Long before Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson in Rihanna, Freddie Corston was there.
Corston was a 20 -year -old student at a small Fairbanks in Los Angeles in January 1967. A member of Grambling College MARCHING BAND.
Immediately, they played in the first super bowl half -time show in the high step on the Los Angeles Commemorative Coliseum field.
“When I heard the crowd, it was like a spirit had entered us and walking on the clouds,” said Corston, 77, who played the cymbal. “Our steps were expensive and beats were faster.”
Tens of years before the National Football League has been recruiting a star to play a star in a Super Bowl Half Time Show, the rapper Kendrick Rammer will have a headline on February 9 in this year's game in New Orleans. 。 University.
Lamar does not say whether the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Grus are recovering, whether to feature the HBCU band with a performance of nearly 15 minutes. However, before John Batisty sings the national anthem, there is a Saess Super Dome in Southern University, where Southern University plays.
Each HBCU marching band has its own style and appearance, and has a vivid uniform that often matches the school color. However, even with schools, the audience came to expect that high -stepping choreography and dancers, trumpets and drummers were shaking in the rhythm while pounding and pounding at the front desk.
“that A specific performance style always has a wide range of charm. The marching band and other music groups were always cultural ambassadors to black college, “said Steven Louis, a curator of the music of the National African African American, the music and curators of the Cultural Museum. Washington.
The Grambling all -black student band was invited to Los Angeles, the top of the civil rights movement, and was invited two years ago to a city that was still upset by the flame and turbulence of Watts. Some black leaders begged to the university administrator to refuse invitation.
“I felt it was an empty gesture early,” Lewis said about the invitation to Gram Ring, now known as Granbling State University. “But the criticism has been going on for a long time, which is what the league still needs to work on.”
Colin Capelnic, a quarter back of San Francisco 49ers, repeatedly kneeled in the national anthem in the national anthem to protest racial fraud, continued to discuss patriotism and civil rights, and some black stars are supermarkets. I was hesitant to perform in the bowl. In 2019, NFL started a partnership with Jay-Z's entertainment and sports company Roc Nation, Weeknd, Dr. DRE, SNOOP Dogg, and other famous black artists have led to recent performance.
The marching band has an extraordinary influence and pride in HBCUS. Many of them were founded shortly after the civil war and incorporated military marches into the curriculum.
The band is a student recruitment tool and is attracting attention in the roses parade and the president's inauguration ceremony. Some groups compete with each other at bands and other events and give energy to modern songs.
They also attracted the attention of soccer executives trying to inject entertainment for new events. The Super Bowl was not yet called Super Bowl when the National Football League and the American football league champion met for the first time.
“You saw those bands, and it was the fact that they were more than just a march,” said Jim Stig, a former vice president of NFL's special event. -1970s. “They had different performances than anyone else。 “
After Grambling's many years of President Ralph Wald Emerson Jones, the band decided to play at the first super bowl half -time show. The musician practiced through college vacation. Corston said in the 1960s that the practice at 5:00 am was not unusual.
“They said,” We haven't refused performance, “” said Corston. “” We intend to go anywhere. “
One day, Corston said that Jones had given a large amount of cash to the drummers, instructing each band member to delete $ 2 for expenditures in Los Angeles.
When a musician flowed into a soccer field in half -time, Granbling joined the marching band of Alizona University, almost white to draw an American map. The band played “THIS IS MY COUNTRY” for the finale when the balloon sea rose.
“This was a group of children with colored white society, so we had to act in a professional way,” said Corston. “We represented schools, churches, and the town we came to.”
The HBCU band was included in the following three super bowl half -time. After Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, the Director of Florida A & M band created a set on the theme of the pride of the Super Bowl III in Miami the following year.
George Killet, a clarinet player of Florida A & M, said that many of his bandmates initially opposed the concept of performance, but later changed their thoughts.
“We were really cheered because the leader guided me the process of what we had to do.” Quillet is currently 76.
The show included a march in a flying eagle -like layer. After entering a letter similar to “America”, the students are standing as a BLA part of the speech of President John F. Kennedy and King's “I am a dreamy dream” speech. I did it.
This Super Bowl is the eleventh to be held in New Orleans. The University of Southern won the theme of Maldigra in the first half -time of the city's first super bowl in 1970, and in 1975 Granbling paid tribute to Ellingon Duke. Three years later, the routine before the Southern play 12 minutes.
A 67 -year -old 67 -year -old Southern Clarinet player Kenny Riccard said that before the field won the field in 1978, the band members recited a chant that spoke earlier than any performance.
In these decades, marching bands were eager and reliable entertainment options for NFL. This was related to logistics, which creates a show that entertains both face -to -face viewers and television spectators.
Gates in the starry sky stood on the stage before Michael Jackson sent a noisy applause in 1993 without moving on the stage, and before singing his beloved medley in a pillotechnic pagentry. I did it. SteeG stated that fans need to avoid counter programming on other networks and keep them away in order for NFL to strengthen the half -time show.
When A-LISTERS won the center stage, U2 and Beyonce cited the New Orleans super bowls. The HBCU band has begun to play a more complementary role. In 2007, Florida A & M supported Prince's performance and supplied background music from above.
In the band's staff at the time, the director, Shelby Chipman, said that Prince's agent called the band and asked him to play. His team sent music information, so the band was able to match his singing, but otherwise gave a creative freedom for dance routines and formation.
Prince's team visited Florida A & M a few weeks before the Super Bowl and saw the rehearsal. The band practiced only once within 24 hours of the game.
“Usually, these types of performance will give us a green light,” said Chipman.
Corston, who worked in the NFL's Commander Washington's customer service, is still attending a home coming in the Granving State and relieving the first super bowl memories. He wants a celebrity who is now dominating the stage know their history.
“We opened the door for them,” he said.
