WELCOME, FRIENDS! We love free music,
and we think sharing is pretty groovy.
Help us build a permanent outdoor stage
right here in Cabbagetown Park
dedicated to Joyce Brookshire!
*************************************
Large gifts: cabbagetown.fillout.com/joyce
Memberships: cabbagetown.com/friends
GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY
June 9th 2026 at 6pm (Cabbagetown Park)
Joyce Brookshire was a talented and beloved singer-songwriter from Cabbagetown. Her work focused on human rights, and her songs were full of stories and lessons about equality and justice.
DONATE
As a poet-seer, Joyce witnessed the hardships that many who lived in our neighborhood experienced, and she translated that world into an accessible art form that continues to resonate today.
Read more: “The Space Between the Notes” by John Dirga
Joyce Brookshire
(1942 - 2017)
click to donate now!
Exclusive Prints
Please inquire via email. We are in the process of adding this item to our online store.
Handmade by Robert Lee of Methane Studios (Avondale), pressed by Sauce Box (Boulevard Heights) on French Company paper. Signed & numbered limited edition. Illustrating the journey from North Georgia to the Fulton Bag Mill, and how early residents survived by bringing their rural recipes, heritage skills, and traditional music to Atlanta. Proceeds benefit the Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre.
"The Cabbagetown Ballad" (Gaskill Street Music, 1977) by Joyce Brookshire: "We left behind our mountain homes, there to return no more / but we brought with us the way of life that we had known before."
click to watch CBS News video
CBS News Atlanta, with Hannah Kliger
“Residents of Cabbagetown are pushing to preserve the neighborhood's musical legacy.
They're preparing to break ground on a new amphitheater named after a beloved singer.
The legacy of Joyce Brookshire
Joyce Brookshire was born and raised in Cabbagetown and was often called the voice of the neighborhood.
Her folk ballads, including "North Georgia Mountains, sparkled with wit while sharing stories of the area's history. They dealt with issues such as justice, human rights, and equality.” [READ MORE]
click to visit “Fresh Take Georgia”
donation link:
cabbagetown.fillout.com/joyce
special thanks:
DONATE NOW
JOIN US! Together,
we’re going to
elevate & revitalize
Brookshire Amphitheatre
tax deductible charitable contribution
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
at Brookshire Amphitheatre
Oakl&nd Summer Learning: Folk Instruments with Mick Kinney (May 13th, 2025)
Spring Student Showcase
with Guitar Shed (March 22nd, 2025)
Brookshire Amphitheatre Conceptual Design
Martin Rickles Studio
(construction scheduled for July 2025)
SNEAK PREVIEW!
Joyce Brookshire (1942 - 2017)
Joyce Brookshire was a talented and beloved singer-songwriter from Cabbagetown. Her work focused on human rights, and she wrote songs about equality and justice.
Cabbagetown is coming together as a community to celebrate our heritage of caring for each other, inspiring new generations to learn where our neighborhood gets its tireless spirit! Now YOU can be a part of this important mission - elevating the spirit through art & music, a beacon of fellowship and kindness to those in need.
BE A GUIDING LIGHT FOR HOPE & FELLOWSHIP!
THE LEGACY OF JOYCE BROOKSHIRE
Joyce Brookshire wrote and performed the score to the theatrical production, “Cabbagetown: 3 Women” which featured her mother, Lila Mae. Abandoned by her father at a young age, she learned to rely on extended family and loyal friends of the close-knit cotton mill village who shaped her highest ideals of community, fellowship and service to others.
As a spirited youth, she excelled at music and poetry, delighting friends and neighbors with her thoughtful and compelling lyricism. It was obvious to her friends and neighbors that she was destined for the spotlight! She toured with fellow folksingers, performing across the South, released three albums, and appeared on several compilations.
Often satirical, her work defended the downtrodden and suffered no fools. She punched up; Poking fun at preachers, police, and presidents, as well as decrying the property speculation which eventually forced Joyce to move from her longtime home. Her empathy for the lost, forgotten, or downtrodden would carry her on a journey that inspired thousands with heartfelt songs. She encouraged action, admonished greed, explored the complexities of modern life, and celebrated simple souls. Joyce loved to fish.
Her laughter brought joy to all. Cabbagetown is proud to amplify her life and art as a spiritual foundation for our shared values: helping others, speaking truth to power, loving unconditionally, and dancing wildly in the streets.
ARTIST’S RENDERING - Jeremy Ray
ARTIST’S RENDERING - dirga
IN MEMORIAM
Obit (AJC) - Obit (Foxfire)
AUDIO:
Cabbagetown Ballad (Spotify)
Joyce Brookshire Audio (Youtube)
Elise Witt (Joyce’s Songwriting Partner)
Donations to the Cabbagetown Initiative for the Brookshire Amphitheatre are tax deductible and restricted to site improvements in and around the performance area. Your support will ensure this remarkable project is successful and durable! For more questions, email friends@cabbagetown.com
