Kiki Carter

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Kiki Carter
Kiki Carter

Kiki Carter born Kimberli Wilson (b. November 21, 1957 in Gainesville, Florida) is an environmental activist, organizer, musician, songwriter, and columnist.

Contents

[edit] Biography

She was the first of four children, born to a father of British descent and an Italian mother. Kiki attended 12 different schools in Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, and Gainesville, Florida and one in Oak Ridge, Tennessee by the time she graduated from Gainesville High School in 1974. She entered the University of Florida at age 16, where she majored in music performance and music education.

As a euphonium student at the University of Florida (Kimberli Wilson) Kiki won the Sigma Alpha Iota "Outstanding Freshman Musician Award" for the 1974-75 year. Throughout her college years, Kiki performed in various ensembles, symphonic bands and wind ensembles as principal/solo euphoniumist.

In the summer of 1976, Kiki traveled to Ruston Louisiana to study with euphonium soloist, Raymond Young, then head of the Department of Music at Louisiana Tech University.[1] She completed her junior year of college in Ruston, majoring in euphonium and minoring on piano, returning to the University of Florida in the fall of 1978.

In 1979, University of Florida Music Department Chairman Budd Udell included a euphonium solo written expressly for Kiki in Forces One, the first movement of his Symphony for Band. The Symphony was premiered at the Music Educators National Conference convention in Miami Beach on April 9, 1980 with Kiki (Kimberli Wilson) performing the solo.[2] That same year, Kiki was one of eight national finalists in the Tubist Universal Brotherhood Association's national collegiate solo contest for euphonium. At the competition, she performed Warner Hutchison's Sonatina for Euphonium with favorable reviews.

Kiki graduated from the University of Florida in March of 1981 and briefly did some post-baccalaureate work as a theater major at the University of Florida in the summer of 1981, leaving in August to audition for euphonium jobs in the Washington D.C. military service bands.[3] She started studying with Brian Bowman, euphonium soloist of the United States Air Force Band in Washington DC. During her studies in DC, from August 1, 1981 to February of 1982 Kiki worked as a governess for Washington Post publisher, Donald Graham and his wife, Mary,[3] living in their home, preparing meals and caring for their three children.

While in Washington, DC, Kiki began playing guitar and writing songs. She became disillusioned with the prospect of a professional military band career in DC and returned to Gainesville in February of 1982.[3] Through a mutual friend, Kiki met Michele Marino, who began managing Kiki's career. Michele booked Kiki's first television appearances a solo performer on The Kim Edstrom Show in August of 1983 on WCJB-TV in Gainesville.[4] Kiki started playing in clubs in the Gainesville area, often accompanied by pianist and singer, Sidney Bertisch.

In 1984 Kiki and Michele travelled to Los Angeles, California, where Kiki won the weekly music contest at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood[3] The contest brought her to the attention of Capitol Records VP Joe Mc Fadden who gave her his business card and suggested she contact him. Through manager, Michele, Kiki came to the attention of Robert L. "Bumps" Blackwell,[3] songwriter ("Good Golly, Miss Molly" "Long Tall Sally" ) record producer and manager of Little Richard and producer for Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" and Bob Dylan's "Shot of Love". Bumps arranged for Kiki to sing with a group appearing in a 1983 Los Angeles television show with Billy Preston. Robert Blackwell managed Kiki until his passing in March of 1985.

While in Los Angeles, in May of 1984, Kiki married first husband Rick Carter,[3] over Michele Marino's strong protests. Kiki had only known Rick for one month when they ran off to Las Vegas to be married.[3] Rick and Kiki returned to Gainesville. Their son Richard was born in 1986.

During those years Kiki made several trips from Gainesville to Nashville to meet with Capitol Records. Joe Mc Fadden had put her in touch with Jim Fogelsong in the Nashville office. Fogelsong put her in touch with Terry Choate, then head of A&R. Kiki was in the process of meetings with Capitol/Nashville's A&R department, but before a deal was struck, Capitol Records experienced a major restructuring and her contacts at Capitol Records in Nashville had been replaced.

