“When Ali died, there was this outpouring of emotion. People were gathering right outside the Muhammad Ali Center, and I thought that using music would help people connect with each other and interpret what has just happened. Or even just something to pay tribute to him in the smallest way. I called my friends Jecorey Arthur, Carly Johnson and Scott Moore. We did a communal singing of ‘Amazing Grace.’ This really brought folks into an intimate space.
“He was definitely a citizen of the world, but Louisville is the basis for his story. He found the resources to become the Muhammad Ali we know him to be in Louisville. We shouldn’t ever forget that. Those same resources, the same ingredients, are there in our city for the next person, the next hero to get inspired to do something truly great. If we don’t provide that legacy or that evidence of those ingredients, we’re doing our citizenry a disservice.”
Abrams is the conductor of the Louisville Orchestra.
By Jenny Kiefer
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