Pin It  The triumph and tragedy of the Cabbagetown sound:
Benjamin and Smoke   Part 2 of 2: Heaven on a Popsicle Stick
Spirit of Cabbagetown: Benjamin, with Chris the pig, at the Jody
Grind parade following the tragic car accident in 1992.    Read
the first part of this story and view our Cabbagetown photo
gallery. Watch our YouTube gallery featuring footage and
recordings of Cabbagetown artists.  When Smoke's debut album,
Heaven on a Popsicle Stick was released on Long Play Records in
1994, it prompted a bold declaration from CL: "This won't put
Atlanta on the map, this is the fuckin' map." A second album,
Another Reason to Fast, came out a year later. And if it seemed
Benjamin was writing and recording as though he was racing
against time, he was. Few people knew, but Benjamin had
contracted a deadly combination of HIV and Hepatitis C.  The
critical acclaim for the albums enabled Smoke to tour up and
down the East Coast. They also toured the West Coast opening for
Chan Marshall who, by that time, was gaini