How Bubba learned the blues

 Being pretty gregarious, I traveled in a wide circle seeking out music, specifically blues musicians. 

People would come to me and say, “There's a Black guy down in the projects that plays the guitar. You really ought to meet him.” He was George Brown. He lived in Dawson behind the peanut mill.

I met him through a friend. I got to hanging out with George first, and he got to talking about Cecil Barfield. These were guys in their seventies and eighties, and I was in my twenties.

Because of Cecil's Bull of The Woods truck that everybody used to recognize, I went up to Brownwood and just tracked him down. I just drove around ‘till I found his house.

Initially he was scared, like, “I'm in trouble. Here's a White man showing up at my house that I don't know, this ain't good.” So, it took me quite a few visits before you could see him just relax and just be himself and trusting of me. So, I knew two Blues men. Neither called themselves 'blues men'--it's just the only style they played. 

It was quite a while before I ever let anyone accompany me to his house, and when I did, I was very selective. I never wanted him to feel like a novelty or sideshow for entertainment. It was the same way with George Brown. 

It was gut-wrenching it was for me to have a hero of mine, a Black man close to four-times my age, always calling me 'Mr.’ and ‘Sir’. 

Every time he said it, I would cringe and immediately tell him, "Please, please Mr. Cecil don't say Sir and Mr to me!”. Cecil said, “That is how I am supposed to talk to you." 

This is a song I wrote about George Brown many years ago and probably my most well-known song: 

On YouTube: "Dog Finger"
UNCUT #7 Robert "Bubba" Hall 

Elisha Jordon, poet:

Peanut Mill

Birds of a feather 

Flock together 

Seeking out the Blues

A great talent 

He uses a pick

Hidden by the peanut mill

It’s a real new day

A new year

An older generation

In a little town

Looking for a big tree

And a big talent

When I was playing football at Auburn, I did not have time to do anything but play football between going to classes and practicing. In my freshman year we were ranked by Sports Illustrated the number one team in the nation. So, football was a 12-month thing for me. 

I started out playing outside linebacker and strong safety. Now at 58 years old, I don't look physically impressive like when I was 19, but at the time, I was a little under six, one weighed about 205 pounds. I was fast, not super fast, but pretty fast for a guy my size at the time. 

As a sophomore, they moved me from running back to tailback. Then called me into the office one day and said, “Look, Robert, we need better players on the scout team.” And I knew what that meant: tackling dummy. I'm never going to play at Auburn University. 

I sat under the bleachers and cried for an hour. I said, “It's over”. Then the first practice we had with me at the scout team, tailback, I scored three touchdowns against the number one defense in the nation. Could have been a fluke, could have been luck. 

As we're walking off the field, Bud Casey, the running back coach comes up and puts his arm around my shoulder and says, “Son, you might not ever play at running back for Auburn University, but you're too good to be on the scout team. So, you're my fourth string tailback.” Now, Bo Jackson was the starting tailback. Brent Fullwood was the second-string tailback. Best I could hope for is fourth string.

I probably could have started at another college. I had the highest SAT scoring. I had a 3.8 GPA. I had scholarship offers from Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Davidson College, Suwanee, University of the South. But I chose to walk on at Auburn. 

I enjoyed every minute of being at Auburn. And all this time, my love of music was growing, becoming more prominent in my life.

Nevaeh Hall, poet :

Young man, 

Off to school to play ball

Three-hundred and sixty-five days 

were nothing at all

Played 

Outside with the big boys.

Now at fifty-eight, it doesn’t look like I played at all

Two years in, they moved me

All they wanted to do was use me

Oh boy! I’m never going to play for the University

Cried and cried over and over

Oh, Brother! My career is basically over

One practice the scout session was over

Son, you might never play running back

But you’re too good for the scout team.

So you’re my fourth string tailback!”

Academics and skills

Scholarships and more scholastics

Final choice was the beloved Auburn.