Since taking over as interim director of the Dothan Community Center and Opera House, Clay Dempsey has had a vision for the future.
“If you’re from Dothan, now is the time to get excited about what’s coming next,” said director Dempsey. “My job here is not to think about myself or about tomorrow; I’m trying to do something in 10 years. You’re talking about moving into a new building, so it’s a blessing to help set the stage for someone else to come in when my career is over and take things to the next level.”
City commissioners appear to be on board with Dempsey’s idea, as they unanimously voted for him as the new director during the regular Dothan City Commission meeting.
“If we were going to build a larger event, we really needed someone with that level of talent to run it,” District 3 Commissioner Bradley Bedwell said. “I’m glad we found him.”
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During his tenure as interim director, a role he assumed in March, Dempsey played a critical role in bringing notable performers such as Kevin Hart, KC and the Sunshine Band, Clint Black, Justin Moore and Jim Breuer to perform. at the Dothan Civic Center.
Back in June, Hart performed two shows at the Circle City. Dempsey secured these shows within weeks of becoming acting director.
“We were lucky in a way; it was perfect timing,” Dempsey said. “On my second day as acting director, I received an email from someone I recognized because this guy taught me something a few years ago. I called him, we started talking backstage, and about two weeks later I found out about it. , and I told my wife, “Damn, let’s go.”
Dempsey believes Hart’s show was an example of the kind of star power the city can attract.
“People don’t believe we can get anything in Dothan, but we can,” Dempsey said. “That’s been proven by these shows.”
When talking to promoters, the most important thing Dempsey brings to the table is hospitality and experience.
“We don’t have mountains, beaches or lakes here,” Dempsey said. “So you have to sell everything else the city has to offer. “I’m very promoter friendly and we should encourage people to come and do business with Dothan.”
His love for music is what brought Dempsey to the position he is in today. Before working in the city, Dempsey worked as a bartender, worked in a record store as a teenager, and toured with several bands before eventually leaving the area to work at the Philadelphia Film Festival until 2009.
From there, Dempsey worked for promoters in Atlanta before returning to Dothan to work at The Crossing at Big Creek. During Dempsey’s tenure there, many leading artists performed in the amphitheater on the hotel grounds.
“When I first came home, I didn’t want to be here and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Dempsey said. “When I started Big Creek, the goal was to get into the amphitheater. We played some big shows there; we did Cody Johnson, Riley Green, which was the biggest outdoor show in Dothan, and Parker McCollum.”
Dempsey’s goal is to bring something here for everyone.
“I want to bring a little more comedy and rock and everything else into it,” Dempsey said. “I don’t want to tell people to come out and support every show, but I’m going to try to make something that people want to come to. The big key now is that we have city leaders who have a quality of life and I want to bring something here to get people excited about Dothan.”
While booking these shows isn’t easy, Dempsey has already established relationships with some promoters since returning to Dothan. He said his job now is to continue to maintain those connections.
“Instead of just saying we’ll take this show, I tell the promoters, ‘Where can I work with you on this contract to get it made, where can you find other artists and bring them to Dothan?’ Dempsey said. “Six String Southern Promotions came here, but now they come with more volume. I think we’ll be in a good position next year.”
Looking ahead to next year, Dempsey said several top artists will perform in Dothan.
“We have some amazing events planned for next year,” Dempsey said. “It’s all paying off and I’m very happy.”
While a new civic center is expected to be built in the future, Dempsey wants the public to enjoy the current one while it lasts.
“Everyone is focused on the new building, but people are missing one thing,” Dempsey said. “In 2025, this building will be 50 years old. I’m looking forward to moving forward, but let’s close it out with a bang. It deserves a lot of respect and has been part of the community for five decades. We “you will try to close this properly.”