Benny Jay: Dennis Rodman — Soul Singer!

The story you’re about to hear is true. The names have not been changed cause everyone had a funky good time….

The teller of this tale is my man — the legendary Chicago soul singer Devin B. Thompson, aka Daddy D.…

Take it away, Devin….

“It’s a Sunday night around midnight, and we’re playing the Backroom over on Rush Street.

“I’m up on stage with my buddies Marqueal Jordan on sax, Lamar Jones on bass, Khari Parker on drums, Gerey Johnson on guitar, Tim Gant on keyboards….

“We’re playing Love and Happiness. I’m in the part where we’re going, `Love’ll make you do wrong,’ when into the club walks this big dude and he’s coming right at me. I’m thinking – `oh, no, did I rub someone the wrong way? Did I piss someone off?’

“The guys comes closer and I realize – It’s freaking Dennis Rodman!

The legendary Dennis Rodman….

“He’s wearing a baseball cap and a T-shirt and jeans and you can see the man’s in great shape. Like he could go step right back on the court and grab you ten or twelve boards.

“He keeps walking right for the stage. He’s pointing at me. I say, `C’mon on up, Dennis.’

“There are about forty people in the crowd – this is a small club, remember – but everybody’s on their feet making a ton of noise. Dennis gets the mike and immediately starts screaming – `yaahhhh!!’

“People are going crazy. He has them right where he wants them….

“He breaks the band down – like he’s had some experience dealing with bands – and starts in: `How ya’ doin’, Chicago?’

“Just between you and me — he may have had a cocktail or two by this time….

“He says: `I want to say, Chicago is a marvelous place. You wanna know what’s marvelous about this city? We live here, we work here, we play here, we die here – yahhh!!’ He starts screaming again.

“Meanwhile, the band keeps doing Love and Happiness, not missing a beat….

Joined the great Devin Thompson….

“Then he mentions LeBron James. The crowd boos. He says, `Man, LeBron James is my girlfriend.’ There’s cheers and laughter. Then he says, `You guys don’t need LeBron James. You don’t need Michael Jordan. You don’t need Dennis Rodman. You just need yourself. If you believe in yourself you can make it!’

“It’s like we’re in Church and the preacher’s Dennis Rodman!

“Then he says: `I got one last thing I wanna to all of you out there – Get up, get on up.’

“And right then and there the dude goes into James Brown’s Sex Machine!

“He gives me the mike. So I start singing the lead and Dennis plays the role of the foil. Like I’m James Brown and he’s Bobby Byrd. I say, `Get up.’ And Dennis says, `Get on Up.’ And I say, `Stay on the scene.’ And he says, `Get on up.’ And I say, `Like a sex machine….’

“Then we move into — `hey, hey, I feel all right.’ And Dennis is doing these pelvic thrusts. I mean, he’s really thrusting his pelvis. These girls – I don’t even know where they come from – but they’re all around the stage, shaking their legs and making goo- goo eyes at him. Guess that’s how it goes when you’re Dennis Rodman….

To pay tribute to the King of Soul — James Brown….

“And then – I’m not sure whose idea it was, or exactly how it happens, but the next thing you know we go into Prince’s You Sexy Mother Fu….

“Band’s jamming. Dennis is dancing. And everybody’s singing — You sexy mother f….

“Then he steps down from the stage and stumbles over a table and knocks over this guy’s drink. He gives the guy a hug and apologizes for knocking over his drink. But the guy doesn’t care cause it’s Dennis freaking Rodman!

“And out he goes. Leave as fast as he came. Posing for pictures as he walks out the door. Off into the night, searching for the next party.

“Up on the stage we’re looking at ourselves and we’re laughing, like — can you believe what just happened? But you got to figure it was no big deal for him – just another night in the life of Dennis Rodman….”

Editor’s note: When he’s not singing lead for the bands Chicago Catz and Rico, Devin Thompson co-hosts — with a certain Third City blogger — The Mighty, Mighty Benny and Devin Show on WHPK-FM….

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