The Junkyard Blawg has moved!
Along with the other ajc.com blogs, the Junkyard Blawg has moved over to WordPress, where the blogging and commenting experience promises to be better. Join us over at the new WordPress version of the Junkyard Blawg by clicking on the link below.
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2006 > December > 25 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThe Godfather of Bulldog Soul
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I once spent a memorable day in Augusta with the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, for an AJC profile, and, of course, one of the things we talked about was his involvement with the Georgia Bulldogs and his 1976 recording of the song “Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs.”
But my brother Jonathan has an even better James Brown/UGA story. The Godfather of Soul danced on Jonathan’s back.
The occasion was halftime of the Georgia homecoming game against Kentucky in 1977, which is more memorable for the non-football festivities since we lost the game 33-0. Prince Charles was there. (“Damn good prince!” chanted the student section.) So was Donna Douglas of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” And at halftime James Brown performed with the Redcoat Band.
My brother was under the stage, handling the sound, and when Brown did his first split during “I Feel Good,” the soundboard jumped in the air, briefly knocking the sound out, so Jonathan and other members of the Redcoats properties crew pressed their backs up against the bottom of the stage above them to cushion the blows and keep him from bouncing the equipment. Fortunately, the sound was working by the time JB did “Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs.”
The untold story of that halftime show, which was called “James Brown Live,” is that it almost turned into a “tribute” to James Brown starring … my brother.
See, Jonathan had been standing in for Brown during rehearsals that week, doing his Godfather of Soul imitation. And he did so again the morning of the game. When Brown hadn’t still showed up an hour past his appointed arrival time, the Redcoats brain trust started making contingency plans to turn the show into a tribute to Brown minus the singer, and they were actually measuring my brother for a jumpsuit so he could do his “James Brown” for the Sanford Stadium crowd.
“I had just been fooling around, making up words and inserting the ‘ow!’ like James Brown,” Jonathan reminisced Monday night after news of Brown’s death at 73. “I was scared because I didn’t really know the words to the song. I don’t know if that plan would have actually come off, but I was so glad when his limousine pulled up.”
Brown did the show with the Redcoats again later that season at the Gator Bowl during halftime of the Georgia-Florida game, and Jonathan remembers Brown calling him “Brother King” as he asked for his microphone.
A clip of that performance was included in AVP Video’s “25 Years of Georgia Football: The Vince Dooley Era,” and someone has lifted it and put it on YouTube.
Man, they don’t make halftime shows like that any more!
Comments
By Dawg Soul
December 25, 2006 11:25 PM | Link to this
RIP James Brown. The YouTube video is actually of the 1975 Georgia-Florida game. That is also the year that James Brown did “Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs”. He was also at the Cotton Bowl against Arkansas later that year.
By Nikki
December 26, 2006 06:25 AM | Link to this
I looked forward to hearing that song every saturday morning before the football games when I was a student at UGA. Such good memories. RIP, godfather.
By Blake50
December 26, 2006 09:45 AM | Link to this
And NOW the Godfather of Soul really does HAVE A BRAND NEW BAG! OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Cuz
December 26, 2006 11:21 AM | Link to this
As a resident of Augusta, I can tell you that most of the community is in mourning. He has his detractors. They never got over his activity which landed him in jail. He served his time and asked for forgiveness. Or they are just down right bigots.
At least he got to see Augusta honour him with a statue on a stage on Broad Street and the naming of the Civic Center after him.
He love life, he loved this town, he loved the Dawgs and he basically loved everyone in general. His annual Thanksgiving turkey give away and his annual Christmas toy give away showed the depth of his love and heart.
He will be sorely missed and I for one will always walk around football Saturday mornings singing Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs to the annoyance of my children.
Bill I was there at the game when the Godfather of Soul performed. I sat on the bridge because you could drink beer there back then. He also attended a game in 1980, not sure which one and did a quick rendition on the cheerleaders stand in front of the student section. I believe the SEC outlawed electric instruments because the band could always fire up the crowd for the defence by the bass player doing the opening riff to Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs. Man that would always get the stadium rocking. The number one Soul Brother gave us an advantage over other teams.
Rest in Peace Godfather. Tell Erk we said hello.
By Bill King
December 26, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this
Yeah, I think I heard that one of the other SEC schools (Florida, I believe) complained about UGA’s Electric Squad and got ‘em banned.
By mexdawg
December 26, 2006 12:19 PM | Link to this
yea i was there for both halftime shows.i remember the student section went crazy at the cocktail party that year singing along with james.it was a great time to be at uga.i also remember that james brown helped us recruit sylvester boller who was one of the top recruits in the state that year.we’ll miss you jb.
By 2N4YEARS
December 26, 2006 03:13 PM | Link to this
There’s always been something I liked about James Brown. Now there’s two things. GO DAWGS! And God Bless James Brown!
