“I have to say first of all, that going to TSU remains one of the greatest experiences of my lifetime. At that time the school was known as Tenn. A & I State Univ. (and we would say "Ayeni"). As a native Chicagoan coming from Calumet H.S. as part of a tiny minority of the student body, everything at TSU was so different, so open to explore and participate. Calumet HS, at that time was closed to Blacks taking part in anything other than the sports teams. What a difference the years have made.

Yes, I was in the original Aristocrat of Bands. Our numbers were 150, including 16 majorettes. We loved our group and knew our high-stepping was looking good. As far back as that, FAMU was our toughest competitor and we believed we were in front. Our band was the first to be featured on national TV when we participated during half-time at the Chicago Bears vs. St. Louis Cardinals football game in Chicago (and they actually showed the band in action instead of switching to commercials). The band, of course, was present for all home football games and traveled to several venues with the team. In spite of this, another majorette friend and I still laugh that we never understood the game of football until many years later. We just cheered and carried on when everybody else did. Still, the most fun was being part of the band: being there during the games and on the buses for the trips we made. The highlight for us, however, (as well as the football team) was the 1957 trip to Miami to play in the Orange Bowl Classic vs. FAMU where TSU won a hard fought game 41 to 39 in the last few seconds, and was declared the Black College National Champions, and the band showed out, too. We were baaad!, and knew it! During the 50's we had a winning football team AND band. We were on top of the world. After all these years I am still an active member of the local Alumni Association, and I loudly sing "I'm so glad I went to TSU". On top of this, I am proud that my youngest daughter, Sherri Crusor, also attended TSU and was a majorette from 1987 – 1990.”

I tried my best to keep quiet on the memories of my time spent in AOB. But, someone brought up the name of Professor Greer. Note, I call him professor. I can't abbreviate, it's just that I give him so much respect. I could write for days, but a couple of things come to mind. Mr. Greer's comment after a feisty freshman mouthed off in practice, "He's never heard the roar of the crowd." Looking up into the stands after finishing a show to see Mr. Greer's reaction. If he clenched his fist, blew onto them and stretched the fingers out, it meant "You blew them off of the field." I will never forget, coming to the band from a high school band of around thirty members and hearing AOB strike up for the first time. (When the band room was underneath the cafeteria.)

Then there was the trip to Southern. Greyhound bus station Memphis, a skinny blind kid was in the lobby, he had a single on the charts "Fingertips", we got his autograph, it was Stevie Wonder. Yep he rode the bus in those days. At Southern, one of the guys walked into a glass wall in the SUB almost knocked himself out. We all knew some one was going to do it. The freshman from Birmingham that did a set with Louis Smith (Trumpet player). He came in playing in the back pages of Albans. The stop over at Jackson State, eating the country ham, and home cooked biscuits. Finally, there was the time they cooked chitterlings in the cafeteria, oh, and did I mention that the band room was underneath the cafeteria. Nuff said. Now you know when the funk started.”

“In ‘81 the Alabama St. band taunting us at their stadium while we exiting our bus, and Jonnie Daley (rat) stood at attention instead of mouthing off or fighting. The entire rat patrol, excuse me drummers joined Jonnie, then the entire band in a single file line, and marched right into the stadium in an awesome display of character which led toward one of best performances ever.”

“The first time I met Prof Greer was before I even thought of going to TSU. I was attending a summer band camp for highschool kids at Alabama State and his granddaughter attended the same summer. Anyhow he dropped in for a couple of days and all the band directors there acted like Jesus had walked in the band room. They eventually invited him to take the stand. He decided to go down the line on the sax's and I was the first one to mess up his tempo. Talk about a broken ego. Ok, I'm having flashbacks, I have to crawl under my desk now.”

“Prof Davis takin' the gym shoes off his feet & giving them to me because mine were too small and I had already marched a hole in 'em.”

“Johnny Tinker picking up Tattoo and handing him to Larry Lenny for winning the dirty collar award on bus five.”

I have many but this one will do. The Columbia Christmas parade when they put us right in front of the main man. By the end of the parade, no one, and I mean NO ONE, was paying any attention to Santa Claus. The whole crowd followed us to the end of the parade, all the way back to the buses. I still remember Tink, Tattoo, and half of the other Rats throwing their headbands to the crowd like they were superstars. I think we had to put the majorettes into protective custody just to get them on the buses. Needless to say we were waaaaaaaaay away from Santa the next year. Now you gotta have a lot of clout to trump Santa. I don't think he likes us much anymore. Just to think, we didn't even want to march that parade.