Freebird Live (originally Freebird Cafe) was a music venue and landmark located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
Freebird Live |
Former names | Freebird Cafe (1999-2005) |
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Address | 200 1st St N Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250 |
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Location | Downtown Jacksonville Beach |
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Owner | Judy Van Zant-Jenness Melody Van Zant |
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Type | Tribute |
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Seating type | Standing-room only |
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Capacity | 700 |
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Opened | September 8, 1999 (1999-09-08) |
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Renovated | 2008 |
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Closed | January 20, 2016 (2016-01-20) |
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Venue Website |
Overview
The venue opened in September 8, 1999, with a concert by The Charlie Daniels Band.[1] It featured Lynyrd Skynyrd memorabilia, food and recorded music, like a Hard Rock Cafe dedicated to Lynyrd Skynyrd. The owner was Judy Van Zant-Jenness and Melody Van Zant, widow and daughter of the late Ronnie Van Zant, founder and lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd.[2]
In 2005, the owners of the venue considered moving the venue location to accommodate a larger capacity and big name acts. Buildings in Atlantic Beach, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida were considered. However, the owners decided to renovate its current location in lieu of moving.[3]
Closing
In September 2015, the owners announced that Freebird would be closing and the property was being sold to xxxxxxxxxxxxxx. After renovation, the business would become 'Surfer the Bar' which will be connected to Surfer Magazine.
Hope Haven Children's Hospital
Hope Haven was founded in 1926, near the height of the tuberculosis epidemic in America, with a mission to serve malnourished and tuberculosis-infected children. Though it opened with just three patients, it quickly outgrew its original facility on the Trout River and, in 1940, moved to a large, white brick hospital on Atlantic Boulevard that quickly became a community landmark.
As modern medicine brought tuberculosis under control, a new public health threat emerged - poliomyelitis, one of the most feared diseases of the mid-1900s. At its new hospital, Hope Haven shifted its attention to treating children afflicted with polio. By the 1960s, when the Salk vaccine began to stem the tide of polio victims, Hope Haven had treated more than 20,000 patients.
As community needs continued to change, Hope Haven continued to adjust, providing general medical and surgical care for children. In 1980, with major changes occurring in the health care system, Hope Haven limited itself to outpatient services. In 1990, it sold the landmark hospital on Atlantic Boulevard and moved to a purpose-built facility on Beach Boulevard, where its staff treats children and families with a range of educational, developmental and mental health concerns.
Today, Hope Haven is recognized as one of the community's leading nonprofit providers of specialized services for children and their families, and has earned the highest respect from its peers. It serves more than 5,000 families each year.
43.599700, -84.287083
The Florida Hospital Service Corporation began operating in 1944 with an office in Jacksonville, Florida. It eventually became Blue Cross of Florida, providing coverage for hospital services. Two years later, the Florida Medical Services Corporation was also founded in Jacksonville and became Blue Shield of Florida, providing coverage for physician services. Enrollment grew from 2,919 in 1946 to 336,438 in 1953. Rapid expansion occurred in 1960 when BCBSF began administering the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, and in 1966, when BCBSF was named primary administrator of Medicare in Florida.
To save money by eliminating duplication of operations, Blue Cross of Florida and Blue Shield of Florida consolidated operations in 1980 and renamed the new company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.
After Y2K, BCBSF began transitioning from health insurance company to health solutions company and rebranded itself as Florida Blue on April 2, 2012.[1]
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http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r103:E03FE4-B135: Congress record
Bonny Kaslo Roberts
http://person.ancestry.com/tree/74188534/person/38284875881/facts