Let ‘Carolina Beach Music’ soothe your soul

It’s shaggin’ time across the Carolinas. Who are the premier shag dancers of all time? That’s not going to generate too much controversy. 

Kurt Lichtmann, who formerly taught dance classes at Ithaca (N.Y.) College, and is a shag aficionado, said the clear winners in his mind are “national shag champions many times over, Jackie McGee and Charlie Womble.” 

Howie Thompson of Little River, S.C., has written books chronicling the progression of shag dancing. He believes Jackie McGee and Charlie Womble represent “the heart and soul” of shag dancing. “They are to the world of shag dance like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are to the great musicals of our time,” Thompson wrote.

Charlie Womble and Jackie McGee

Jackie, who is from Laurinburg, N.C., graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Charlie grew up in Apex, N.C., and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. They first partnered up on the dance floor in 1981, were married in 1989 and continue to dance and teach the shag at their production studio in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. 

What is the best “Carolina Beach Music” song of all time? There is a wide, wide variety of opinions about this. 

John Staton, arts and entertainment editor at the Wilmington Star-News, votes for “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters (1964). “With its slow lilt and lyrics about a pleasure-filled summer, it’s perhaps the definitive beach music song.” 

Ben Steelman, who recently retired as Star-News book columnist, selects “Sixty Minute Man” by Billy Ward and The Dominoes (1951) as his favorite beach tune. Musicologist Kit O’Toole of Chicago is supportive. She said “Sixty Minute Man” was one of the “most influential records” in rock music history, combining gospel, R&B (rhythm and blues), doo-wop and “a touch of naughty humor.” 

Radio 94.9 – The Surf, based in North Myrtle Beach, lists Ms Grace by The Tymes (1974) as the best beach song ever. Author Dr. Rick Simmons of Pawleys Island, S.C., said the record played on thousands of jukeboxes and is arguably “the most popular beach music song of all time.” 

Dr. Simmons is also partial to “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” by The Tams (1968), “which epitomizes the beach music experience.” Staton is a fan as well. He says the song’s title “could be beach music’s motto. With its doo-wop inspired backing vocals and ‘carpe diem’ lyrics, it’s all about seizing the fun to be had in the moment.” 

Eric Hodgden, who owns and operates a DJ business in Raleigh, offers a different perspective. His team reports that the favorite beach song for wedding reception dancers is “Carolina Girls” by General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board (1980). 

Jim Newsom, a musician and journalist in Norfolk, Va., proclaims General Norman Johnson as beach music’s original and only “five-star general.”

 

General Johnson

“Johnson has one of the great voices of rock and soul, an instantly recognizable sound that wraps itself around a lyric and pulls every ounce of emotion out,” Newsom wrote. 

General Johnson started out with “The Showmen,” who had a big hit in 1963 with “39-21-40 Shape.” Minit Records of New Orleans mislabeled the title as “39-21-46” on the record. Johnson said he always thought it was an intentional ploy to “arouse curiosity.” 

The Showmen dissolved in 1968, and Johnson moved on to Detroit and formed The Chairmen of the Board, which became the best beach beat band in the land, with hits like “Give Me Just a Little More Time” and “On the Beach.”