Part punk, part hillbilly and wholly unconventional, Mojo Nixon created his own persona gaining a cult following. The North Carolina native came to San Diego in the early ’80s and soon became a fixture in the local music scene, recording his first demo in Coronado. He envisioned himself as a showman, a combination of Richard Pryor and Jerry Lee Lewis he described as “some unholy amalgamation.” For more than a decade, he and his family called Coronado home.

2023 marks the 50^th anniversary of the homecoming of Vietnam veterans. For Coronado, it was a time of great relief and celebration. The Coronado Historical Association is marking the milestone with “Open Doors,” an exhibition that honors the veterans and looks at the local homecoming.