[edit] Activism

At the end of 1986, Kiki's mother, author Patti Greenwood caught wind of the US Department of Energy's plans to build a demonstration irradiation facility in Gainesville, Florida.[5][6]

Patti shared the news with her daughter, Kiki. In early 1987, Kiki called the local television station, ABC affiliate WCJB-TV to alert them to plans by the United States Department of Energy and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to build a food irradiation facility in Gainesville, Florida, using radioactive cesium-137.[7][8][9][10]This project was part of the United States Department of Energy's By-Products Utilization Program (BUP). The BUP was born out of a Congressional mandate to find uses for by-products of plutonium production. Using these radioactive by-products to irradiate food was one of the program's goals.

In an unusual move, Kiki was invited to appear live in the studio with the WCJB anchors to report the issue to the community at large. Soon a grassroots movement was galvanizing with Kiki and her mother at the epicenter.

Kiki Carter and her mother, Priscilla Greenwood founded the organization Citizens Against a Radioactive Environment (C.A.R.E.) to oppose the use of Department of Energy stores of radioactive cesium-137 in a demonstration food irradiation facility. The cesium-137 was slated to be used at six different demonstration irradiators through the country, one of which was proposed for Gainesville, Florida.[11] After a groundswell of public opposition, public debates, and public forums, the cesium-137 was never used in the facility.[12]

Just months after the Gainesville decision, an irradiation facility in Decatur, Georgia had a radioactive leak of cesium-137, costing the nation $38 million dollars in cleanup.[13]

Meanwhile another irradiator was planned for Plant City Florida and citizens were calling C.A.R.E. for help. Kiki organized a state-wide coalition of concerned citizens called the Florida Coalition to Stop Food Irradiation and was soon travelling around the state of Florida appearing on local, regional[14] and national TV[15][16] and radio news and talk shows[17] and helping to organize fledgling groups in other communities.[18][19]

Working as an environmental activist expanded Kiki's awareness of other environmental and social justice issues. Kiki helped wherever she could, appearing at public meetings and performing at benefit concerts.[20] She became active in helping to raise awareness of radon issues in Alachua County and helped provide free test kits to residents.[21] Kiki's pet projects included the I.C.E.S. fruition project, where she organized plantings of fruit trees in Habitat for Humanity homesites,[22] and promoting the use of reusable bags in grocery stores.[23]

Kiki was an independent candidate in 1988 for the Alachua County Commission and garnering 20% of the vote in a three way race, losing to wildlife artist Kate Barnes.

In 1992, Kiki wrote a weekly column for the Marion/Alachua edition of the Tampa Tribune called Environmentally Speaking.

Kiki often used her musical talents and connections to organize and participate in fundraising concerts for her environmental causes, including a 1996 concert at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts featuring world-renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra.[24] Kiki also composed songs and produced regional television commercials for the United Way.

In February of 1998, Kiki married singer/songwriter, Greg Webb, the lead singer of the Gainesville, Florida based Rhythm and Blues Revue, changing her name to Kiki Webb. They began collaborating musically and formed the acoustic duo, dancing Light (Sunblossom Records). The name dancing Light came from a song of the same title, written about a vision Kiki (then Kimberli Wilson) had after a near-death experience.[25][26]

Kiki and Greg moved to Greg's family property on Leech Lake in northern Minnesota in 2000.[27] Kiki became active in the Leech Lake Head Start program on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation where she chaired the parent committee of her son's Head Start program and was elected to chair the policy council of the Leech Lake Head Start program.

Kiki and Greg began touring Minnesota, as the acoustic duo, dancing Light.[28][29] As Dancing Light, they released their first full-length CD, Meadowdance in 1993.[30]

Kiki and her husband, Greg, co-founded independent record label, Sunblossom Records, and Kiki is founder of music publishing company, Shebreana Music (BMI) She and her husband Greg started Saturday Cafe Concert Series, a weekly Concert series in Northern Minnesota.[31] They continued to perform at benefit concerts.[32][33][34]

In the fall of 2005 Kiki and her husband helped organize the Great Gala for the Gulf, a benefit concert for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, held at the Moondance Jam site in Northern Minnesota.[35][36][37] raising over $5,000 for relief to survivors.[38][39][40]

[edit] Ongoing Activism

Kiki is a vocal proponent of the campaign to establish a United States Department of Peace [2]. Congressional legislation to establish a Department of Peace has been repeatedly proposed since 1935. Most recently, in September of 2005, Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota introduced legislation in the House of Representatives and the Senate to create a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence. [3]

