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Florida man plays blues, makes gumbo for residents, staff at Thurman Brisben Center
Date published: 3/14/2009
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE
Chicken. Shrimp. Okra. Peppers. Hot sauce. Bill Wharton tosses them into a pot, then stirs up camaraderie, hope and peace of mind. Self-nicknamed the "Sauce Boss," Wharton travels the country making gumbo and performing the blues at homeless shelters. "We play for people who really need a good show and a good bowl of gumbo," he said. On Thursday night, Wharton and his band, Planet Gumbo, played for a crowd of nearly 40 at the Thurman Brisben Center in Fredericksburg. Dressed in a white chef's coat and hat, and switching between guitar and ladle, he stirred up some toe-tapping tunes and gumbo and sprinkled in a few jokes. "If nothing else, it gives them two hours when they have not thought about the rent money or 'How am I going to get food, medicine or a job?'" Wharton said. He has mixed music and cooking for nearly 20 years. At first, it was a gimmick to sell more bottles of of his secret sauce, Liquid Summer. He started making gumbo onstage while singing the blues. After the show, he served the gumbo to the audience. Wharton says the combination makes for a good show, and he has served gumbo at his concerts ever since. In 2002, Wharton played for a homeless shelter in Florida. That spurred Planet Gumbo, a spicy, jazzy outreach to the homeless. Now Wharton serves food once a month in Tallahassee and travels to shelters, offering gumbo and the blues. After his stop at the Brisben Center in the Fredericksburg Battlefield Industrial Park, he headed to a shelter in Northern Virginia and a show in Washington. Wharton plays regular ven-ues, and uses those gigs to raise money for his travels to homeless shelters. At each show, he puts a large silver-colored stockpot next to the gumbo. Audiences donate money as they get their food. So far, they've given more than $50,000, Wharton said. That money pays his travel costs, buys gumbo supplies and gives donations to homeless shelters. It's money well spent, said Mike Kearney, a truck driver who came to the Brisben Center after losing his job recently. The gumbo and the music were both excellent, he said, as he added a liberal amount of Liquid Summer to his dinner.
Mustang2, unfortunately the news industry has become a large gossip column. I'd rather hear about good deeds serving a a large need in our area, than what petty theft got arrested for whatever.... Last thing I want to hear about is another church sex scandal or someone's bad divorce, or the bad economy. I'm proud of the FLS for featuring people giving back to the community. If you had fallen on bad luck or personal disaster, you'd appreciate the efforts to shine light on the needs.
A newspaper should not serve as the local branch of social services. It is not an issue of the homeless or the unfortunate. It is an issue of what newspapers should cover and the extent to which they cover it. Newspapers are dying. This is one reason.
Would rather keep the homeless among us invisible. You don't have to care about what you can't see. Isn't that right, Mustang?
What's next? A feature in House and Home showcasing the color scheme used at the homeless shelter? So compelling.
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