According toDr. Isaac “Doc” Greggs, his health is just fine.
Aftersustaining a fall during a pre-game drill Sept. 4, the Southern UniversityMarching Band director became the subject of debates that have critics and fansalike asking if he has had enough.
“I am fine,” hesaid. “I have never felt better. I just stumbled.”
Greggs said hefell after the tip of his right sandal got entangled in asphalt where the bandwas practicing. He said one of the freshmen band members was “stepping over theline, when he should’ve been stepping on the line.” He then went to direct thestudent on the correct formation and that is when he stumbled.
He said that hewent to the hospital via an ambulance after his spill for precautionarymeasures. His left hand was visibly swollen and he has a line of band-aids overa slew of cuts and scratches on his lower left leg. In lieu of the battlewounds, Greggs said that his is still going strong.
“The doctors(at the hospital) said that I was a little dehydrated,” said the 75-year-oldGreggs. “But I feel like a horse.”
The Shreveportnative said he arrived at Southern as a student in 1944 and graduated in 1948at the tender age of 19. He then went to Chicago to pursue his graduate degreewhile he played music professionally.
After leavingthe Windy City, he returned to Louisiana to teach. He has been on the Bluff asdirector, including a stint at Southern Lab, since 1969.
Greggs said heleft Chicago after he realized that his “clock was ticked.” He said that heknew that there was someone who played better in Chicago, so he went where heknew he would be the best.
“And there isstill no one better,” he said. “You know my motto, ‘Often imitated, but neverduplicated.'”
According toGreggs, under his tutelage, the band has been to every modern nation exceptChina and three U.S. presidential inaugural parades. He has even been bestowedthe honor of honorary Louisiana state representative, senator andmayor-president of Baton Rouge.
He said thatthe critics who feel that he may be too old or outdated should stick to thingsthat they know about rather than comment on his abilities.
“I’m as old asyou want me to be and I’m as young as I want to be,” he said. “I have a verystrong bloodline. My daddy was about 100 years old before he died. I still haveat least 20 years to go. I am still going out there and I am light-years aheadof every band out there.”
Greggs alsodefended his rationale of having a band of 170 marching members. He said thatthe band has had up to 192 players with reserves, but at 170, “things areflowing.” He also said that people do not consider the cost of running a band.
“It’s simplytoo expensive,” he said. “Besides, it’s not the size of the ocean that makesyou seasick, it’s the moving and the grooving and we move and groove. Otherbands can have 500 on the field. They can’t outplay the band and they can’toutplay me. I don’t tell car salesmen how many cars they have to sell. Untilsomeone can do what I do, then I will listen to the critics, but right now,there is no one.”
Not willing toback down from any challenge, Greggs said that as long as he is director,Southern will always stand tall among the nation’s bands.
“Who’s going tobe close to me?” he asked. “Put them all in a bag and let the first one jumpout.”
Although hisband may have been on the upside, there have been a few “downs” for Greggs. Inthe past years, Greggs has been approached with allegations of discriminationand more recently, issues of personnel misconduct.
But for AustinSanders, a sophomore trumpet player from Atlanta, those things did not matter.Southern was his only choice.
“I came toSouthern and auditioned for Doc right in his office,” Sanderson said. “I’vealways admired him and the band, so it was an honor to play for him.”
Greggs saidthat alumni and other students opted to attend Southern because the band is oneof the university’s best recruiting tools.
“They come forthe band even if they don’t play,” he said. “When (former head football coachA.W. Mumford) left and we went through that drought, we still filled the standsbecause people came to see me.”
If there isever a moment when Southern does not want to see Greggs anymore, he said thathe would just take a page out of the history books and add a new twist.
“Alexander theGreat said that he sat and cried when he realized that he had no more lands toconquer,” he said. “I think I’ll go and do as he did and cry on Lake Kernanbehind the alumni house.”
Clearly, youcan’t duplicate that.
