Lee H. Abraham has been writing songs for most of his life, but none have ever been burned onto a CD. But the past is the past. This year, Abraham, along with musicians Daniel and Kenny Boone, Bob Ingram, Kimble Slaton and Patrick Smith got together and recorded “Brotherhood,” a compilation of 10 songs composed by Abraham.

The men — all Vicksburg residents — are set to perform Abraham’s songs for the public beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, at The Strand Theatre in downtown Vicksburg.

Abraham, who has served as the lead vocalist for The Chill, started singing in a band in Port Gibson when he was 14 years old. At 20, he added playing the guitar to his resume after teaching himself how to play chords. This was so he could write his own songs, he said.

In the late ‘70s Abraham was a member of the Coonbox Band, and while performing in Vicksburg at The Biscuit Company, he met the Boone brothers and Ingram, who were in a band called the New Radio Cowboys. Both bands, Daniel Boone said, would often play at the same venues and sometimes even on the same bill.

As is the case with most bands, both the Coonbox Band and the New Radio Cowboys began to dissolve. Abraham moved to Vicksburg and in 1982 began playing with the Boone brothers, forming the Highway 61 Band.

“Even though that band only lasted a couple of years,” Daniel said, “It was the beginning of a musical association which has lasted off and on for over forty years.” 

One of those “on times” occurred in 2006 after Daniel had opened the Highway 61 Coffeehouse on Washington Street.

Daniel said that on occasion the coffeehouse would have live music, so he invited Abraham to come play one night. During Abraham’s performance, Daniel said he asked him to “join in on a song or two.”

Daniel did. On a subsequent night, Abraham invited both Daniel and Kenny to sing with him, and before they realized it, Daniel said, “We were playing together every now and then,” and it was during these performances that Abraham’s originals were performed.

“I slowly came to realize that Lee H. Abraham and the Boone brothers has been a project whose existence was really about one thing: original songs written by Lee H. and I realized it was the longest-lived musical organization I have been a part of,” Daniel said. “We’ve done a variety of material, but I think our most important mission was always Lee’s songs.”

Over the next 15 years, Abraham and the Boone brothers found a space and times to perform, but then COVID hit.

“Like so many things, the pandemic tried to stop us — shut us down,” Daniel said. “And it almost succeeded.”

But last year, Kenny revived the Fall Ball, an annual concert that he started in 1980 to celebrate his birthday by doing something he loved — playing music. The event consisted of five bands from Vicksburg and central Mississippi who gathered on a Sunday afternoon in a field in north Warren County.

Last year’s Fall Ball was not on a field in Warren County, but at The Strand Theatre. Veteran musicians were in attendance and Daniel said to effectively “fill out” their band, Kenny recruited two musicians they had performed with before — Ingram and Kimble Slaton – as well as newcomer Patrick Smith.

“He is a fantastic young keyboardist we’ve all admired,” Daniel said of Smith.

The Fall Ball was a huge success and Daniel said the band, which consisted of him playing drums, Abraham and Kenny on guitar and vocals, Ingram on keyboards, Slaton on bass and Smith on keyboards and vocals, had a good time performing.

“It was so much fun, and we were all struck by how having Bob on organ and Patrick on piano added so much to the sound. I’ve been in bands with one keyboard and bands with no keyboards, but this is really the first band with two full-time guys and wow,” Daniel said.

With the revival of the Fall Ball being such a hit, Daniel said the only dilemma was how they could follow it. Thus, the idea to showcase Abraham’s original songs.

“And then Kenny upped the ante by saying, ‘let’s record them first,’ Daniel said. “Which I just saw as an obstacle.”

Daniel said he was worried the guys wouldn’t be willing to come together — first for a session — and then for a show.

“But they were all in,” he said. “Kimble hosted us in his Hummingbird Recording studio one weekend this summer where we recorded 10 of Lee’s originals.”

“Doing this project with my best friends has been awesome,” Abraham said. “I am honored that they would take time out of their busy schedules to work on my music. I’ve admired these guys and have enjoyed playing with them for many years, and this experience has been quite humbling. I am tremendously grateful to Daniel, Kenny, Patrick, Bob and Kimble. The musical talents and creativity of these guys have made a dream come true for me. Kimble’s studio, Hummingbird Recording, is state-of-the-art, and his expertise in the field is the best. And we are so blessed to have a venue like The Strand in Vicksburg. Jack Burns and Daniel provide a perfect place to come together and share our passions. This project is a labor of love, and I hope everyone enjoys our music.”

Daniel said it had been the recording experience that inspired the band to call the project “Brotherhood.”

“And now we’re ready to share it,” he said.

Tickets for the performance, which, in addition to performing Abraham’s originals, will include a set where the band will perform cover songs and tunes featuring Smith, are $25 and are available at Highway 61 Coffeehouse, 1101 Washington St. or online at brotherhood.brownpapertickets.com.

Daniel said CD’s will be available for purchase at a later date.