Henry “Gip” Gipson, the iconic bluesman and owner of Gip’s Place, the legendary juke joint in Bessemer, had died. He was 99.

Gipson’s great niece, Angela Gipson confirmed to AL.com that the owner of the juke joint passed around 12:45 today.

Gipson, who usually performed at the joint and held court on the left side of the stage, hadn’t been to the joint in the past few months. Gipson had been suffering from health problems since May. That month, he was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection and released to Diversicare of Bessemer.

Months later, questions would surround the future of the iconic jukejoint when the music joint’s managers announced that they would no longer be running the joint. However, the family decided to take over operations and resumed running Gip’s Place in August.

Angela Gipson says the family is still finalizing funeral plans. Well-wishers are invited to gather at Gip’s Place on Saturday for a memorial show where donations will go to Gipson’s funeral costs.

Gipson celebrated his 99th birthday in January.

Alabama blues hall of famer Jock Webb, Sr. has played with Gipson for more than 20 years and remembers the late musician as an embodiment of the blues. On Tuesday, the Rosedale native told Al.com that Gip’s legacy must be carried on.

“We’ve got to keep the touch burning,” said Webb. “The link between what is called church and what is called the blues is the same.”

In August, Webb was the emcee at Gip’s Place the Saturday night after the family announced that they would be taking over operations. That night, blues musicians from around the state gathered to mark the next chapter of the juke joint with a Southern blues revival. One guitarist, Lee Brown, came all the way from Atlanta. Webb who had launched into gear to organize the show when the Gipson family called him, said that night was a return to the juke joint’s roots.

Bluesman Jock Webb plays the harmonica on stage at Gip's Place on the night of Saturday, August 10. (Credit: Shauna Stuart for AL.com)

“There’s going to be blues. There’s going to be rejoicing. We’re gonna break plenty of bread. And we’re gonna to have a great time,” Webb told the crowd that night. “We’re just getting this place back in order.”

“He was always so amazed that so many people loved him”

Diane Guyton managed and booked bands at Gip’s Place for more than four years before departing in August. When Gipson could no longer attend shows due to his health, Guyton says while the nights were still fun, his absence was palpable.

“It was hard without him,” Guyton told Al.com on Tuesday. “The juke joint just wasn’t the same without him there.”

She remembers Gipson as a kind, loving soul. And while he could be stern at times, he was always compassionate. One of her fondest memories of the late bluesman, she says, was at his 99th birthday celebration at Gip’s Place in January.

“He had to shake everybody’s hand,” she said. “It was just the thrill of it. Just to see his face. He was always so amazed that so many people loved him.”

But while Guyton and her husband Randy managed hundreds of shows at the juke joint, she says she rarely took photos with Gipson, who lovingly called her “Ane” or “Di.”

“He would try and pull me into pictures and I would say ‘No! They’re not here to see me. They’re here to see you.’ ”

While the last few weeks of Guyton’s tenure with Gip’s Place were marked with some contention, she says she was happy when Henry Gipson’s son, Keith Gipson, called to let her know that Gipson had passed.

“I wish his family well and I’ll be praying for them,” said Guyton. “I knew I wasn’t going to be there forever. I was just blessed to be there as long as I was.”

NOTE: This post will be updated