The neophyte chairman of activities for the Breakfast Club has to be
Thurman Whitaker. Retired officially as of Jan. 2, he has literally taken over
at the club. He is even purchasing biscuits. Otis Autry returned Thursday
morning and before he could be seated, I had the opportunity to ask him for
some funds. And before he sat down, he responded graciously.
I felt sorry for Bruce Bean, the popular manager at Hardee’s. A1 Perry
and Hickerson went to see UNC play Maryland. I think that Bruce really
wanted to go but he ended up at Cameron Indoor, looking at Duke and Georgia
Tech. “Po” Bruce! The bad part about A1 was that I had pictured attending
Bible study after such a fervent prayer on Sunday morning. Many of the gang
were so impressed that there was a feeling that A1 might be on his way to “the
doth” ahead of Bro. George Newkirk. But to me, A1 is a churchman, he loves
his church.
But listen to this: Rev. Leotha Debnam, Rev. Howard Todd, A1 Perry and
L.W. Hickerson sat on the back seat facing Tarboro Street. Whitaker sug
gested that Dr. Davis, Charles Haywood, George Newkirk and Rev. Johnson
sent themselves at the same table, facing Al, “Hick,” etc. The result was
amazing. All of the fellows with "thinning hair” were staring at a blank wall.
Whitaker had won again. John Cofield, the popular cab owner, asked me what
he had to do to Join the dub. I told him. John said he was on his way but I cer
tainly hope that Thurman won’t “read him the riot act.” Anyway, John, you
are welcome! I called Marshall Dancy, another retiree, and urged him to.
come. He is eligible—he Ls doing nothing at all. I’d really like to see Charles
Powell and Norman Sanders come on in. Both have retired and are resting. I
saw Lawyer Terrell but he told me be was having a ball at the present. “Po”
Lawyer, he doesn’t realize that those “Honey Do” days are Just around the
corner for him.
Did you Know that there is a street named for John P. “Top” Greene and
it is in Ids beloved South Park? Let me direct you: It is on the east side of
South East Street between East Bragg and Lee streets. And every house on it
is new. Go see it!
. The Dakar Street development is underway. Passing there this week, the
footings had been poured and the dnderblocks were on the ground. Have you
seen the Chavis Way development? It was formerly known as Patterson
Lane.
Attending a luncheon at KAS last week, a young fellow came-up to me and
reminded me that he was' Lancaster’s nephew. It brought back so many
memories of the past. In 1880 Lancaster was pitching for Virginia State and
beat us here at Shaw. On our Northern trip we met Virginia State on Goober
Day. They were determined to bury us that day so they had their ace ready.
I’d given Shaw my sorriest the day before at Union. But we were a determin
ed bunch that day. We took care of Ace Brown by the second frame, then
came Lancaster, Tubby Banks and all the rest. Our infield that day, compos
ed Of Cecil Flagg at third, Dixie Davis at shortstop, Buddy Bass at second,
Pete Wilder at first, pulled six double-plays. We beat Virginia State, 13-1. Lan
caster is retired and playing golf in Philadelphia. I’m wondering what
became of “Zip” Johnson, "Sticker” Corprew, Jim Overby, Bob Dierrah,
Tom Payne, etc. George “Bo” Williams, a Raleigh native, has passed From
the old Shaw team, “Skink" Browning, “Crip” Baldwin, Nat Walker, Bill
Walker, Frank Robinson, “Fatha” Blacknall and “Big Jim” Lytle have gone
the way of all earth.
The News and Observer did it again in naming the new honorees to the
Hall of Fame. Gaylord Perry had to be numer one. Thanks.
On Jan. 28 at 3 p.m., the Gospel Choir of New Bethel United Church of
Christ is going to be presented in song at the United Church for All People, 501
S. Person St. Ms. Anne Cameron is sponsor; Rev. Wilbur Carter is pastor. The
public is urged to attend.
n—iirfs Gill got even with me Wednesday night at Robert Williford’s Gulf
static And then he laughed about it. Even Robert’s son tried to relieve the
pain. I’m glad that Friend Guess did not know anything about it for usually he
is twice as bad. The truth of the matter is that Friend Guess won’t even speak
to me. is nice, “Four Forty” is sociable but Friend Guess won’t come
up early in order not to service my car. I hate “discrimination" in any form.
Chicago Blues Great To Have
Instructional Volume In Stores
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)-Can’t get
your mojo working after a hard day
at the office?
Huffing and puffing but can’t bring
the houae down?
reeling like Howlin’ Wolf but just,
well, bowling?
Harp players take heart.
flnming to a music store near you is
a blow-by-blow instructional volume
of harmonica master Little Walter
Jacobs’ moat soulful solos as only the
late Chicago blues great could blow.
