JACKSON -
Alcorn State University's marching band celebrated its 25th birthday in the Capital City Classic at Mississippi Veterans Stadium.
The Braves' band became known as The sounds of Dyn-o-mite during the 1973 college football season.
Alcorn band director Samuel Griffin hatched the idea of naming the band after watching an episode of the CBS-TV hit sitcom "Good Times." Griffin got the word Dyn-o-mite from the expression used by the show's "J.J." character played by Jimmie Walker, who exclaimed it throughout every episode.
"We needed a catchy phrase that would caputure the public's attention," Griffin said. "Jackson State and Southern University each had names for their bands. We needed something that other bands weren't using."
The sounds of Dyn-o-mite, which has 190 members, is now one of the top black college bands in the nation.
In the 1998 black college football preview, Sportsview Magazine conducted a survey of fans, sportswriters, sports information directors and band directors to determine which school had the best band.
Alcorn State was selected in the survey as having one of the top black college bands.
Griffin, in his 30th year as the Alcorn's band director, is glad the Braves are getting recognition. Considering the reputations of such perennials as: Jackson State, Grambling, Southern and Florida A&M, that is quite an accomplishment for the band from Lorman.
"We consider it an honor to be mentioned as one of the nation's top black college bands," Griffin said. "There are so many good bands among the black colleges.
"We have to work hard to stand out in our own conference. The SWAC has so many good bands with Southern, Jackson State and Grambling. Prairie View has a good band, but people don't get to hear them because of their teams losing."
James Jones can be reached at 896-2320 or at jones@sunherald.infi.net