Joseph Baldwin has been successful in two careers.
First, he's an acclaimed farrier—a craftsman who trims and shoes horses' hooves—something he's done for 30 years. Second, he's an accomplished musician who's recorded eight CDs.
For those who hear his music, they definitely place Baldwin's musical talent first.
Baldwin will be the headliner at Saturday's “A Night with Joseph Baldwin” at the Roxy Theater. Organized by Wanda Myrick, the event is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and her Relay for Life team “Will's Willing Walkers.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m., with the gospel trio Three Strong, featuring Kellie Copeland Hargett, Shayla Baker Sutherland and Leann Parrish Trapp. Their music includes a blend of praise and worship, Southern gospel, bluegrass gospel and contemporary Christian.
Tickets for the concert are $10 and are available at the door, or in advance by contacting Myrick at 256-415-3270. All seats are general admission.
Baldwin is no stranger to the Roxy Theater, having twice performed and won the WGOL Country Showdown in Russellville. Baldwin advanced to the regional finals and was one step away from landing in the top five nationally a few years ago.
Baldwin and his wife Misty live in southern Franklin County. He's a regular performer at the Franklin County Watermelon Festival and numerous other music festivals in northwest Alabama.
His performance schedule averages around 200 shows each year. And he's a regular at the Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia.
In 2011, Baldwin won the Alabama Department of Tourism's songwriting contest with his “I'm Alabama.” His entry was the top one of 145 songs entered in the contest.
In addition to the $2,000 prize, Baldwin won eight hours of recording time in FAME Studios and made a music video of the song, which has amassed more than 20,000 views on You Tube.
As a child, Baldwin took piano lessons but eventually gravitated toward the guitar. He transferred the musical knowledge he learned from the piano to the guitar and made a smooth transition.
Baldwin sees a common thread between his work with horses and his music.
“For a horse, its feet are its life, just like with me with music, my hands are my life. You have to keep a horse's feet healthy,” Baldwin said during a 2016 interview with ALFA's Mary Johnson.
Although he was a bit under the weather early this week, Baldwin said he always looks forward to performing at the Roxy.
“The Roxy is, was, and always will be a favorite venue for me. I have only performed there a handful of times and I'm looking forward to being there Saturday,” Baldwin said.
“It's a great thing to be helping people through the Relay for Life. I'm sure most everyone reading this has, either directly or through their friends or family members, has been impacted by cancer. I'd like to personally invite everyone out to this Saturday's show,” he added.
Additionally, Baldwin said he's looking forward to hearing the music of Three Strong.
“I can't wait to hear the lovely ladies of the group Three Strong, and I'm bringing along a special guest to perform with me—11 year old Liam Riddle. You will definitely be entertained by this young man,” Baldwin said.