‘"Hie Blues Harp Solos of Little
Walter” was amassed and transcrib
ed by Albany musician Glenn Weiser,
who says the solos are worth saving,
even though a quarter of a century
has passed since they faded from the
charts.
“The blues was the source of rock
and roll,” said Weiser, who devoted
18 m'onths to the collection,
meticulously transcribing more than
70 solos, one measure at a time.
It was an effort born of the supersti
tion and suffering that define the
music, he said.
Welser’s not the first musician to be
taken with the fervent outpouring of
tits urban blues artists. A group of
British rockers was so electrified
they amed themselves after a blues
tune hoping to catch the ear of the
world.
The Rolling Stones took their name
from Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ Stone”
and covered his ‘‘I Can’t Be
Satisfied” on their second album.
It was while recording with the
legendary Waters that Walter Jacobs
/—m« into his own, breaking for a solo
career Bt 1962 when his catchy in
strumental “Juke” topped the blues
charts. Fourteen top 10 hits followed.
“Little Walter is considered in
greatest of the postwar Chicago blue
harp players,” Weiser said of hii
decision to spotlight the musician’:
work in this, his third, harmonic:
compilation.
But there was more to Weiser’
zeroing in on the tunes of Littl
Walter than the musician’s prc
eminence. There was superstition,:
prominent theme in blues songs sue)
as “I Got My Mojo Working” and ‘
Ain’t Superstitious.”
“For one thing, Little Walter and
have the same birthday, May 1,” sai
Weiser. “And ‘Juke’ was records
diving the month and year of m
birth.”
Furthermore, Weiser, 38, puffe
out his first harmonica song in 19®
the year Little Walter was killed in
Chicago street fight. And the mua
died at age 37, the age at whic
Weiser undertook the project in whi
he called “The literary Frenc
Foreign Legion approach” to get ovc
a soured relationship.
But why, in the 22 years since Littl
Walter’s violent end, are the harp vii
tuoso’s compositions being publishe
for the first time?
“Most of the music was improvise
to some extent, so it was never wri
ton «wn.” Weiser said.
The banana piant Is not a tree. It I
an herb. The stalk la made of leave
that overlap each other, like a ce<
arv stalk.
--~
MY
VOLVO
Rep. Jack Brooks
Introduces Civil
Rights Bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Jack
Brooks, D-Beaumont, has introduced
civil rights legislation that he said
would restore and strengthen laws
that ban employment discrimination.
Brooks, the chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee, said the bill
would give women the same rights
that others now have to be
compensated for the effects of
intentional discrimination in the
workplace.
Brooks’ bill introduced Thursday,
was the first place of legislation
introduced on the opening day of the
102nd Congress.
Brooks said passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1991 is essential to give
women the same rights as those
available to other minorities and to
overcome roadblocks to progress in
civil rights raised by Supreme Court
decisions.
“There is no reason, in the last
decade of the 20th century, that
women and minorities should not be
able to compete for jobs on an equal
basis with other workers,” Brooks
said. “There is no reason that the
women of this country should nol
have the equal right to be
compensated for the devastating
effects of intentional, flagrant
discrimination.”
Brooks’ bill is similar to legislatior
vetoed last year by President Bush
who said the bill set employment
quotas.
Brooks said there is no way the nev
bill “could be interpreted as
requiring quotas.”
A Texas co-sponsor of the bill wa:
Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus
Christ!,
ENJOYING BALL - Shown having a gala time at the
first annual Rocky Mount Chapter Shaw University Alumni
Holiday Ball at the Sheraton Gateway Center, Rocky
Mount are the National Alumni President, Dr. Julia P.
Davidson, Upper Marlboro, Md. second from left; and
other alumni and friends.
r londa A&M School Of Journalism
Uses Endowment To Lure Students
MIAMI (AP) - Florida A&M’s
School of Journalism, Media and
Graphic Arts will use a $1 million
endowment to attract a journalist to
teach a series of professional and
personal development programs.
The historically black college in
Tallahassee was one of three
universities in the country selected
by the Knight Foundation for its new
$1 million endowed journalism
chairs. A $750,000 matching grant is
expected from the state for Florida
A&M.
“The common denominators in
these programs are their solid
commitments to quality and their
proven track records. The selection
of these three also reflects our belief
that there is more than one good path
for educating journalists of the next
century,” foundation President
Creed Black said.
The William Allen White School of
Journalism and Mass
Communications at Kansas will study
the leadership role of news media in
the community.
’ Duke's Institute of Policy Sciences
and Public Affairs will devote its
endowment to print journalism.
The foundation, established in 1950
by John S. and James L. Knight, is
independent of Knight-Ridder Inc.
but supports organizations in
communities where the company has
newspapers.
I n memory of the dream...
© 1991 Coora'Biewing Company. Golden. Colorado 80401 • Breww ol Fine Quality
•»