Bama Theatre

November 9, 1976

The Mysterious Crooner was the third in a series of smaller shows at the Bama Theatre spanning 1975 and 1976. Wearing a dusty Panama hat, dark glasses, and an old suit, his performances could run the gamut, however, in the case of the Tuscaloosa show, the bulk of Redbone’s material came from Tin Pan Alley favorites, a significant part of his nostalgic appeal. He arrived at the Bama with his manager in tow. The pair retreated to a second-floor dressing room where they huddled around a rudimentary cassette player, laughing and regaling one another with renditions of John Phillip Sousa marches. For his 1976 show in Tuscaloosa Redbone leaned heavily on his debut album, “On the Track,” singing and accompanying himself on guitar. The tunes ranged from classics like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Polly Wolly Doodle,” to “Diddy Wah Diddy,” “Shine on Harvest Moon,” and “The Sheik of Araby,” which would be released on his next album, “Double Time.” Redbone was low-key, albeit a clear hit with the college kids, crooning his way through a couple of sets. The event felt like a testing ground for new ideas, and an incubator for the good things destined to come for the performer.