2002 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival

Champion Blues

Category: Documentary Short  48min 30 sec
Director: Aletha Rodgers
Viewings: Thur, Sept.5  11:30am
              
The documentary, “Champion Blues”  follows a Los Angeles blues singing legend, Mickey Champion, from her roots in Lake Charles, La., to Los Angeles’ Central Avenue where she performed with Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and doubled for Esther Phillips, to the California venues of the present day. The late Charles Brown saw Mickey Champion as one of the greatest power-house blues singers of all time.  “Ain’t no one left that can sing like that when Mickey’s gone,” he said. “Champion Blues” tells the story of a woman who has been of service to the community she loves through her singing and her cooking.  Ms. Champion was a cook for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 17-years.The documentary is intertwined with interviews with Mickey Champion, and some of her peers such as singers, Barbara Morrison, and Linda Hopkins, trumpet player, Clora Bryant, and singer Ray Brewster, as well as live performances by Ms. Champion

Director: Aletha Rodgers
In directing, Champion Blues, Aletha Rodgers adds a new dimension to her already impressive film production repertoire.  This is her first feature length documentary as director.   Ms. Rodgers is co-owner of Rodgers and Marshall Sound, Inc., is a graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles , has written two screenplays, recorded and edited in New York , Oklahoma and Los Angeles , and produced several instructional videos.