Herb Jeffries
Posted on 10/07/2004 12:44:22 AM PDT by kingattax
As in 2000, President George W. Bush is trying to up the GOP's traditionally low share of the black vote. He may not succeed, but his efforts have already won over an important figure in black history to his side. Pioneering black actor and musician Herb Jeffries says he supports Bush "150 million percent" and calls the president "a tough cowboy."
And coming from Jeffries, "tough cowboy" is a compliment. Jeffries is celebrated for talking a studio into making a series of all-black singing cowboy movies that he starred in in the late '30s. At a time when singing Westerns and all Westerns were dominated by whites, Jeffries called himself the "Bronze Buckaroo."
Changing genres completely, Jeffries went on to become the first permanent singer in Duke Ellington's legendary jazz orchestra before going to a solo singing career.
Now 93, Jeffries has received numerous honors, including an induction into National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Sept. 24. But it wasn't until the current president took office that Jeffries had ever been invited to the White House. And Jeffries tells Insight that his encounter with the president made him a firm supporter.
Jeffries recalls that when he went to the White House in 2003 for a celebration in honor of Black Music Month, Bush "treated me with great respect, and I didn't see the pictures of him that I see on television." Jeffries continues, "Television edits everything they want you to see on a man, and from what I saw on television before I met him in person, I saw a man who seemed to be very arrogant and very egotistical, but when I met him I found him to be not that kind of a man at all."
It was one gesture in particular that Jeffries points to as revealing Bush's character.
Jeffries requested an aide to help him get on and off the stage in the East Room. The White House provided one, and Jeffries signaled for the aide after he finished singing. But the aide never had a chance to come to the stage, because Bush bolted from his seat, embraced Jeffries and took him by the arm.
"When I took my last bow for my last song, he rushed up on the stage and said, 'I got you, Herb," Jeffries recalls. The only problem with the president doing this, Jeffries says jokingly, is that Jeffries didn't know if the rest of the audience was giving Jeffries a standing ovation or just standing up because the president stood up.
"I found him to be a man with lots of humor, very respectful, and I had a chance to talk with him at length, and I found that my opinion of him, from what I had been seeing over television, was totally different after I had met him," Jeffries says.
Discussing Bush's foreign policy and economic record, Jeffries uses the analogy of a rented house to not-so-subtly argue that Bush is sweeping up messes that were started by his predecessor, Bill Clinton. "He came into a rental house," Jeffries says. "And when you go into a rental house, you have to clean up the dirt behind the guy who was in there before you. They gave him a tough bull to ride, and I think he's riding it."
On the war in Iraq, Jeffries, who served in Army and Air Force Special Services entertaining troops in World War II and the Korean War Fighting Music of WW II, sees it as necessary. "We have gone over to help other people, and why shouldn't we have gone over to help the Iraqis, who are having a problem?" he asks. "We've gone every place else in the world to help people ... Is there any reason why we shouldn't have gone to assist the Iraqis?" On the war and politics in general, Jeffries concludes, "I think it's time for us to join together as Americans and stop putting each other down like we're doing. ... It's time for that nonsense to stop."
Jeffries continues to tour and record everything from country tunes to Duke Ellington standards. His new compact discs can be ordered from his web site, HerbJeffries.com. With a co-author, Jeffries is working on an autobiography to be tentatively title "The Color of Love." Jeffries insists that he isn't growing old, just becoming "vintage."
Here's an old-school picture of Herb.
I love these men. You talk about some straight shooters - how about these old guys?
Jeffries served his country well, and he deserves our respect and gratitude! And I give him my thanks for speaking out on behalf of the president...
I love these men. You talk about some straight shooters - how about these old guys?
Jeffries served his country well, and he deserves our respect and gratitude! And I give him my thanks for speaking out on behalf of the president...
Any info on his boots and weapons?
WOW. Thanks!
Wish I could afford it, beautiful weapon.
I love Herb's singing ... how nice to read he's on the Good side. :-)
... ping ...
Herb Jeffries - the original singing cowboy.
I have one of his CDs... a class act
Which one do you have ? The wife says she heard something at a summer party you through like this -- was that it ? She remembers was quite good.
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