Enlightened Free Thinking Nubian Kings And Queens

       John T. ("Fess") Whatley was a young child living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama when he heard a passing circus street band. From that day on, he wanted to play the cornet. As a teenager, he entered Birmingham's Toggle Institute and joined the band.        Long before Toggle days, Whatley had been exploring a new style of music called Jazz and developing his own soft sound that became known as the "Fess Whatley" tone.        In 1917, at age 20, Whatley became an instructor at Industrial (now Baker) High School in the Smithfield neighborhood. Here he organized the city's first black brass band. At this time, his students nicknamed him "Fess," short for "professor."        Whatley was a strict disciplinarian. With exceptional skill, he inspired and trained his students. During the 1930s and 1940s, big band leaders in Northern cities such as Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington needed a musician. They ...

W. R. Pettiford was born on his father's North Carolina farm in 1847. In his youth he worked for a tanner, then returned home to run the farm. In 1868, art the age of 21, Pettiford, who was then serving as a clerk in the Baptist church of Rocksboro, realized he had been called to spread the Gospel. By 1877, Pettiford's theological studies had led him to Selma University, where he became a member of the school's pioneer faculty. As an instructor, Pettiford was remembered by students and co-workers alike as a well-spoken, patient man who taught the advantages of hard work by example. He was also one of the most successful fundraisers the University ever had. After marrying Della Boyd of Selma, Pettiford left professorship for a pastor's duties at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Soon the Baptist pastor saw that many black workers employed in the area needed financial as well as spiritual advice. In 1890, the progressive clergyman organized the Ala...