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Radio was the main family entertainment.
Charles spent a lot of time listening to the radio, so
he knew the lyrics to most songs. He sang loud, clear,
and on time the song the vocalist was trying to sing.
When the music teacher shouted “Who is that out there
singing.?” He thought he was in trouble. He identified
himself. The music teacher, Jesse Warner said, “Come on
up here!” He had Charles sing along with the vocalist to
help him keep time. He got the job as lead vocalist of
the group. That's how he began singing the blues. His
only problem was how to get around his mother? The young
people in his family were not allowed to sing the blues
or dance.
By that time his brothers were gone from home and they
didn’t have the gospel group
at home, any longer, so nothing muchcame of his singing
with the orchestra. They sang and played Bluesand
Jazz Bebop and Swing. J. Mayo Wilder became
principal just before this time. Music grew in the
school under him. He organized choral groups and wrote
the school song, “Old Bradford High”. Jesse
Warner, the music teacher, organized the first area high
school orchestra and the first school band. The
ensemble was called the Flamingoes. They were the only
orchestra in the area so they played for their own high
school proms and others in the area. The
Flamingoes played downtown Rusk at the Eagles’ Nest even
tho’ segregation and racism were sanctioned by the
law. They also played for patient activities at Rusk
State Hospital. Saturday nights were exciting
times during football season. The games were
played
at Music Field Stadium. Charles’ senior year the
1954-55 football team was a winner,
falling only one game short of going to state
competition. He and Norris Foreman were
quarterbacks and J. W. Carter was their coach. L.
J. Walker, Billy George West, Howard Carter and Bobby
Joyce Hardeway were also on the team. He had a
great life, with limits, but after high school
graduation Denman was looking for a change. He joined
the Navy to see the world. At home, everything had been
segregated. In the Navy and in San Francisco where he
was stationed, everything was integrated. He found the
change he had been looking for in a whole new world.
View
full story
in pdf format or pick up a copy of the
June 2008 Edition of Texas Informer. |
