FUGITIVE POET MUSIC PRESENTS: WATTS/GREENLEE FUND

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Biography:

Noble "Thin Man" Watts was one of the hottest tenor saxman on the 1950s R&B scene. This was the era of honking tenor sax, when sax players, not guitarists, led the transformation of R&B into rock 'n' roll. Saxmen like Big Jay McNeely, Joe Houston, Plas Johnson and Noble Watts were early rock superstars. Watts was one of the greatest living exponents of that honking tenor style until his death in 2004.

Born in DeLand, Florida in 1926, Noble Watts started out playing piano, then progressed to the violin and trumpet before discovering the tenor sax in his teens. In 1942, he enrolled at Florida A&M University, where his band mates in the school marching band included jazz greats Julian "Cannonball" Adderly and his brother Nat.

The Griffin Brothers, one of Dot Records' most popular touring R&B acts, hired Watts right after he finished college, and he toured with them for a time. In 1952, he joined famed baritone saxophonist Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams as a member of the house band for the groundbreaking TV show Showtime At The Apollo. Later on, he had a stint playing with Lionel Hampton's big band. He also played on late '50s tour packages behind the likes of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers.

Settling in New York, Watts broke out as a solo recording artist on the Baton label. He recorded the R&B instrumentals Easy Going, Blast Off, Shakin', and Flap Jack. He topped the charts in the late '50s with the classic instrumentals, Hard Times (The Slop) (covered a few years later by Duane Eddy) and Jookin'.

Things slowed down for Watts in the '60s and '70s, and he moved back to his native DeLand, Florida in 1983. King Snake Records founder Bob Greenlee "rediscovered" him at a private party, and Watts released his comeback album, Return Of The Thin Man (featuring a guest appearance by Taj Mahal), for King Snake in 1987. The album was re-released on Alligator in 1990.

He followed up with King Of The Boogie Sax in 1993 for Ichiban Records' imprint Wild Dog. Watts continued to do some session work and live performances up until around 2000. He passed away August 24, 2004.



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Return of the Thin Man

DELAND, Fla. - Blues and jazz saxophonist Noble “Thin Man” Watts, who led the house band at Sugar Ray Robinson's club in Harlem and played on rock 'n' roll tours with Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis, has died. He was 78.
Watts, who had been in a nursing home for months struggling with emphysema and pneumonia, died Tuesday at The Alliance Community in DeLand.

Watts released a series of singles on Baton Records, including the instrumental hits “Hard Times (the Slop)” in 1957 and “Jookin'” in 1961.

Watts established his professional reputation in New York in the 1950s, where he played with the house band at Sugar Ray Robinson's club in Harlem. He also played with Lionel Hampton's orchestra and on rock 'n' roll package tours with Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

Saxophonists from King Curtis to Bruce Springsteen sideman Clarence Clemons were influenced by his booming tenor sound.

”I like to feel I'm leaving a mark in the form,” Watts told the Orlando Sentinel in 1987. “I'd like for it to be that when I die, my music don't die with me. I'd like for somebody to say, 'I got a lot out of what Noble did. He left a lot for us to go on.'”

Born in DeLand, Watts attended Florida A&M University, where played in the marching band with future jazz legends Cannonball and Nat Adderley.

Recently, Watts had been recognized as a musical icon. The African American Museum of the Arts in DeLand dedicated an amphitheater named after Watts in May. And Stetson University, where he raked leaves as a boy to pay for music lessons, gave him an honorary doctorate in 2000.

He is survived by his wife, June; a son, Robert Hill; a daughter, Natalie W. Brown; a sister Constance Brenson; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. -Associated Press

The Watts-Greenlee Music Scholarship

Contact: Bruce Cook, 386.506 4417, or Doug Peterson, ext.386.506 3276

Purpose: Memorial scholarship in honor of Noble Watts and Bob Greenlee.

Specific Restrictions:
Limited to one $500 scholarship per academic year.
Recipient may be a new or continuing student, enrolled in at least six semester hours during the scholarship period.
Recipient must be a music major or preparing for a music-related career.
Recipient must demonstrate some degree of financial need.
Recipient must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to apply and must maintain a GPA of 3.0 during the scholarship period.
Recipient must qualify for resident tuition.

General Guidelines:
Applicants must follow DBCC Foundation application guidelines and timelines.
Completed application forms must be returned to the DBCC Development Division for qualification.
Award recipients will be selected by the DBCC Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee.
The DBCC Foundation will notify the recipient and coordinate disbursement of the award.