When James Brown came to town
The Virginian-Pilot
August 2, 2014 James Brown whipped the Norfolk crowd into a frenzy. His trio of gyrating go-go girls accompanied him, along with a 12-piece orchestra.
There was a whole lotta screaming going on that August night in 1967.
Norfolk's Arena is now the back side of Harrison Opera House. The Dome in Virginia Beach, where a near-riot occurred that fall when Mr. Dynamite was shut off from his audience by Beach police, is now a parking lot. Brown himself has been interred, after his body was paraded through both New York City and Augusta, Ga., in a glass coffin, with costume changes along the way. That was 2006. But I'm still here and so, in a way, is James Brown via the new movie Get On Up, which opened in theaters this weekend.
Tell the kids to stay in school, James Brown screamed at me backstage at the Arena in '67. Go ahead. Write it down.
It was among the few words I got from the man known as the Godfather of Soul. His head was inside a roaring hair dryer.
Getting to Brown had its obstacles. The major one was Cassie Stokes, who blocked the door backstage that night in 1967.
Just where do you think you're going? she said,Cheap Ray Ban Prescription Glasses, looking tough.
I told her the interview had been arranged, and then I said, Just who, might I ask, are you?
I'm Mr. Brown's female bodyguard, she said. And that's Mister Brown to you.
Why does he need a female bodyguard? I asked.
To keep the women out, she said. But I can handle the men, too. Judo. I'm an expert.
Faced with a closed door between myself and Mr. Brown, I suggested to Ms. Stokes that we actually do a story on Brown's female bodyguard. She liked the idea, particularly when we took her picture. Before long,Ray Ban Womens Glasses, she let me into the Godfather of Soul's precious retreat, waving back cameramen from WAVY-TV and WTAR-TV.
Just him, she said, pointing to me as we took more photographs of her.
Times have changed. Today, it's hard to imagine any source preferring a newspaper to a TV. Sound bites have replaced words.
Inside, a male hairdresser was busy teasing and curling Brown's long hair. Before we could get a question in, the stylist brought over a portable hair dryer and turned it on full force.
Tell the children to stay in school, Brown shouted from beneath the noise. That's about the extent of the interview, but he did add, I come from a poor family and I know the value of a dollar, but it comes and goes. Friends are all that count.
He arrived in Norfolk via private jet with a personal staff that included a valet, wardrobe mistress and the hairdresser.
He left with a few dollars more, only to come back in November to what became an almost dangerous situation at Virginia Beach's Dome.
When Beach police surrounded the stage to prevent Brown's fans from swarming him, he berated the police and asked, Is this a free country? The police relented, and Brown persuaded the crowd to go back to their seats after he blessed a few of them with handshakes.
Get On Up captures some of that bizarre era,Ray Ban 58014, including a similar scene at a concert in Boston and some references to Richmond. James Brown, Mister Brown, is back in town, via film.
But I always wondered what happened to Cassie Stokes. She taught me a valuable lesson about journalism. If a female bodyguard blocks the door, change your plans and write the story about her.
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Mal Vincent, 757-446-2347, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.