By Steve
December 26, 2006 04:50 PM | Link to this
I was a freshman trumpet player in the Redcoats in ‘77 and remember the James Brown Show so very well. Funny, I hadn’t thought about Jonathan’s rehearsal gyrations for a long time, but I do recall the practices the week of the Kentucky game. At Florida, he autographed both my show music and the bill of my Redcoat cap, both of which, sadly, have vanished over the years.
The other thing I remember about that halftime show at Florida was the Redcoat staff wondering aloud if we’d get any airtime, as halftime is always the time for the network to cut away for highlights of other games, recapping the first half, etc. Mr. Brown overheard the conversation and assured the entre band that he’d “take care of it”.
That afternoon in the Gator Bowl, the entire show was carried live by the network, a feat accomplished few times before or since.
I met him again when I was a cameraman for a tv station in Augusta in January of ‘87, just after he had won the Grammy for “Living in America”. On tour in Europe when the awards were announced, we shot the first stateside interview with him in the terminal of Aigusta’s Bush Field at around midnight, then helped carry his bags to his van. When he learned that I had been in the Redcoats, he offered me a job on the spot.
Like a fool, I reluctantly declined. Man, what might have been…….
Godspeed, JB. Watch yourself up there, or Erk will try to headbutt you on the sidelines.
Steve Shelnutt Monroe GA Redcoat Band ‘77 - ‘79
By Ft Worth Dawg
December 26, 2006 06:22 PM | Link to this
The Godfather was hyped for a UGA football game after 1980, probably ‘84 or ‘85. He wasn’t performing at halftime as I recall but was going to sing ‘Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs’ and maybe another song at some point. I don’t think he ended up doing much if any singing, but I remember seeing him near the student section cutting up with the cheerleaders and other sideline types.
Back then WRFC carried the UGA games locally in Athens and the pre-game was fantastic. (Hugh Christian owned or ran the station and his wife was a student at UGA. I think I may have asked her out and had her tell me she was married. I never thought about classmates being married before that.) WRFC played ‘Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs’, Munson calls, other songs, and celebrities saying “How ‘Bout Them Dawgs” on Saturday mornings.
By coco rubio
December 26, 2006 08:38 PM | Link to this
i’m here in augusta and i’m proud to say that the first thing someone put on his statue was a red georgia scarf with a big ol’ G on it….it’s on all the photos seen around the world…..we lost a giant on christmas day 2007…..god bless the godfather of soul!!!
http://www.soulbar.com
go dawgs.
By Cuz
December 26, 2006 11:20 PM | Link to this
Leadership, respect, and a great man in Joel Eaves.
Dam Good Number One Soul Brother.
Taking flowers to the statue Wednesday Coco.
By Historian
December 27, 2006 12:22 AM | Link to this
Like James Brown, I like to remember when Vince Dooley was coach. We didn’t have to worry about playing Florida every year, or poor time management. A national championship with Herschel left, right, or up the middle. A time when the future King of England sat in the stands. A time when we didn’t have ESPN to prop up the big 10. We didn’t see every bad team on TV every week. Those were the good old days.
By TJ
December 27, 2006 08:21 AM | Link to this
I also remember the Ga.Bulldawgs halftime show. Prince Charles was there.At that time fans would watch from the bridge, it had a sign hung from it saying “Prince Charles does it Dawg Style”. Unfortunately the sign did not make it through the whole game.It was so funny when people caught on.I loved it!
By 77DAWG
December 27, 2006 09:41 AM | Link to this
Yes I was there both at THE CHARLES’ DO IT DOG STYLE and at the Gator bowl. Nothing are betterr. Anyone know where I can get the videos?
By GREG
December 27, 2006 11:00 AM | Link to this
I CANT WAIT TO BLOW SH$$ ALL OVER THE HOKIES!!!!….GO DAWGS!!!!!…..I’LL BE EATING BEANS ALL WEEK TO BUILD UP MY ARSONAL!!!!…..
By Cuz
December 27, 2006 12:45 PM | Link to this
Here it is 77, That was probably the best halftime show I barely remember.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YViDwVBpTn4
By Steve
December 27, 2006 10:48 PM | Link to this
Greg, why don’t you go back to Knoxville and learn when to make appropriate comments. No class, man.
By Robert Daniell
January 8, 2007 12:48 PM | Link to this
I remember that day in 77 for several reasons…….I was on the tracks, and it was raining….and absolutely ugly day….Kentucky was killing us…..
At half time we had the God Father of Soul and the prince of England to entertain us.. J.B. busted loose doing Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs, and then the Prince paraded himself around the stadium. Does anyone remember what happened during this stroll around the stadium? As the Prince was making his way back towards the Tate Center and bridge….some students on the bridge had made up a huge sign (made of bed sheets) and on that sign was the following message to Prince Charles, “Prince Charles Does It Dog Style”!!!! How bout them Dawgs!!!!