Traveling Soul by Todd Mayfield Page A

whist—and preparing for the work ahead. The next day, they made rounds to the Negro radio stations in the area, and they also appeared on Soupy Sales’s television show. Sales had three shows at the time, including
Soup’s On
, which he used to promote his love of jazz. Artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Coleman Hawkins had graced the stage the Impressions stood on that night.
    It was heady stuff, but the Impressions got a much different reception than expected from Detroit’s white show business professionals. “We were treated like a bunch of kids, young kids at that,” Jerry said. “In the black community [in Chicago], despite our youth, we were treated with respect, like heroes. To black people, young and old alike, we had grasped that elusive thing called success, and, if only for a moment, we symbolized their dreams and aspirations. Black males, for example, saw us as symbols of hope. Black females saw us as suave, worldly guys who had gone places, done things. We were special.” In Detroit, they were just another act.
    The trip took them down another peg before it ended. Famous Detroit DJ Larry Dixon sweet-talked the Impressions, telling them how good their record sounded and how Abner would get them on Ed Sullivan’s show. Then, he sprung the trap. He promoted a concert every Saturday, he said, and if the Impressions would perform there—just a song or two—it would help their sales in Detroit. They explained that they had scheduled an appearance on
Bandstand Matinee
back in Chicago. “Don’t worry,” Dixon said. “I’ll call Abner on Friday and straighten it out. It’s ridiculous to spend the money to come here and not get all the publicity you can out of this town.” All day Friday, WCHB played “For Your Precious Love” once or twice every hour. Late Friday night, Dixon called to say he had spoken with Abner and worked everything out.
    Around seven o’clock Saturday evening, the Impressions arrived at the club, where people already stood in line waiting to get inside. The full force of the house band hit the crowd as it cascaded in. The band showed up too late to rehearse the Impressions’ material—the first sign something was about to go wrong.
    Close to nine o’clock, Dixon appeared “dressed like some fairytale prince.” He walked to the bandstand and shouted, “It’s show time!” After the house band played a few more songs, Dixon introduced Eddie Holland, who sang Jackie Wilson’s “Reet Petite” with mesmerizing accuracy, down to every nuance of Wilson’s routine. Holland would soon cowrite some of the biggest hits in popular music history at Motown, the label run by “Reet Petite” cowriter Berry Gordy.
    After Holland finished, Larry started his rap: “Ladies and gentlemen … all the way from Chicago, Illinois … five young men who have the hottest record in WCHB land! The creators of the monster hit ‘For Your Precious Love’ … Here they are … our special guest attraction tonight … Jerry Butler and the Impressions!” The crowd erupted in cheers.
    As the Impressions performed, electric energy pounded through their veins. The audience carried them on a wave of ecstasy that felt downright holy. “I got the same feeling that night that I had experienced with the Northern Jubilee Singers when the church was with us,” Jerry said. “It’s a feeling of pushing up to your limit and then over, and yourspirit lifts your body. It all becomes so real that it’s unreal. We finished, and the audience applauded and screamed. ‘More! More! More!’ We had two encores, singing the same song. After the third time, Larry got us off. Afterwards, there were young, pretty women with pieces of paper wanting autographs, fat ladies with big bosoms and whiskey on their breath wanting to hug and kiss