‘An Evening With Friends’ At Sheffield Public Library Honors P.B Swoopes And Willie Ruff

by Summre Raines
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SHEFFIELD-Willie Ruff, World famous Jazz musician and professor of music at Yale was on hand to help the Sheffield Library with their program ‘An Evening With Friends’ on Tuesday, April 24.

Ruff spoke of the influence P.B.Swoopes had on him and that Swoopes was the reason he is what he is today.  Swoopes died in 200 at the age of 98.  After graduating from the Tuskegee Institute in 1927 Swoopes opened his tailor shop on Second Street in Sheffield.

Ruff was also honored for his contribution to music and teaching as well.  He enlisted in the Army at 14 and learned to play the French horn while in the army.   He intended to return to school at Tuskegee but after meeting Charlie Parker decided Yale was where he needed to be.

 

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