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AUSTIN WEEKLY news ■
Vol. 32 No. 50
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A natural foods manufacturer sprouts in Austin,
December 12, 2018
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austinweeklynews.com
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Also serving Garfield Park
@AustinWeeklyChi
PAGE 10
@AustinWeeklyNews
Austin Coming Together Special pullout section
West Side mourns blues giant Eddie C. Campbell, 79, died on Nov. 20 By BONNIE McKEOWN Contributor
Family members and musicians paid tribute to West Side bluesman Eddie C. Campbell, at a memorial service held Dec. 8 at New Progressive St. James Missionary Baptist Church. Campbell died Nov. 20, at his home in Oak Park, according to the Chicago Tribune and his Facebook page. In 2013, Campbell suffered a stroke while in Germany. Fans raised thousands of dollars to bring him back to the U.S. He was unable to return to the guitar, but after physical therapy he was able to sing and play harmonica for several more years. The master guitarist, songwriter and singer was born May 6, 1937 to Gracie and Edward Brown in Duncan, Miss. — the youngest of three brothers and one sister. The family moved to Chicago when he Campbell was six. As a teen, he was already playing blues with Luther Allison and later with Little Walter. During his youth, he also boxed. Church pastor Reno “Sim” Wilson, Campbell’s nephew, named after the family’s oldest brother, said Campbell fought off eight gang members who tried and failed to recruit him. See EDDIE CAMPBELL on page 6
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
METAMORPHOSIS: Sabrian “Boo” Sledge and Darris Kelly are the owners of Flee Club, a store that specializes in selling rare and limited edition sneakers. Sledge said that he approaches business the same way he approached rapping — by regularly developing his craft.
From rapping to selling shoes — success is in the details
Austin’s Sabrian Sledge, better known as one-half of Boo & Gotti, stresses craft over consumption By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
Sabrian “Boo” Sledge, 38, the co-owner of Flee Club, a high-end resell shoe store at 121 S. Western Ave., is perhaps best known for being one-half of the rap duo Boo & Gotti. The duo peaked on the 2001 Billboard Hot
100 hit “Fiesta (Remix),” which featured JayZ and R. Kelly, who discovered the rappers not long before they became chart-topping. On Nov. 24, which was Small Business Saturday, Sledge sat inside of the shop he owns with his best friend, Darris Kelly, and thought back on his personal evolution from rapper to sneaker connoisseur and
businessman. Sledge said that R-Kelly discovered him while he was outside of Rock and Roll McDonald’s downtown, celebrating his good friend, NBA star Corey Maggette, who had just gotten a scholarship to play at Duke.
Austin Chamber of Commerce on the move... 773.854.5848 • www.austinchicagochamber.com
See FLEE CLUB on page 4