When Freida Eubank served as mayor of Phil Campbell, she constantly searched for ways to bring people to her community.
When Kenneth Cummings and Tom Willis came to her in 2002 with an idea for a weekly dance at the Phil Campbell Community Center, Eubank believed the men had presented her with a surefire way to bring folks to town every week.
And years later, the dance is still a fixture on Friday nights. The Phil Campbell Dance celebrated its 16th anniversary last week with a crowd of more than 100 making their way to the center for an evening of music, food, fellowship and dancing.
“I always wanted to bring people to our town,” Eubank said. “And if they come here, maybe they’ll stop at the gas station and get some gas, or stop for food or snacks. Any time you can get people to our town and spend a little money, next time there may be a few more people.
“We want to bring people to Phil Campbell and not see everyone leaving town on the weekend.”
The dance is held each Friday night from 7-10 p.m. The town receives $1 of the $5 admission fee. A pot luck supper is held the first Friday of the month, and the dance provides a way for guests to enjoy some good, clean fun.
What began as an idea from Cummings and Willis has become a fixture in Phil Campbell.
“We didn’t know if it would go well or not at first,” Eubank said. “But I didn’t really know how many people were interested in dancing around here. We have regulars from Moulton, Jasper, Leighton, Florence, Double Springs and Haleyville.”
Guests at the dance are greeted by Betty Robinett at the door, where she’s collected the admission fee for years. Robinett helped decorate the center last Friday for the 16th anniversary, complete with red tablecloths, floral arrangements and balloons.
There’s a core of regulars, somewhere between 65 and 75 folks, who Eubank describes as one big family, bonded together not just by their affinity for dancing, but also friendships that have been built over 16 years.
“So many of us are regulars and go every week unless we’re sick,” Eubank said. “There are many folks who hardly ever miss a week. We’re all on a first-name basis, and we hug each other when we get there.”
Although Cummings passed away a few years ago, Willis occasionally frequents the dance he helped create. He was on hand at Friday’s anniversary, and he joined the house band, the Fairlanes, to sing three songs. The Fairlanes include Anthony Green, Stanley Parrish, Hugh Don Franklin and Joe King. Willis’s band, “Sounds of Country,” provided the music until a few years ago.
“I never thought sixteen years ago that we’d still be going in Phil Campbell,” Willis said. “We had no intention of staying out here eleven years playing music, but we did. It’s turned out to be very special.”
The Phil Campbell Community Center is located just off College Road next to the Phil Campbell Splash Pad.
