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THE LITTLEJOHN'S GRILL STORY: Blues, Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll in Clemson, SC
By Vince Jackson

Beginning just as World War II was ending and continuing until the era of 
segregation known as Jim Crow came to a halt in fits and jerks, a nightclub in 
Clemson, South Carolina turned a bright spotlight on musical entertainment in 
this small college town.

Some might say Littlejohn's Grill was just an unimportant "colored" juke joint 
along the side of the road. Others quickly recognize the Grill, in its day, was 
the epicenter for black entertainment in Upstate South Carolina.

Littlejohn's Grill, owned by Horace and Gertrude Littlejohn, supplied first-
class entertainment, along with good food and lodging for travelers touring the 
Chitlin' Circuit from the late 1940s until the mid-1960s. Many musicians found 
it to be a convenient stopover while touring from the Mississippi Delta to 
points along the East Coast. The Littlejohn family says Horace may have been the 
first black man to own a club between Atlanta and Charlotte, a distance of about 
250 miles. Patrons and performers frequenting the Grill could eat, dance, listen 
to the latest music, and stay overnight. Accommodations could be scarce if you 
were black, so the Chitlin' Circuit and places like the Grill, provided an 
Underground Railroad, of sorts, for people of color traveling the roads of 
America before integration. Over the years many future jazz and blues greats 
appeared at Littlejohn's Grill, honing skills that would take them to the top of 
the music business.

The long and impressive list of jazz and blues celebrities appearing at the club 
include Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Elmore James, 
Little Richard, Fats Domino, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, Piano Red, Otis 
Redding, comedian Red Foxx, Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, James 
Brown and scores of others.

James Brown is by far the most remembered star of Littlejohn's Grill. His early 
career, not well-known, began when Brown lived in Toccoa, Georgia, about 30 
miles from Clemson, during the early 1950s. Most believe Brown originally came 
from Augusta or Macon, but he was born in tiny Elko, South Carolina about 1933. 
At age 15 Brown was sentenced to serve time for armed robbery and was 
incarcerated at Boys Camp, a juvenile facility in Toccoa. Serving three years, 
before being recognized for his good behavior and gospel singing abilities, 
Brown soon made connections in the entertainment world with performers such as 
Little Richard and Hank Ballard. It wasn't long before Brown began fronting a 
group called the Flames, performing at the Grill on a weekly basis. In 1956 the 
Flames recorded "Please, Please, Please" and James Brown's career soared into 
the stratosphere.

Crowds were the norm whenever the Grill was operating at full throttle. Oscar 
Preston was just a teenager when he began selling tickets at the door for Horace 
Littlejohn.

"Horace had some kind of arrangement with Atlantic Records. Many of the big time 
black performers recorded on Atlantic. Horace would never tell his secret ways 
of getting the major acts to Clemson, but they always came and entertained us." 

It was not unusual for 1500-1600 people to crowd inside and outside the club to 
see and hear blues and jazz greats invent the music that became rock 'n' roll. 

Jackson explores the history of segregation in Clemson through many amusing and 
heart-warming stories told by surviving Grill patrons. Identifying more than 60 
major star performers of the era, who appeared at the Grill, Jackson provides a 
thumbnail sketch of each one as he recounts the musical traditions of 
Littlejohn's Grill.

Anyone interested in the early history of Rock 'n' Roll will enjoy reading these 
accounts. For more information visit www.littlejohnsgrill.com for information on 
purchasing the book along with a tribute poster highlighting entertainers 
appearing at the club.

Vince Jackson is a 20 year resident of Clemson, SC and writes for a local 
newspaper. He has a life-long interest in blues music and plays blues harmonica. 
He has been published in LIVING BLUES magazine and has work currently under 
consideration by regional magazines and writer's forums.