Inaugural Amp Fiddler Day celebrates beloved musician's legacy, promises more to come
An emotional ceremony Thursday in Detroit marked the inaugural Amp Fiddler Day on what would have been the beloved musician’s 66th birthday.
Family members and friends gathered to launch what is planned to be an annual commemoration of the soulful, musically versatile keyboardist and songwriter, who died Dec. 18 after a multiyear cancer battle.
The afternoon event, held in the atrium of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, featured poetry readings and appearances by members of the Detroit Entertainment Commission, including techno DJ John Collins and attorney Gregory Reed.
But the centerpiece of the ceremony was a moving speech by Fiddler’s widow, Tombi Stewart, who remembered her husband as someone eager to break musical boundaries while spreading his passion and knowledge to artists of all stripes. She reminded the audience of Fiddler's high regard among fellow musicians, including figures such as Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock and Bootsy Collins.
“This day will carry great purpose, expanding Amp’s vision and mission,” Stewart said.
Amp Fiddler Day, planned as a yearly May 16 event, was formally authorized Tuesday by Detroit City Council in a resolution sponsored by council member Scott Benson, who represents District 3 — including the northeast neighborhood Fiddler long called home.
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"This will be a continuation of empowering arts and culture," said Reed, a longtime Detroit entertainment lawyer.
Stewart also outlined plans for Camp Amp Detroit, a multipronged project that will include concerts, workshops, and mentorship for young artists. A website has been launched and will offer more details soon.
The Camp Amp concept is inspired in part by the basement sessions Fiddler regularly hosted in his Conant Gardens house — genre-spanning collaborations that “expanded his repertoire,” Stewart said.
“He wanted children to be exposed to all different avenues of art,” she said.
Plans for Amp Fiddler Day were sprung before Fiddler’s memorial in February, as Stewart and others sought a “collective acknowledgement” by the Detroit community of his impact and legacy.
“As we approached his birthday, I wanted a proper way to honor him,” she said. “It was worthy of doing now.”
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Amp Fiddler Day honors beloved musician's legacy, with more to come
