![]() “DRUMLine Live is the only company in the world to allow band members to continue their careers after college,” Roberts said. After years of growing pains and working out the kinks, Roberts began scouting talent of former HBCU band members from across the country to perform in the live production. Roberts was later picked up by Columbia Artists Management Inc., which helped with marketing and theatrics for upcoming shows. Austin and others supported the idea, later named DRUMLine Live, but funds were initially limited. “How cool would it be if we could do something like this on stage?” Roberts asked himself. With all of this in mind, Roberts had an idea to take the show on the road. Those who weren’t familiar with black band culture wanted to learn more, and HBCUs featured in the film attracted a larger following due to exposure. “I was the band director that you didn’t see.” After Austin attended one of Roberts’ band practices, Austin asked the band director if he’d be interested in becoming a consultant for a band-focused movie that he’d be working on. While leading one of the most popular high school bands in the country, Roberts caught the attention of producer and songwriter Dallas Austin, who was a fan of the high school band. Roberts began as a band director at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia. Besides, scouting talent was something he was used to doing through his company, DRUMLine Live. They asked me for background information about myself, my company and once they decided it was a go, it was my job to put together the best of the best - an all-star team that represented the best of historically black colleges and universities from around the country.”ĭRUMLine Live CEO Don Roberts immediately recruited the best HBCU musicians upon learning that his team would be performing with Beyoncé at Coachella. “I think they were still doing their research. ![]() “ and I connected and talked in the beginning, but hadn’t agreed to anything,” Roberts said. Beyoncé and her team enlisted the help of several groups to make up her 100-member-plus crew with whom she’d share the spotlight, including executive band consultant Don P. There would need to be band members and skilled dancers, drumlines and representatives of black Greek-letter organizations to transform the Coachella stage into a black campus quad. Her wheels began to turn, and what Beyoncé landed on was a historically black college and university-themed production that could dethrone North Carolina A&T State University as the greatest homecoming on earth.īut to pull it all off, Beyoncé would need help from those familiar with the traditional HBCU environment. The fans come first, and she’d have a year to make it up to eager festivalgoers who’d await the day she returned to the stage. For Beyoncé, it wasn’t so much a loss as it was an opportunity to expand on her ideas of a perfect show. Needless to say, the decision was a crusher to fans who’d already purchased tickets specifically for this one performance. ![]() ![]() Pregnant with twins, Beyoncé followed her doctors’ advice of adhering to a less-rigorous schedule and decided to cancel her performances. Less than a month later, excitement turned to disappointment. Outside of the anticipation of a creative and energetic performance, Queen Bey would make history as the first black woman to headline the festival in its 19-year existence. In January 2017, fans were ecstatic to learn Beyoncé would be headlining the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. ![]()
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