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Atlanta’s beach music idols
The Tams stay on the road six
decades later
From the Crates
1
Kelly McCoy
is a veteran Atlanta
broadcaster who
writes about the
days popular music
only came on vinyl
records, which often
were stored in crates.
If I say “beach music” and you think
surfers, surfboards and The Beach Boys, I
need to clear some things up for you.
We Southerners know the real “beach
music.” It came from our region, primarily
from the Carolinas and Coastal Georgia.
Think of it as a blend of R&B and pop
music. It was music you could dance the
“shag” to (the
dance, not the
kind of “shag”
they talked about
in Austin Powers
movies).
The Tams may
not be a household
name anymore, but
to beach music fans
they are musical
royalty. And six
decades after the
band organized in
south Atlanta, it’s
still on the road,
playing festivals
and shows across
the southeast. The
original members are long gone, of course,
but children and even grandchildren of the
founders are still touring together.
The Tams, an Atlanta institution, date
back to the early 1960s. In an earlier article,
I mentioned the discovery of The Tams
by Southern music icon Bill Lowery. The
group’s first big hit, “Untie Me,” was written
by Joe South, a superb Atlanta songwriter
who became an established recording artist
himself
The Tams’ signature hit, “Be Young, Be
Foolish, Be FFappy,” was released in 1968.
“What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am),”
“FFey Girl Don’t Bother Me” and “I’ve Been
FFurt” are a few other hits you may know.
I’ve always been a sucker for horns and
harmony and I’ve been a huge beach music
fan most of my life. Although I know plenty
about the subject, I did consult with a couple
of experts for this article.
I contacted Dianne Pope, widow of
Charles “Speedy” Pope, the brother of Joe
Pope, co-founder of the Tams. Charles passed
away in 2013 at the age of 77. Their son
Al (Little Redd) joined the group and is still
with them today.
The Tams formed in south Atlanta and
started with appearances at various places on
Auburn Avenue, such as The Royal Peacock,
and The 617 Club off LIunter Street. Once
they had major hits, they toured with
big-name stars such as James Brown, The
Temptations and Otis Redding.
The Tams were continuously on the
road in the 60s and 70s. Dianne often
accompanied them.
Once, she said, after a long road trip, she
decided to return home and get a little rest.
As The Tams headed to FFarold’s A Go-Go in
Columbia, South Carolina, their convertible,
loaded with group and gear, decided to stop
working. As luck would have it, Diane
happened to pass by and spot them on the
side of the road. She stopped and helped
them get back on their way, so they wouldn’t
miss the gig.
Everyone ended up back in Columbia
at a hotel for the night. Dianne is white.
Why mention this? In those days there were
hotels for white people and separate ones for
Black people. Dianne and The Tams were
all arrested and jailed,
she said, because a white
woman was in segregated
hotel that was to be used
only by Blacks. Lowery
came to the rescue. Lie
drove to Columbia,
bailed them out, and
the show went on as
planned, according to
Dianne.
Of course, there are
many more positive, and
successful Tams stories.
My beach music
authorities — Steve
Begor, a record promoter
back in the 1960s, and
Chris Jones, a fan of the
music and a collector — forgot more on the
subject than most of us ever will know. Their
opinion: The Tams are at the top.
“My intro to beach music came through
high school friends who were home from
college,” Jones said. “Their 8-tracks were of
artists they had seen/heard on campus: The
Tams, Junior Walker, James Brown, and The
Swinging Medallions. Graduating from high
school in 1968, “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be
FFappy” fit the moment. The Tams were the
first recording artist that I got see in person,
so I’m somewhat biased.”
“They were great live, however not the
most dependable,” Begor said. “Remember
once they were to play the Beach Club in
Myrtle Beach and were nowhere to be found.
Someone got in the car and found them
playing baseball with a bunch of kids at a
local park. They said, “Oh, we didn’t realize
the time.”
I live in Bulldog country, where Tams
appeared at the B&L Warehouse in 1973.
Fast forward to 1977 and go up the street a
bit to another club, The Other Place.
I was there to see the Tams one evening.
Lucky me! They grabbed me, and others out
of the crowd to come on stage and sing “Be
Young, Be Foolish, Be FFappy” with them.
This was with Joe Pope!
I was so surprised I forgot the lyrics for a
moment.
For more: thetams.com.
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