This week in my old hometown of Odessa, there will be a very unique historical, cultural, musical Event taking place. Dozens of people over the past year have been working together on a city-wide Endeavor that will honor and recognize one of America’s first ever “Doo Wop” singing groups from the early 60’s —- Odessa’s very own THE VELVETS. This Endeavor will have as its thrust: elements of due recognition and proper acknowledgement of misguided apathy (decades ago), and then a bonding Celebration of Community Unity like never before.
It all started with a song I happened to hear on The Pat Boone Hour on SiriusXM in September 2020. In his introduction, Pat told of “a fantastic singing group that was one of the originators of the “Doo Wop” genre —- made up of an 8th grade English teacher, and 4 students from his school. They had several hits that made the national music charts —- even a #1 hit ‘Lana’ in Japan in August 1961 —- with their biggest hit in the US being ‘Tonight’ Could Be The Night’. All hailing from the West Texas town of Odessa —- ladies and gentlemen, THE VELVETS!”
Well, though I’d heard this popular oldies song occasionally over the years, I had no idea these guys were all from Odessa. Neither did the vast majority of Odessans…. even back in the Velvets’ hey day in the early 60’s. You see, all five singers lived on The Southside, the Black Community across the railroad tracks. And except for work related trips and occasional shopping ventures, people of color pretty much just stayed on “their” side of town. This was before my time —- I was only 11 years-old and I knew very little about life on the Southside.
But being a short story writer, I was intrigued with the possibilities of writing a story about this nationally famous singing group from my old stomping grounds. Much research, countless phone calls, numerous personal interviews and contacts have all since evolved into a book to be released this fall —- to be called: ROAD TO RECONCILIATION… And BEYOND Unlikely Friends Become Brothers . At the time I was doing my research, I had the opportunity of meeting Mark Prince, the bass singer of The Velvets. Mark was one of two surviving members of the group, and lived in Ft. Worth. How convenient. How providential! He and I quickly became close friends, and our ensuing relationship changed each of our lives. Mark enlightened me on things I knew not of —- with my growing up in my secure, contented world over on my side of town. The good Lord had given me a new calling… and I knew it.
The way Mark handled the inequalities, the prejudices, the injustices of his young teenage years in Odessa just blew me away. In my ignorance and naivete, I was embarrassed and ashamed for myself and in some ways for the way he was treated in our fair city. He told me that he replaced discrimination with acceptance, bitterness with forgiveness, and hate with love. Mark told me his parents taught him right —- to allow no room in his heart for hate. What a story for this day and age for our divided land! Oh, that peoples of every nation, every tongue and tribe could have heard this elderly black brother share his story with me. It shall be told in my book.
So, this Saturday, June 18, at 2pm in the Blackshear Auditorium, there will be a program to honor the long-forgotten, yet significant legacy of THE VELVETS! There will be the Mayor’s Proclamation of “Velvets Day”, an unveiling of a Historical Marker dedicated to the Velvets outside the school where it all began, an hour long program of Velvets history/music, and special music guests from Hawaii and Nashville… and a MAKE A NEW FRIEND TODAY Reception following the program and more. Our purpose is confront the cynical narrative of divisiveness, bigotry, hatred toward those of a different hue of skin that has permeated so much of our society today… and instead celebrate together the unifying, exuberant music of The VELVETS, and EMBRACE the biblical exhortation to love our neighbor as ourselves…. acknowledging we are all equal in the sight of God, our Maker.
Charles Norman
Cleburne