[edit] Family

  • Father: Harold Wilson (retired pharmacist)
  • Mother: Priscilla Normandy aka Patti Greenwood (minister, author, columnist)
  • Husband: Rick Carter (m. 1984, div. 1988, one son)
  • Son: Richard D. Carter
  • Husband: Greg Webb (m. 1998, one son)
  • Son: Gregory Wilson-Webb

[edit] References

  1. ^ Author unknown: "Euphoniums can be special instrument: Florida girl studies at Tech", Ruston Daily Leader, May, 1976
  2. ^ "In Concert, The University of Florida Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, Frank B. Wickes, Conductor", Conference Program, April 9, 1980
  3. ^ a b c d e f g DeYoung, Bill: "Kiki Carter Comes Home to Sing", page 7. Scene Magazine, The Gainesville Sun, February 22, 1985
  4. ^ Staff Writer: "Spotlight", page 1. Alligator's Applause Summer Magazine, The Independent Florida Alligator, August 5, 1983
  5. ^ Greenwood, Patti: "Food Irradiation: Battle lines are forming", page 18. Skylight, October 1986
  6. ^ Greenwood, Patti: "Irradiation of food is new frontier", section A, page 11. The Gainesville Sun, December 2, 1986
  7. ^ Barber, John: "Glowing Concerns", Eating Well, pages 37-43.Eating Well: The Magazine of Food & Health, February 1992
  8. ^ Galen Moses: "Carter: performer and persuasive crusader", section A, page 1.The Gainesville Sun, August 10, 1987
  9. ^ Galen Moses: "A fight is unfolding over plans for an irradiator",section A, page 1.The Gainesville Sun, April 11, 1987
  10. ^ Hartley, Thornton: "Gainesville Irradiation Plant Opposed" section B, page 1. The Florida Times Union, April 19, 1987
  11. ^ Galen Moses: "Construction is planned for food-irradiation plant", page 5B.The Gainesville Sun, February 26, 1987
  12. ^ Moses, Galen: "Cesium-137 won't be used in irradiator," section A, page 1 headlineThe Gainesville Sun, January 14, 1988 includes photo of Kiki Carter with caption
  13. ^ Swain, Bruce: "The Three Mile Island of Irradiation", pages 56-60, 83-88. East West Journal, October 1989 with photos by Kirk Martin, DeKalb News/Sun
  14. ^ Pearson, Joyce, Producer: "Eye on Tampa Bay" WTVT. November 15,1991
  15. ^ Consumer segment on food irradiation: Good Morning America, ABC-TV. August 15, 1991, 7:40 am
  16. ^ "Kiki Carter on TV this morning", section B, page 1. The Gainesville Sun, August 15, 1991
  17. ^ Rather, Dan and Vasquez, Juan: CBS Evening News [1] Friday, Jan 10, 1992
  18. ^ Stutzman, Rene: "Irradiation foes noisy at protest", Section A, page 1. Orlando Sentinel, November 5, 1991
  19. ^ Hicks, Sally: "Radiation plant may face a fight", page 1. St. Petersburg Times, 1991
  20. ^ "Earth Day Benefit",Notes, Scene Magazine, The Gainesvile Sun, Friday, April 20, 1990
  21. ^ Blaugrund, Andrea: "Confusion mounting over radon", section A, page 1.The Gainesville Sun, April 9, 1988
  22. ^ Joyce Slaton: "Little Steps To Big Solutions", page 19.Moon Magazine, December 92/January 93
  23. ^ Harris, Christy: "Environmental concerns in the bag", section D, page 1. The Palm Beach Post, June 17, 1990 (includes photo of Kiki Carter with reusable bags)
  24. ^ Grundy, David M.: "Will Salerno-Sonnenberg return to Gainesville?" Scene Magazine. The Gainesville Sun, August 7, 1992
  25. ^ Wilson, Kimberli: "Dayspring", page 25. New Age Gainesville, September 1983
  26. ^ Arndorfer, Bob: "Mars Madness", Section A, page 1 (headline).The Gainesville Sun, July 13, 1997
  27. ^ cached story from The Gainesville Iguana online
  28. ^ Thompson, Chris: "Acoustic folk duo coming to Borderland", page 6. The Daily Journal, September 17, 2003
  29. ^ Steele, Adam: photograph with caption, page 7. The Northern Herald, December 30, 2003
  30. ^ LeCompte, Gale: "Dancing Light releases Meadowdance", section C, page 1. Herald Review, July 13, 2003
  31. ^ Saturday Cafe Concert Series
  32. ^ Higgins, Toni: "Walker community gives for Radiothon to End Child Abuse", story online The Pilot-Independent, December 27, 2005
  33. ^ "'Homes Fires Burning' concert was spectacular",story online,The Pilot-Independent, December 15th
  34. ^ "Leech Lake Area Habitat for Humanity says,'Thanks!'",story online,The Pilot-Independent, August 5, 2004
  35. ^ "Great Northwoods Gala for the Gulf", section A, page 1. The Pilot Independent, October 5, 2005
  36. ^ "Great Northwoods Gala for the Gulf", section A, page 1. Northland Press, October 4, 2005
  37. ^ "Great Northwoods Gala for the Gulf: Minnesota communities come together to aid Hurricane victims: Music festival, art sale set for Oct. 9 at Moondance Saloon and Grill at Moondance Jam Fairground near Walker",The Pilot-Independent, October 4, 2005
  38. ^ DeBoer, Gail: "Great Northwoods Gala for the Gulf raises more than $5,000 for relief",section A, page 1. The Pilot Independent, October 19, 2005 (print version)
  39. ^ DeBoer, Gail: "Great Northwoods Gala for the Gulf raises more than $5,000 for hurricane relief"The Pilot-Independent, October 18, 2005 (online version)
  40. ^ Boblett, Paul: "Great Northwoods Gala for the Gulf raises over $5,000",section A, page 1. Northland Press, October 18, 2005

