WRAL.COM — People gather beneath James Taylor Bridge in Chapel Hill to sing songs, celebrate his birthday
By Heather Leah
A Chapel Hill woman honored James Taylor’s birthday on Friday afternoon with a crowd of people joining together to sing his songs beneath the James Taylor bridge.
James Taylor’s childhood home sits in Chapel Hill – as well as a bridge named in his honor.
Bobbi Wilkins has prepared for the birthday celebration by hanging a banner on the bridge’s sign. At 3 p.m. on Friday, a small group gathered to sing songs in his honor.
“The City of Chapel Hill liked my idea to honor James on his Birthday and today a representative from Chapel Hill Tourism and her neighbor helped me hang these signs,” said Wilkins.
Wilkins, who grew up about a mile from the house James Taylor grew up in, has been using his music as part of healing from an unexpected injury. Every Saturday for the past year, she said she’s visited his bridge and cleaned up litter.
Wilkins was a PA at Duke when a back injury and brain injury changed her life.
LOCAL NEWS
People gather beneath James Taylor Bridge in Chapel Hill to sing songs, celebrate his birthday
Tags: good news
Posted March 12, 2021 1:01 p.m. EST
Updated March 12, 2021 6:25 p.m. EST
By Heather Leah, WRAL multiplatform producer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A Chapel Hill woman honored James Taylor’s birthday on Friday afternoon with a crowd of people joining together to sing his songs beneath the James Taylor bridge.
Bobbi Wilkins has prepared for the birthday celebration by hanging a banner on the bridge’s sign. At 3 p.m. on Friday, a small group gathered to sing songs in his honor.
“The City of Chapel Hill liked my idea to honor James on his Birthday and today a representative from Chapel Hill Tourism and her neighbor helped me hang these signs,” said Wilkins.
Wilkins, who grew up about a mile from the house James Taylor grew up in, has been using his music as part of healing from an unexpected injury. Every Saturday for the past year, she said she’s visited his bridge and cleaned up litter.
Wilkins was a PA at Duke when a back injury and brain injury changed her life.
“I will heal completely from both injuries, but brain injuries take a lot of time to heal. So, I had a lot of time on my hands and I needed to stay busy,” she said.
For the past eight years she’s listened to Taylor’ songs, read his story and walked the path to where he grew up.
Wilkins has seen fire, and she’s seen rain. She was inspired by the story of Taylor’s recovery from addiction.
“I didn’t have a heroin addiction, but I had a brain injury caused by a drug. The two are different, but surprisingly similar,” she said. “You have to heal from both injuries, and the healing process is the same — or, it has been for me.”
With all of this extra time and a lot of healing to do, she decided to make a positive impact.
On Saturday, she will have completed a full year of cleaning the area around the James Taylor Bridge – another yet of healing.
“I have spent a lot of time alone, out walking, healing my brain,” she said.
“James, I always believed you. I always felt like I had a friend walking with me. Thanks for walking with me all these years. I am almost there,” she said.
Happy Birthday James.