Florida Classic: FAMU, Bethune-Cookman band alumni recall music, pageantry

At many other football games, the halftime entertainment isn't enough to keep the fans in their seats. But not at the Classic, where they don't budge when the two bands face off in one of the most meticulously choreographed and musically powerful halftime shows anywhere.

The performance is so spectacular that alumni from both sides jokingly describe it as a show interrupted by a football game.

For Wilson and many band alumni, though, the Classic is much, much bigger than a game and a great halftime show. It's part of a rich, tumultuous history during which the two bands became a symbol of pride and accomplishment for millions of African-Americans.


Florida Classic's marching band rivalry decided at halftime

James "Chief" Wilson will put a little extra effort into planning his snack breaks and bathroom trips Saturday at the Citrus Bowl. That's because Wilson, like many of the 50,000 people expected at the Florida Classic, won't want to miss any of the halftime show between the rival Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman university bands.

It's a show that has evolved into an annual extravaganza since Wilson, 83, first performed with the FAMU marching band in the late 1940s.

At many other football games, the halftime entertainment isn't enough to keep the fans in their seats. But not at the Classic, where they don't budge when the two bands face off in one of the most meticulously choreographed and musically powerful halftime shows anywhere.

The performance is so spectacular that alumni...

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