Sixty-three years after James Brown recorded his first “Live at the Apollo” album, Augusta area youth will carry his legacy back to that revered stage as part of the May 14 Amateur Night at the Apollo.
Children with the James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils (J.A.M.P.) will head to New York for what J.A.M.P. founder Deanna Brown Thomas hopes will be the first of three trips to the Big Apple to perform over the next couple of months.
“Students from Augusta, Georgia, are representing him; they are representing seven Richmond County schools and one Aiken County school. They are representing eight families,” said Thomas, who is excited about the opportunity for them.
After a recent visit to the Apollo, Thomas decided to submit the band’s audition video.
The students will perform in the children’s division. And while other groups might use prerecorded music or utilize the theater’s house band, the J.A.M.P. performers will play their own instruments. If they make it past May 14 show, they will return June 11. The finals will be held June 25.
FILE: Members of the JB: J.A.M.P. Band (J.A.M.P. Alumni) perform at the James Brown Birthday Get Down in Augusta, Ga. on May 6, 2023. J.A.M.P. celebrates 15 years in June 2025. Mike Adams/Augusta Good News.
During his lifetime, the Godfather of Soul performed at the Apollo numerous times and did subsequent live recordings, but that first one was groundbreaking, Thomas said.
“He bought it (the Apollo) out for the night. He made ushers wear certain uniforms. It was his theater for the night. He recorded live. It was the best live album ever,” she said.
It’s the first time in J.A.M.P.’s history that they’ve sent in an audition and been selected to perform at the venue. The organization celebrates its 15th anniversary in June.
“I try to follow God’s lead,” she said. “I felt like this was a good time. A week later, I got an email. It worked out.”
At J.A.M.P., while music is a focal point, it’s not all children learn. Thomas said they want to invest in developing the whole child.
“We want them to have a mentor — someone they can talk to,” she said.
Over the years, they’ve taught some J.A.M.P. students how to drive, taken them to get haircuts, supported them in other afterschool activities. In some cases, they’ve watched grades improve and behavior problems improve. They’ve watched students graduate high school and college.
“My father told me if you put instruments in the hands of a child, you’ll change that child’s life,” said Thomas, who also shares with them some of the life lessons her father taught her.
Passing on those music and life lessons are important to Thomas.
“Dad’s been gone 18 years. They weren’t even born in my dad’s lifetime. Now, they get to go and perform. It’s so historic and so amazing,” she said.
Donations are being accepted to cover the costs of the New York trip. Go to the James Brown Family Foundation website here to learn more or use $JBFFJAMP at Cash App.
J.A.M.P.’s next hometown performance will be the JampCert on July 11 at the Augusta Museum of History.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
