As a little boy growing up in Bed-Sty Brooklyn I received an education like no other from a Black Man born in South Carolina. I started my education with him at age 8. He told me stories of my father. He told me when my father got off the “Night Train", “Papa had A Brand New Bag". To ensure I was a good boy and minded my manners he would threaten to call my father and say, “Papa come here quick and bring him that licking stick." I knew “Papa don’t take no mess". This man had me so scared; “I’d break out in a cold sweat". If I saw him with the licking stick I would try to grab it out of his hands. He would tell me to “Give it up and turn it loose".
I grew up as a teenager in New York in the 70’s. It was the best time in the world. Why? Afro’s and Hot Pants were every where. At age 13, I just knew I was in heaven.
I came to know this man as the God Father. As a teenager he schooled me about women, love and social consciousness. He wanted me to be proud of who I was. So he wrote a song. Would you like to hear it? Well here it goes. He would say, “Say It Loud" and I would repeat “I’m Black and I’m Proud" He’d say, “I don’t want no body to give me nothing open up the door and I’ll get it himself". The God Father later told me that I had soul and “I’m Super Bad".
Looking at those girls in there outfits he’d whisper in my ear that I should take her skinny legs and all. When we were walking down the streets he would point the women out to me, one at a time. And don’t let them be wearing Hot Pants. He’d call them out. “Hot Pants Hot Pants. That’s where it’s at. That’s where it’s at." It took me along time before I understood what he meant by that’s where it’s at. The God Father also told me that “It was a man’s world. But it meant nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl." I believed what he said was true because my mind was stuck on those women in their Hot Pants.
All through my life I would try to imitate how he danced and I got really good at it. As I got older he began to give me instructions and told me to “Get on the Good Foot". I had no idea that one foot was better than the other. Then he taught me how to “Get up and do My Thang, Movin, Grovin". I was so excited that I had “Ants in my pants and I need to dance".
When I went away to college I had an argument with my girl friend from High School, and I told her exactly what my God Father had taught me to say. I told her she was “Talking loud and saying nothing, just saying nothing". We broke up. I met someone new. Then she left me for a friend of mine. Boy was I mad. My God Father had the words for me to say then too. I told my friend, “You better get ready for the Big Pay Back". Till this day I don’t know why she left me, maybe because, “I’m a greedy man, greedy man; yes I’m a greedy man". My God Father said, “Now brother don’t leave your home work un done." Well I got that message loud and clear. From now on when ever I am faced with that type of situation, instead of walking around “Bewildered", I’ll tell her that she better “Think, think, think". When she starts to talk back, I’ll say “Static, Static, Static don’t start none wont be none". If that does not work I’ll say “Baby you’re right". And if that does not work I’ll be down on my knees saying, “Please, please, please". If she is foolish enough to leave me, The God Father told me to tell her that, “I’ve got a bag of my own".
The God Father even has my children singing, “I live in America". Now he has moved on to be with our heaven father, but I thank him for his influence on the world and all the lives he has touched. He was known as the God Father of Soul, but I like to think of him as my God Father. He was the hardest working man in show business. The eighth wonder of the world, the one, the only James Brown. |
