During the week that Charles became the king of Great Britain, it is remembered that he was the first member of the royal family to visit Georgia, speaking to the Georgia Legislature and making an appearance on the sidelines of a Georgia homecoming game in Athens in October 1977.
Nearly 45 years ago, Charles was a guest of then-Gov. George Busbee at the Governor’s Mansion, made a stop in Charleston, South Carolina, named for another King Charles, and attended events in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre and the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip. But his visit to the home of the Georgia Bulldogs received more than its share of the attention.
Credit: University of Georgia
Credit: University of Georgia
Charles arrived before the second half of UGA’s game against Kentucky, and he followed another headliner, James Brown. The Godfather of Soul was the halftime entertainment, performing his song “Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs,” a tribute to the team coached by Vince Dooley, first recorded in 1976, according to former Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist Bill King, who attended the game. Brown performed with the Redcoat Band.
Charles arrived after Brown’s mini-concert. (Brown was also referred to as the King of Soul, so the AJC article began: “The Prince followed the King at Georgia’s Sanford Stadium Saturday.”)
Credit: Judy Bynum
Credit: Judy Bynum
AJC columnist Mark Bradley, who attended that game, too, reported that Dooley introduced the prince to Kentucky Coach Fran Curci who, according to Bradley “asked his highness, ‘Want some gum?’”
The game was a bad homecoming. Kentucky beat UGA 33-0.
Sports writer Tom Tucker wrote in the AJC the next day that Charles arrived by car from the West end of the stadium and “strolled 100 yards between the hedges to the East end zone,” which he also corrected noted “was more than the Georgia football team was able to do all day against Kentucky.”
Tucker also reported:
“I gave him a football,” said Dooley. “He asked: ‘Is this the one you’re using in the game?’ I told him it wasn’t. It was signed by every one of our players and had ‘To HRM (His Royal Highness) Prince Charles, from Georgia. 1976 SEC champions’ written on it.”
Sports columnist Harley Bowers of The Macon Telegraph, reported that Charles asked Dooley, “Who’s down?”
“We are,” Dooley answered.
Georgia trailed 10-0 at halftime.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to pull for you in the second half,” the prince replied.
In addition to the coaches and UGA president Fred Davison, the prince was introduced to UGA linebacker Jeff Lewis and Kentucky’s big defensive end Art Still.
The visit was the first by British royalty to Georgia, but was Charles’ second visit to the United States, The Atlanta Constitution reported at the time. The Georgia football game was reported to be his first taste of American college football.
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