Spent most of last night thinking about Tonya West and how much she meant to people who knew her here in Birmingham and the thing that I was consistently struck by/reminded of was how universally loved she was by anyone/everyone that ever crossed her path. But not only that, she was the type of person who seemed to attract the most genuine people around and was something of a magnet for the best of Birminghams creative community and some of the most unique and free-spirited/open-minded people Ive ever met here in The Magic City. And she was a part of a much larger extended family that stretched all the way from Carole Griffin and the Chez Lulu/Continental Bakery crew (where I first met and worked with her in the late-90s), to Cosmos, The Nick, Sakura, Franklin Biggs Homewood Gourmet, and many more spaces in between. And as I think back on it, one of the things that I remember most is that I always knew that if someone was friends with Tonya that I inherently knew they were going to be good people and worth getting to know myself. And so many of the friendships that Ive developed over my life here in town have almost always had- in some weird roundabout way- some connection to that sweet, sweet woman and the peoples lives who shes been a part of for so many years. And its truly remarkable. She was a calling card to friendship and a beacon of light and laughter to so many, and a real cornerstone of a certain era of Birminghams cultural life that I will always cherish. Long before the new renaissance and culinary explosion, the gentrification and the countless music venues, it was people like Tonya- and those she was surrounded by- who helped hold down the fort here in Birmingham by making sure people had great food to eat and good music to listen to and kept the spark of creativity alive in a town that too often seemed to want to extinguish it all together. But whats truly sad is that she was one of those people whose presence here in Birmingham I- and probably many others- truly took for granted because SHE HAD ALWAYS BEEN HERE, just like Marty and Jimmy and all of the other people who have passed on who helped make Birmingham what it is today. And for people who knew her, Birmingham will never be the same. Because its like losing Vulcan or some other revered landmark that you unwittingly used to orient yourself and help navigate around the city but never once thought about actually losing. And although I knew she had been in bad health, her death yesterday still came as a complete shock BECAUSE IT WAS TONYA and just didnt seem real, but the outpouring of love she has received has been absolutely remarkable and a true testament to the impact she had on so many peoples lives. And all I can say is, what a beautiful soul and what a beautiful life to have been admired by so many. A true Birmingham original.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 17:23:04 +0000