The Soundtrack of Southern College Life before 1970
- Lakelife Magazine
- Sep 19
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 26
By Chris Jones
Step back to the 1960s, when Southern college campuses pulsed with the pounding rhythm of soul, R&B, and rock ‘n’ roll. Picture a crowded fraternity house on a Saturday night—the air thick with music and the distant hum of laughter. Inside, sweat-drenched students pack the dance floor, while outside, an overflow crowd on the front lawn sing along and groove to the beat.
Back in “the day,” colleges across the South—especially at the University of Georgia (UGA)—became magnets for dynamic musical acts. These performances defined campus life and reflected a rapidly changing Southern culture. As civil rights gained momentum and segregation slowly dissolved, music became a unifying force, breaking down barriers and creating unforgettable memories for a generation of college students.
A shifting Southern landscape
In the early 1960s, Southern college campuses remained largely segregated. Campus-wide events brought well-known national recording artists to perform in the school’s largest and most prominent venues, where the majority of entertainment featured white performers.
But students—especially those attuned to the cultural shifts of the time—were tuning in to a different sound. Late at night, the powerful signal of WLAC, a 50,000-watt station out of Nashville, reached deep into the South. Its broadcasts exposed young listeners to rhythm and blues by Black artists—music often absent from their local airwaves. White teenagers who discovered this so-called “race music” during high school brought those musical preferences with them to college.
Harry Thompson of Athens was one of them. A devoted WLAC listener, he arrived at the University of Georgia in the fall of 1960 and soon connected with others who shared his taste for R&B and soul. Their shared love of music didn’t make headlines, but it quietly shaped the atmosphere of campus weekends and set the stage for what was to come.
The rise of fraternity musical hotbeds
By the 1960s, fraternities and sororities had long been the social heartbeat of Southern college campuses. Each organization hosted quarterly socials—most of them featuring live bands. Social chairmen planning these events developed a knack for spotting talent and booking future stars before they became household names. Black musicians had been playing intermittently at fraternity events since the 1920s, laying the groundwork for a more integrated music scene decades later.
At the University of Georgia, Harry Thompson began helping secure bands for his fraternity parties. He soon became social chairman himself. Committed to finding the best entertainment available, he earned a reputation for delivering standout acts, not just for his own fraternity but for others across campus.
Most events took place inside the fraternity or sorority house with makeshift stages set up in living rooms or backyards. But when a big-name act required more space, off-campus venues, such as the popular Moina Michael Auditorium, were used. Operated by the American Legion, it featured a large dance floor and raised stage—ideal for bigger shows.
Another favorite was Charlie Williams’ Pinecrest Lodge, a rustic, cabin-like hall tucked into the woods. Williams told The Red and Black UGA student newspaper that a tractor pulling a flatbed trailer brought co-eds out to the lodge. “It was part of the charm,” one former attendee recalled. “Half the fun was just getting there.”
Bringing big talent to town
Prominent national artists and rising stars crisscrossed the South in the 1960s, traveling from Virginia to Louisiana on carefully booked tours. Often, they were accompanied—or preceded—by lesser-known performers just beginning to make names for themselves. As promoters looked to fill open dates between cities, they frequently turned to college fraternities and sororities.
Students, often unaware they were witnessing history, found themselves dancing to future legends at intimate venues and for affordable rates. Some of those same acts would return just a few years later to sold-out concerts in far larger arenas, their humble college gigs now the stuff of campus legend.
National icons lit up campus stages
Like other Southern colleges, UGA’s campus hosted an impressive roster of current and future legends in the 1960s who left lasting impressions.
The Coasters: AOPis brought the national recording artist to town for their May 1961 Trophy Dance at Moina Michael Auditorium. The group was considered rock and roll royalty with a long list of hits like “Searchin’,” “Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown,” and “Little Egypt.”
The Tams: An AEPi house party in January 1962—likely their first visit to UGA—featured their early hit “Untie Me.” They played a handful of other frat parties that year, leading to an IFC-sponsored campus-wide Greek Week concert in 1963 that included a caravan of 10 R&B acts. The Tams became long-time campus favorites.
Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs: Maurice and his band frequently played Athens in the early 60s. Former U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss fondly recalled a Sigma Chi sorority party at Charlie Williams’ Lodge, where he danced to “Stay” three or four times that night with his future wife, Julianne.
Otis Redding: The Big “O”’s first performance on the UGA party scene was likely an April,1960 Kappa Sig party at the house. Otis was an occasional singer, but his real job was driver for Johnny “Guitar” Jenkins and The Pine Toppers. Although he never played a large campus-wide concert, he captivated those intimate gatherings with his stage presence.
Five Du-Tones: Williams’ Pinecrest Lodge echoed with the soulful sounds of “Shake A Tail Feather.” Thompson fondly remembered the event where The Du-Tones Revue arrived on an oversized bus loaded with musicians. “We had to call fellow students to sit on top and trim limbs so the bus could make it to the Lodge,” he laughed.
The Vibrations: Los Angeles quintet that became huge favorites on the Southern college circuit in the mid-1960s. Their high-energy performances included slap-stick comedy routines and intricate dance steps.
Marvin Gaye and The Spinners: A 1964 Valentines Dance “was a rather rushed deal,” recalls Harry Thompson. Marvin Gaye’s touring troupe, just launching a Southern swing out of Atlanta, had an unexpected free date. What was meant to be a rehearsal turned into a last-minute booking in Athens. The lineup? No less than Marvin Gaye himself, The Spinners, vocalist Hattie Littles, Charlie Harris, and the full Marvin Gaye band.
