JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Honoring those who have given to Jacksonville throughout its history: “Pillars” of our community.
That’s the goal of the recently opened The Pillars Club in downtown Jacksonville.
To celebrate the members-only social club and cigar lounge’s opening event on Thursday night, we go to know their special guest’s connection to the city’s past.
Warren Singleton’s father is Jacksonville’s musical celebrity Charlie “Hoss” Singleton, a local songwriter who worked with the likes of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.
Singleton’s son told News4Jax seeing his father’s enlarged photo among the portraits of historical pillars of Jacksonville’s past that adorn the walls of the newly opened Pillars Club was a wonderful surprise.
“I’m happy that he’s being given his, his special honor,” Singleton said.
Singleton a guest of honor at the Pillars Club opening event said his father was a composer extraordinaire from Jacksonville, who helped the careers of some pretty famous singers.
“My father was responsible for writing a lot of songs for Nat King Cole. He also wrote Strangers in the Night for Frank Sinatra,” Singleton said.
The exclusive, members-only club obtained the photos from the Jacksonville Historical Society. You will find adorned along the walls of their Downtown West Adams Street location historical images of Jacksonville’s icons such as James Weldon Johnson, Ninah May Holden Cummer, and J.E.T Bowden.
“We see this as a good fit, a good opportunity for us to share some of the resources we’ve become the custodians of, over the past 92 years,” said Alan Bliss, Jacksonville Historical Society CEO.
And through that partnership, The Pillars Club is calling on local artists to create their own versions of the historical portraits decorating the club’s walls, renditions to be auctioned off several times a year.
The funds raised go to a different Jacksonville charity each time.
“When you think about what moves, shapes and grows a community, It’s all of the little things that we all contribute. And so where would we be without art?” said Simone Williams, owner of The Pillars Club.
The Pillars Club is made up of investors, volunteers and civil workers.
To become a member, you have to show you’re contributing to the success of the larger Jacksonville community in some way.
To learn more, check out the club’s website.