His name is Bobby 'Jaybird' Williams. He works at a diner in Greensboro, and he sings while he works. A lot. Sometimes he dances.
He says he's worked with the family that owns Fincastles for a long time. He worked with them as a warehouse manager and he sang then. Now he has a bigger stage at the restaurant.
And his band, Soul Central is also performing regularly.
The blog Faces of Sound writes this about Jaybird:
If you're ever in Greensboro, North Carolina... perhaps after checking out the International Civil Rights Museum, walk across Elm Street to Fincastles Diner. The food is o.k. (burgers, fried pickles, soda, etc), but there you will find one of the most sunny sirens around for miles, Bobby "J-Bird" Williams. He only went to jail for a few minutes and it wasn't his fault. He played gigs at Princeton University for years, and recals the time he danced and got kissy with then-graduate Brooke Shields. He works at Fincastles, sings classic soul around and out of town, and recollects his rich life to anyone willing to listen... Somehow he managed to get the jukebox rigged with soul instrumentals and recordings of his own soul band, Soul Central. This means Bobby is singing throughout his shift, either as Karaoke to instrumentals, or as a double to his own recorded voice with Soul Central. Bobby doesn't stop singing.
Jaybird Williams, in his signature black hat, performed live on the State of Things with Frank Stasio Tuesday December 17, 2013. Listen here.
Credit Laura Lee
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Hear the full State of Things feature on Jaybird
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