“That package was screaming for a bigger venue,” Thompson says. “But there just wasn’t one available.” So, they made do. The Sigma Nu house, of all places, became the stage for what would become a legendary night. “I remember the band trying to get a small Hammond organ through a basement window,” Thompson laughs. “They pulled it off. What a show!”
According to the Atlanta Daily World, a “wildly applauding throng” packed the fraternity house. The buzz from that night quickly followed the group to Atlanta’s famed Royal Peacock, where they played a three-night stand. From there, they launched a month-long Southern tour before landing in the national spotlight with a fall run at the Apollo Theatre, and a historic appearance on the T.A.M.I. Show with James Brown and The Rolling Stones.
Regional heroes become campus favorites
In addition to the unforgettable national headliners, regional talent was often featured as fraternities and sororities sought entertainment throughout the year.
The Medallions/Swingin’ Medallions: Phi Delta Theta in the mid-1960s had its own unofficial house band. Brent Fortson from Greenville, South Carolina, played saxophone in a regional group, and they performed at the house regularly. In April 1966, that band—the Medallions—played on a flatbed trailer in the Fine Arts parking lot during the Greek “Meet the Candidates” event. After igniting the crowd with their soon-to-be hit, “Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love),” they embarked on a 39-state tour. By the time they returned in the fall, the song had become a UGA anthem, blaring from every jukebox on campus.
Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts: The Chapel Hill-based band made their first Georgia appearance at UGA in April 1960, playing Kappa Sigma’s Rush Weekend. And they would return frequently. Doug Clark’s albums became favorites and couldn’t be kept in stock at local record stores.
The Pieces of Eight: Formed after the split of The Swingin’ Medallions, this spinoff group became a campus favorite with frequent appearances in the late ’60s. Their song “Lonely Drifter” was a steady jukebox favorite. Like the Medallions a year earlier, The Pieces of Eight performed on a flatbed trailer during a Greek Slate “Meet the Candidates” event. Newspaper columnist Lewis Grizzard wrote about the occasion in one of his nostalgic columns recalling his UGA days.
The Original Drifters: Bill Pinkney’s group was a spin-off of the original group with all the hits. Pinkney’s group was most likely the band that became regulars at so many UGA events.
Unforgettable Campus Performances
Ike and Tina Turner: Harry Thompson took a chance that his music contacts wouldn’t steer him wrong and promoted the show as Lambda Chi’s biggest dance of Winter Quarter, 1962. Ike and Tina had a few records but were not household names. LXA brothers obtained copies of two new 45s, and got them placed on jukeboxes in coffee shops on campus. Brothers and their girlfriends dropped by and played them frequently to introduce the band to fellow students. Tina Turner’s raw energy and dazzling moves mesmerized the appreciative audience at Moina Michael Auditorium. “A young Tina was gritty and energetic,” Harry Thompson recalled. “People stopped dancing to watch her perform. She had this electric stage presence—you could feel it all the way to the back of the room.”
The Isley Brothers at Moina Michael: Lamda Chi Alpha brought The Isleys to the state for the first time in September 1961. The pioneers of soul and funk performed their signature song “Shout,” which had already become a frat party staple. The concert was recorded and played back on a local radio station.
One of the fraternity brothers recorded the concert on Super 8 film, capturing highlights from both the Ike and Tina Turner and Isley Brothers parties. For years, the footage was a staple during Lambda Chi’s rush events—played proudly to show the unforgettable nights that made the fraternity’s social scene legendary. Sadly, the reel became lost, a casualty of time and moves.
Bobby “Blue” Bland: LXA brought this incredible show to Athens in 1963. Al Scott headed the 9-piece band, The Blandolls, Al “TNT” Bragg, Joe Hinton, Dolores Johnson, and of course, Bobby “Mr. Blue” Bland. The show featured highlights from his “Here’s The Man” LP, including “Stormy Monday” and a riveting performance of “Turn on Your Love Light.” Thompson recalls the brothers being given special blue hats with an inscription that served as admission for the event.
Bridging the racial divide
The 1960s music scene at Southern colleges subtly challenged the norms of a still-segregated South. By booking Black artists at white fraternity parties, students quietly broke down social barriers. These interactions exposed young Southern college students to R&B and soul artists, fostering a greater appreciation for Black culture and music. Reflecting on those times, Thompson recalled, “Band members were treated like our heroes. Royalty even. Our audiences were extremely warm and appreciative, and the reception given to the entertainers was exceptional.”
The birth of music traditions
As R&B and soul gave way to Southern rock and country influences in the 1970s, live music at fraternity and sorority events continued. But by the late ‘70s, Athens was no longer just a stop on the Southern college band circuit—it was becoming the birthplace of groundbreaking new music scenes, giving rise to acts like The B-52s and R.E.M.
Memories that live on
The music of the 1960s continues to resonate with those who experienced it firsthand. It was more than just background noise—it was the soundtrack of a generation, shaping friendships, romances, and unforgettable memories. “The music of the ‘60s wasn’t just something we listened to. It was the heartbeat of our college years,” Thompson said as he reminisced.
Today, that heartbeat still echoes at modern beach music festivals and reunion events where bands play the music of yesteryear. Whether you lived it or wish you had, the spirit of the ‘60s lives on—waiting for you to hit the dance floor again… because some memories—and some songs—are just too good to leave behind.
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Chris Jones is a retired media and corporate public affairs specialist who lives near Athens. Jones earned a top national feature-writing award in 2024 for his article, "Fraternities and Black Music in the 60s." That same year, he co-authored The Embers: The Bobby Tomlinson Story, chronicling the history of one of Carolina Beach Music's iconic bands.
This story appeared in Lakelife magazine, Volume 19, Issue 4 and is the property of Smith Communications, Inc. No portions of the story or photos may be copied or used without written permission from the publisher.
