Southern's "Human Jukebox" Wins Band Competition

Photo by Ryan P. Knight The Human Jukebox wows the audience at the Battle of the Bands/Greek Show in the Superdome.

With the powerful sounds of soulful oldies and popular R&B hits, the often imitated but never duplicated Southern University "Human Jukebox" marching band has long electrified audiences. Now its 170 members have proved victorious yet again: Southern University was awarded the top prize of $10,000 cash in a band competition sponsored by Motown Records.

"I’m so glad I won it, because I had no money at the time,” said longtime band director Dr. Isaac Greggs. “I tell you, God is good all the time. I now have the money to buy my seniors jackets and trophies. There is no competition for my band; we are the best. I knew we would win because we always do," said Greggs.

Sponsored by Motown Records, the competition among HBCU bands began in September, early in the season for marching bands, and ended in December. More than 20 black colleges showcased their abilities.

Each was required to play an original piece titled "Star," a new song by the Motown girl group 702. Based on videotapes of the performances, executives at Motown judged the bands on creativity, musical arrangement and sound.

Southern, Florida A&M and Norfolk State universities made it to the final round. The winners traveled to Mobile, Ala., to perform Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Senior Bowl. Their talent was also showcased nationwide on ESPN.

"Our job is to make fans happy. So far I think they are very pleased," said Greggs.

Kendra Toussant is a student at Southern University who writes for The Southern Digest.