The Tallahassee city commission is considering renaming the Amphitheatre at Cascades Park and an adjacent street after Jazz legends Nat and Cannonball Adderley.
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley’s most famous piece is “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”
Nat Adderley’s “Work Song” is considered a jazz staple.
The brothers have their musical roots in the area. They were born in Tampa and came to Tallahassee in the late 1920s when their parents became instructors at Florida A&M. The two would later attend FAMU before launching their careers as acclaimed musicians. Their early performances in and around Tallahassee included another local—Ray Charles.
The city can easily rename the amphitheatre as it's under their authority. The commission also wants to rename a portion of nearby Suwannee street after the brothers but needs the county commission to sign off on that.
The brothers are buried in the Southside Cemetery.
