WNP features singing mailman, poet, actor
Singing mailman, actor and poet Anthony Baker will be this week’s feature for Wednesday Night Poetry at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave.
The regular open mic for all poets will begin at 6:30 p.m. and Baker will perform at 7 p.m., followed by another open mic. Admission is free and open to all.
A mailman in Benton for over 30 years, Baker started singing in church with his sisters when he was 7, a news release said. Since then he has performed in countless venues across the country not only as a singer/songwriter and poet, but an actor and comedian. Plus, he has published two novels which are available at http://www.badboybaker.com.
Standing at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and wearing a size 16 shoe, Baker was a starting center for the Little Rock Central High School basketball team in 1980-81. “But my heart was in the arts,” he said. He sang in an a cappella quartet in high school called the Central High Gang. He also performed at Magic Springs as part of a college group called the Mid-America Singers ’81 and was attending Garland County Community College at the time. Since then, he has sung and acted at numerous venues in central Arkansas, including River Front Park and The Weekend Theater in Little Rock.
Baker has also won awards for his acting and singing in places like Memphis, Nashville, Tenn., and Dallas, and he was an extra in the films “Guardians Of The Galaxy 2” and “Mark of Death.” He has also performed on cruise ships, the latest being just two weeks ago.
“My passion is entertaining people,” said Baker. “I love to make people laugh. It’s like a drug for me.” Occasionally he will sing “Happy Birthday” for people on his mail route. He plans to retire from the postal service next year.
Baker started writing poetry in 1986, and still has the original copy of his first poem, titled “My Cousin, My Brother, the King.” “Most of my poetry deals with relations, identity, love and situational encounters. Basically, everyday life,” he said. “It’s like I have a continuous TV series going on in my head and I have to let it out. Often it’s in the form of poetry.”
Email budonfoot@yahoo.com for more information about Wednesday Night Poetry.