Who Are We?

Heralded as the Showband from Southland, the story of the Alcorn State University band program starts back in 1885 with a newly formed Brass Band, under the Direction of J.M. Hicks, a student who instructed in his studies by Prof. J. C. McAdams. In 1892, William Grant Still, Sr. became the student leader of this group, and would later earn the title of “Band Master” due to his skill in music field.

In 1928, under the direction of Prof. H. B. Morton, the band experiences a renaissance in the years after WWI with many former veterans now enrolled in school and participating in the school marching band.

During the times of surviving WWII, Jim Crow laws, expansion, and transformation, the band was reestablished around 1948 and continued to persevere through uncertain times. It was led by several leaders including Mr. Polite in 1950 and Mr. U.G. Dalton in 1955.

In 1964, the band was affectionately known as the Band of Distinction, under the leadership of William H. Hamlin. The band transitioned to Mr. Smiley during the 1966-1967 at the helm with a recent college graduate, Samuel S. Griffin.

As an assistant, Mr. Griffin led the transition to a new and legendary era of the band through his innovative style, charisma, and showmanship. In 1969, he was officially appointed as the Director of Bands for the Band of Distinction. The forward-thinking Samuel Griffin created the first HBCU dance line that performed with the band during halftime in 1968, affectionately known as the World Renown Golden Girls. In addition to establishing a dance troop, he named the first female drum majorette in the HBCU band culture, Sherry Dunlap.

In 1973, Mr. Griffin “wanted a catchy phrase to catch the public’s attention” and decided to change the band’s name to the “Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite” – which is currently used with the current band.

In 1977, the Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite had the honor of being a participant in the Inaugural Parade for President Jimmy Carter. Later, in that same year, Mr. Griffin established another auxiliary group, the Lady Purple Flashers to add flare and pageantry to the field shows and parades. In 1985, the current form of the Drum Major group, The Funky Four, was founded by Raymond Neal, Michael Gee, Travon Neal, & Michael Harper.

Under the tutelage of Mr. Griffin, the band enjoyed growth and stability growing to over 200+ members strong. The unit performed before crowds at Soldier Field in Chicago, the Astrodome in Houston, the Los Angeles Coliseum, Texas Stadium in Dallas, Milwaukee County Stadium, Philadelphia Stadium, LADD Stadium in Mobile, the Orange Bowl in Miami, the Superdome in New Orleans, the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Giant Stadium in New Jersey, the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, and the Silverdome in Pontiac. In 1975, it was the first college band to perform in the Superdome. It has also performed during halftime for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Detroit Lions.

Samuel S. Griffin enjoyed a legendary career with the Alcorn State University Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite and formally retired as Director of Bands in December of 2012. During his 46 years of service to the band and university, Mr. Griffin became a father figure to so many and truly made a positive impact on so many lives. The Legendary Band Director passed away on August 4, 2017, surrounded by his family.

In 2011, the university decided to begin a transition to a new era. Dr. Renardo Murray, was named as the new Marching Band Director on May 31, 2011 and led the band through a transformation period. Under the direction of Dr. Murray, the band experienced a reemergence in the HBCU band culture, rising to over 250+ members. The band was voted to participate in the Honda BOTB in 2013 and 2016 under his leadership.

During the fall of 2018, Dr. Everson Martin was named the Director of Bands, and has continued the traditions of the Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite and reestablished the Lady Purple Flashers in 2019. Dr. Martin progression and sustained success of the Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite bolds well for the future of the band as he works to establish his own legacy.