Whiting's Writings: Little drummer boy is 'the man'

But that’s not to say I don’t have a few musical instruments in my possession. In fact, I have three drumsticks — aside from the ones I got at Miss Ann’s Fried Chicken.

One pair I got several years ago on a trip we took to Nashville not long after blues legend B.B. King had died. In fact, it was inside one of King’s blues venues that we enjoyed listening to a band in which Tony Coleman was the drummer. Tony played with King a good number of years. What he did with those sticks was amazing.

During a break in the show, I got to talk with him a few minutes about his years with B.B. When the show ended, I went back up to thank him for a great evening of musical entertainment. I saw how his once-smooth sticks were splintered. He got a Sharpie, autographed both sticks and handed them to me. They sit on a shelf with my CD collection.

Fast forward a few years now and I’ve since added another stick to that collection. And as cool as it is to have met and talked with Tony Coleman, and received a pair of his worn sticks, this one is really special.

We attended the grand opening days Good Times hosted on Maxwell Avenue at their wonderful new brewery site. Upstairs, people were standing and listening to a band perform. Some were dancing, including children. Yeah, I know. Breweries and children don’t seem a good mix, but if you haven’t visited breweries in the Upstate and North Carolina, you’re not aware of how they’ve turned them into nice places to take your kids.

But kids were in attendance this particular night, not so much because Good Times had opened its doors, but rather because O’Doyle Rulz was playing. These kids — yes, kids — remind me of when the Jackson 5 and The Osmonds were the craze in the 1970s. Girl friends and a girlfriend clamored to get their music. Girlfriend had a large Donny Osmond poster on her bedroom wall. I was in competition with a rock star who was my age.

Greenwood Mayor Brandon Smith and wife Tara are the parents of three members of O’Doyle Rulz. Their sons are Jarratt on guitar, Witt on bass and Benjo on drums. Their pal, Freddie McClendon, son of Davis and Kristen McClendon, sings lead vocals. Freddie and Jarratt are the oldest at 14. Freddie, get ready for the voice to change a bit. Witt is 11, Benjo is 8. Bear in mind, they sort of made their debut two years ago. Do the math.

While each one of these is a great talent in his own right, it was particularly entertaining to watch young Benjo on the drums. He was decked out in some cool clothes and a fedora. Here was this 8-year-old boy hitting some solid licks on the drums like he’d been at it as long as Tony Coleman. Or Phil Collins. The band played a fairly long set — probably past bedtime for most of them — and their fan base of young girls and boys was matched by adults who were essentially awestruck.

When they were done, I told Benjo he ought to autograph and sell his worn-out sticks to fans. While I was talking with some other folks, Benjo walked up to me, still looking cool in his fedora, and handed me a drumstick. And sure enough, he had printed his name on the stick.

How cool was that?

Brandon tells me the boys are getting some dates “all over the place” now and they’re going to record at Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia next month. They’ll make a music video.

I don’t know when, but I suspect O’Doyle Rulz is going to hit it big. I’ll still proudly have that stick Benjo gave me. And I’ll reflect on the fact that there must be something in Greenwood’s water that nurtures so much musical talent, from the East Coast Beach Music genre to good old rock ‘n’ roll.