" and "evangelist" with the description of Hannibal. He was a lot of things, all the time, at the same time. He commanded respect, and he got it.
I remember when Larry Jenkins called about the Mighty Hannibal. He said that he was in the studio with T-Bone Burnett and that Elton John and Leon Russell wanted to talk to him. I told them I'd have Hannibal call them back, and then got on the horn with the H-Man. "Give me that number," he commanded. I do not recall a goodbye. He was immediately off to the races. Hannibal was ready, as always, to give the music business what-for.
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I went down to Atlanta in 2007 with Mighty Hannibal and fellow NYC fans Matt Weingarden and Debbie Daughtry, when Hann was getting decorated and celebrated by the city's real founding fathers. His #1 fanatics there (and anywhere) were (and are) the Black Lips, Atlanta's finest flamethrowers/ torchbearers, who backed him on a stellar performance after the award presentation. The show was incredible, without a doubt the most spine-chilling, life-affirming revival meeting I've ever witnessed. To me, it was as close to seeing the Yardbirds back Sonny Boy Williamson as I will ever get.
Hannibal had a killer sense of humor, too. I was his date/escort to see Ike Turner at the Village Underground many years ago. We sat at a front table, with Hannibal liberally peppering Ike's stageshow with loud shouts from the peanut gallery. Ike seemed a little miffed during the initial whoops and hollers, but when Hannibal yelled "HEY IKE, YOU OWE ME MONEY!", Ike shaded his eyes and scanned the darkness. "Hannibal???" he smiled.
Another time, outta towners Ben Blackwell and Meg White wanted to come by for a visit, but we were enroute to meet Hannibal in Harlem to see some old film clips. We brought Ben and Meg along, and the five of us sat in metal folding chairs with a half a roomful of senior citizens as the projector rolled tape on some great old entertainment films. Hannibal was our personal commentator, shouting essential information like "There's Jimmy Nolen- he gave me my first reefer!" and noting what star was wearing what sweater gifted by Hannibal.
Today, we say goodbye to Hannibal, not only as a bright star in the Norton constellation, not only as a political mover n' shaker, not only as a force in the Movement, not as a ball of fire personality, not only as the inflammable star who could convert-- with one blast of fiery soul-- a roomful of lollygaggers into life-long stomp n' shout disciples.
We say farewell today to a friend-- with tears because we miss him dearly already, and with heartache because there will never be anyone who comes close to his verve, energy, talent, and vision. James Timothy Shaw, known to us as the immortal Mighty Hannibal, we will always remember you. Always.
REMEMBERING THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL
By Billy Miller
Hannibal: “Do you know this guy Craig who can hook me up with a cheap computer?”
Me: “I don’t think so. Craig who?”
Hannibal: “His last name is List. Craig List.”
And that’s how it went. Every single morning, the Mighty Hannibal would call Norton Records to keep us abreast of developments in his career. “Anybody looking to make me a hero today?” That’s usually how each day started here. Then one day Elton John’s office called here and Sir Elton indeed made him a hero, recording a duet with Leon Russell of Hannibal’s “Hymn No. 5”.
But to all of us, Hannibal has always been a hero. He’d recoded dozens of brilliant soul records that we all loved.
The Mighty One kept up with everyone he’d ever crossed paths with, from his original R&B peers like Young Jessie to the younger acts like
the Black Lips and King Khan, both of whom he had taken under his wing. I heard him tell a reporter, “You must know my protégés, Black Lips. Those are my boys.” The Mighty Hannibal meant a lot to everyone who knew him.
It was Matt “Mr. Fine Wine” Weingarden who first put Miriam and me in touch with Hannibal, who immediately proceeded to regale us with endless tales - pimping with Larry Williams and Johnny Watson, hijacking a circus elephant in midtown Manhattan, acting alongside Chuck Norris, riding top speed in a car driven by Ray Charles and running around with his buddy Stymie Beard of the Little Rascals. There were millions of stories of his exploits and I dug hearing every one of them. He probably took several million more to the grave with him. Such a colorful character.
He was always quick with a story or some uplifting words for all of us. Hannibal was always give advice, prefacing it with “let me tell you how this game goes” and then proceeding with sagely advice like “Always tell off the band during the first song. That way they’ll play good the rest of the night.”
A few tears back, some Spanish tourists were in town and wanted to catch Lonnie Youngblood at his regular Thursday night R&B gig at Frank’s Lounge in Brooklyn. It turned out Lonnie had another show that night, so we suggested we meet Hannibal in Harlem and we could all check out Lonnie at Sylvia’s that Saturday afternoon. He held a weekend residency there playing light jazz with a trio while people dined. As we got up to leave, Hannibal asked our guests, “Did you dig Lonnie?” They replied that they did. Then Hannibal very loudly remarked, “Then you oughta see him at night when he really cuts loose. He’s gotta play this shit music for the bourgeois crowd!”
Hannibal shared a birthday with my mom.
Each year when I’d wish him a happy birthday, he’d tell me to make sure that I wished my mother the same from him. One time he told me, “You poor kid. Every time you think about your dear sweet mama, my face jumps into your mind.”
It was great to see him a few weeks ago at Jeremy Tepper’s birthday party. He got up with the band and belted out Fishing Pole. I looked over at him about five minutes later and he was flocked by admirers and photo takers. Business as usual.
It was very strange not to start the day yesterday with a phone call from the Mighty One. Rest in peace, James Timothy Shaw, the Mighty Hannibal. You are, and forever will be, a hero.
Art: Avi Spivak/ Story: Billy Miller
An Atlanta memorial service is scheduled for 1 PM this Thursday, February 6. All are welcome to attend. Willie A. Watkins Historic West End Chapel. Willie A. Watkins Historic West End Chapel. 404.758.1731.
A graveside service is set for Wednesday, February 5, 2014; 11:00AM at Lincoln Cemetery.
A New York City memorial event is in the works and will be announced shortly.
