Story and photos by L. M. Land
Flint resident James Bryant, Sr, has lived a life full of music, ministry and hard work.
Bryant’s musical life has lead him around the world, working with top names like Carl Carlton (of ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama’ fame). Having been part of Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was a member of the award-winning gospel quartet The Bright Stars. He was lead singer for 15 years for The Shepherds, and was there from the beginning of The Fantastic Silveraires. Bryant knew Little Richard, B. B. King, Prince and many others in the music industry.
Currently, Bryant plays with Soulstice, who will be playing in Flint at the First Frost Art Fair, October 19 and 20 at the Flint Cultural Center Academy. He still plays with other bands as well.
Starting from Arkansas roots, he was born to Allen Bryant, Sr. and Julia B. Bryant. The family lived in Flint in the St. John area when Bryant was in elementary school.
Today, Bryant is a member of First Trinity MBC in Flint, where he is a musician and minister. In a life full of travel, Flint has remained his home base.
Bryant has lived his life as a man of God who started preaching at Spiritual Israel Church in Flint at the age of 12, when he became licensed. At 14 he was ordained, and became an Elder at 40 years of age. Bryant also has a Doctorate in Theology and his thesis was at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
It seems only natural that his praise would extend to Gospel music.
“In 1965 I got my first guitar. Then in 1968 is pretty much when things really started to happen.”
Bryant was in elementary school when “we started a group called The Fantastic Silveraires, and they are still performing today. They will be playing on October 5th in Saginaw.”
The Silveraires traveled together with the Vocalettes and The Golden Tones in cars and vans and station wagons, covering Texas to South Carolina, Mississippi and Arkansas.
“We sang some everywhere. So we were children growing up, but we were singing professionally, because we were travelling and singing and being booked to make money. But at that time we wasn’t looking at it as a money thing, because it was Gospel. So we were happy to be able to do it…being with all the parents and the uncles being around, and everybody was there [including siblings and cousins]…We were the musicians for all the groups. The only day we really had off, really, was Monday. And we rehearsed from Tuesday to Saturday [and performed on Sunday]. We would rehearse in the evening after school, each group. So on Tuesday we rehearsed, Wednesday the Vocalettes rehearsed, Thursday we rehearsed, Friday the Vocalettes rehearsed and Saturday morning The Golden Tones rehearsed because they all worked in GM. There was another guitar player that was really instrumental with us; his name was Harold Wilson, and he played a different style, but he was very effective. For The Golden Tones, Wilson was a singer in the group as well as guitar player.
“John Daniel Love, Jr., or ‘Duke’ was the guitar player for the Silveraires and he was our music teacher. When Duke was in the Vietnam war, the group kept going, and then Duke worked with George Benson. We had two other groups going at this time, Maebell Love had The Vocalettes, the main group at the time was The Golden Tones which was headed by John Daniel Love, Sr. or ‘Pop’.”
As a teenager and through today, Bryant has also worked with other artists such as James Smith, Maurice Davis, Johnny Taylor, Little Milton, Tyrone Davis, Kevin Collins and many other gospel groups as well.
Working with many groups allowed Bryant to meet and learn from many musicians.
“We helped multiple groups in the city. So there was times when, if one of their musicians couldn’t make it they would ask, could we go with them whether it was to Mississippi or Georgia. At one time in this city there were almost 60 gospel groups. A lot of those now, those groups, have passed on…All the original guys with the Flint Southernaires have passed away now, except Aaron Malone.
“Just like with Gwen Pennyman-Hemphill’s mother, Lucille Pennyman Briggs, I helped play bass with their group as well…The Mighty Banks Sisters. We were down in Georgia and that’s where I first met Little Richard. [Little Richard and Gwen’s mother] were cousins and having a family reunion, and the Mighty Banks Sisters were singing at their family reunion. We were the musicians there to play with the Mighty Banks Sisters gospel group. And while we were there, lo and behold, here’s Little Richard! Little Richard…a very, very dynamic performer and a very, very well schooled pianist…And to be able to have an opportunity just to be able to play with Little Richard and to be able to tell people! You know I come back home after summer was over and go back to school, and I got a chance to tell the teachers ‘I actually played with Little Richard’. And they’re like WHAT! “
Before you get all star-struck, Bryant explained this was everyday life for him, and musicians are just people.
“A lot of people misconstrue a lot of things. They forget that these artists has families too. Whatever they upbringing was, that was there. They’re no different than anybody else, it just ends up that’s their talent or they took on that talent. Just like Eddie Levert, and Walter and all those guys that’s with The O’Jays, they’re my mother’s cousins.
“Johnny Malone…Howard Towns and all those guys, these were great singers…All of the groups I am mentioning…the skills that I have today, I give the credit for the singing and the vocalizing to them. Especially J. D. Love, and Maebell Love, them and my uncle, Andrew Cole. He was the biggest influence for me, to bring me around to everybody…and Servester ‘Aunt Silvie’ Cole.”
Woven throughout this musical life, Bryant was also busy with the other parts of life. In high school he became a licensed mechanic at the Skill Center, and studied metallurgy at GMI. He was a police officer, worked for General Motors, and served in the army. Faith and family assured his two year recovery after a stroke.
Bryant’s story will be continued in our 50th anniversary project, Black in Flint, to be released in 2025. Bryant’s nostalgic stories of growing up in Flint weave around stories of how Bryant began playing for Bob Seger, performing on American Bandstand with Dick Clark, Soul Train, B. B. King, James Brown, hanging out in Paisley Park with Prince, the S Band, Slice, Soulstice and more.
Do you have a story to share about being Black in Flint? Contact L. M. Land at BlackInFlint@gmail.com.