[edit] Sources

[edit] Feature articles about Kiki Carter

  • DeYoung, Bill: "Kiki Carter Comes Home to Sing", page 7. Scene Magazine, The Gainesville Sun, February 22, 1985
  • Galen Moses: "Carter: performer and persuasive crusader", The Gainesville Sun, page 1, August 10, 1987
  • Barber, John: "Glowing Concerns", Eating Well, pages 37-43.Eating Well: The Magazine of Food & Health, February 1992
  • Joyce Slaton: "Little Steps To Big Solutions," , Moon Magazine, December 92/January 93

[edit] Articles mention or quote Kiki Carter

[edit] Articles written by Kiki Carter

  • "Family Lives the Environmentalist Life," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, May 9, 1992
  • "Greens Take Root in Florida," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, May 16, 1992
  • "Expert Finds Some Ways to Save Money on Energy," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, May 23, 1992
  • "Retiree is concerned for environment," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, May 30, 1992
  • "Researcher giving time to planet he loves," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, June 8, 1992
  • "Clay Pipe Along Creek Should be Monitored," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, June 13, 1992
  • "Garden Mirrors Man's Philosophy," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, June 20, 1992
  • "Poe Springs Popular for Swimming," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, June 27, 1992
  • "We are Dependent Creatures," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, July 4, 1992
  • "Environmental Activist Launched Idea Exchange," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, July 11, 1992
  • "Earth May Have 'Energy Points'," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, July 25, 1992
  • "Man Credits Diet With Improving Life," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, August 1, 1992
  • "We're Burying Ourselves in Garbage," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, August 8, 1992
  • "Alachua Candidates Answer Environmental Questions," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, August 18, 1992
  • "Candidates Face Environmental Issues," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, August 22, 1992
  • "EPA Suggests Testing for Radon," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, August 29, 1992
  • "Scorecard Rates Lawmakers on Environmental Action," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, September 5, 1992
  • "Musicians Passionate About Trees," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, September 12, 1992
  • "Wildlife Corridor Faces Extinction," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, September 19, 1992
  • "Irradiation Fears Go Beyond Food Safety," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, September 27, 1992
  • "Photographer Crusades To Preserve Nature," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, October 3, 1992
  • "Greens Hold Party to Celebrate Possibilities for Next 500 Years," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, October 10, 1992
  • "Compost Benefits States Sandy Soil," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, October 25, 1992
  • "Stewards of the Land on the Lookout For Pollution," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, November 8, 1992
  • "Solar/electric Chevy truck charges into Gainesville," Kiki Carter, The Tampa Tribune, December 6, 1992

[edit] External links

  • Kiki Carter: official band website of the band, dancing Light [4]
  • The Gainesville Sun index: catalogued by the Alachua County Library [5]
  • Minnesota Public Radio, Minnewiki, The Minnesota Music Encyclopedia [6]
  • Campaign to create a US Department of Peace [7]
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