The Augusta Courier

Teen-Age White Girls In Nashville Have Babies Negro Entertainers

Drinking And Nude Petting Parties Are Held By Rock And Roll Singers

Four Negroes in Nashville, Tennessee have been sentenced for having affairs with white teen-age girls.

It seems that two of the four were rock and roll singers and the teen-agers would turn out to hear these Negroes sing. As soon as the show was over, petting parties would begin and they would wind up spending the night in tourist courts and what are called "good-time houses".

The evidence in the cases developed that this mixing of Negroes and whites had resulted in four attempted suicides and three abortions on the part of teen-age girls.

Had Negro Children

In addition, three illegitimate children were born to white girls by Negro fathers as a result of these parties following the white teen-agers' flocking to hear the Negro rock and roll singers.

The NASHVILLE BANNER. on Wednesday afternoon, November 28, carried a headline:

"4 Sentenced In Mixed-Race Parties"

The story, as it appeared in the NASHVILLE BANNER of November 28, 1962, follows:

Four Nashville Negroes, including two rock 'n' roll singers, were slapped with stiff fines and sentences in Criminal Court today after pleading guilty to charges growing out of their alleged involvement with white girls.

Had Nude Parties

An all-male jury in Judge John L. Draper's court listened intently as Asst. Dist. Atty.-Gen. Howard Butler related details of what he called "a series of petting parties, drinking parties and, in some instances, nude parties."

The defendants showed no emotion as Butler addressed the court and jury which accepted the assistant prosecutors' recommendations as to punishment.

Fined and sentenced were:

Johnny Sneed, 20, of 1441 12th Ave. N.

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Drinking And Nude Petting Parties Are Held By Rock And Roll Singers
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William Granberry, 20, of 330 18th Ave. N. William Throne, 32, of 1718 Jefferson St. Thomas Kennedy, 33, of 318 21st Ave. N. Butler said, in summing up discoveries made during a lengthy investigation by the district attorney's office, that the affair "was just a mess that arose over teen-agers going to places where Sneed and Granberry were entertaining."

In Tourist Courts

"After these rock-and-roll sessions were over, the parties started," he declared, adding: "These girls and boys, some colored and some white, ended up in tourist courts and what we call good-time houses." The assistant district attorney said the probe also revealed evidence of abortions and attempted suicides among the white girls involved. Butler said approximately 25 white girls and boys were questioned during the investigation which resulted in the grand jury returning presentments against the four Negroes. Several of these witnesses had been subpoenaed for today's trial but were not called to the stand. Following the brief hearing, the four defendants were released under $1,000 bonds, pending a hearing on their petitions for suspension of sentences. Their attorneys said these petitions will be filed within the next 30 days.

Sentences Imposed

Sneed was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in the county workhouse and fined $10 on a charge of unlawful conspiracy. An additional six-month sentence and $50 fine were handed him on a charge of aiding and abetting prostitution. Granberry was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days and fined $100 on a charge of unlawful conspiracy. Throne received an 11 month and 29 day sentence and a $100 fine on a charge of unlawful conspiracy, and Kennedy was fined $50 and sentenced to six months on a charge of aiding and abetting prostitution.

Illegitimate Children

Butler did not elaborate on his reference to "abortions and attempted suicides," but earlier he told newsmen evidence had been uncovered pointing to four attempted suicides and three abortions. Three illegitimate children were born to white girls by Negro fathers, a county school teacher was forced to resign her position and a woman clerk at city police headquarters was fired, Butler said. The prosecutor did not identify any of the other persons, Negro or white, who were questioned during the long investigation. But, it is getting crazier and crazier and will continue to get crazier and crazier because it isn't based upon natural or moral law, common sense or justice for either race.