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GEORGE HENRY NELSON, SR.
 

GEORGE HENRY NELSON, SR. never lost his sense of humor, nor did he allow his family and/or many friends who visited him during his long battle with diabetes indulge in any pity parties, therefore, just as he would have insisted, the April 11, 2003 celebration of his long, productive and exciting life (as a radio personality, master of ceremony par excellence, promoter of religious extravaganzas and, also, a community activist when necessary), at the Christian Rescue Mission (CRM) City Fellowship Church, 3220 Hadley, with Pastor Leroy J. Woodard Jr. officiating—was an uplifting occasion.


Nelson, a man who was known to be fiercely loyal to his friends, no doubt would have been pleased that his final remains were entrusted to Skipper Lee & Son’s Eternal Rest Funeral Home, 4610 South Wayside, that is owned by the Houston broadcast legend Skipper Lee Frazier, a disc jockey who "brought a mountain of soul to Houston," insofar as he was first known as "Groovy George," a soul music aficionado when he wasn’t spinning gospel music as Bro. George Nelson. But, Nelson wore many hats during his long broadcast career that was touched on by Rev. Ray Martin, founder of the Progressive Amateur Boxing Association, when he gave Bro. George credit for helping him formulate his "Living Endowment Plan," to raise a million dollars and become self-sustaining from accrued interest.

The unique self-help plan is now in place, due to the largesse of everybody’s heavyweight champion George Foreman’s $630, 000 donation. Rev. Ricky Williams, a KTSU personality (also a minister at Fifth Ward MBC) and Rev. Charles Hudson, who spoke on behalf of KTSU general manager George Thomas and Rick Roberts also were on program to help celebrate Nelson’s life, as co-workers that recalled how Bro. George continued to call-in to open his early morning gospel show that "Played The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven," even while he was bedridden at the VA Hospital. Sis. Stephanie Lewis, Rev. Rainey Matthews (New Life C. I. C. BC in Fort Worth, Texas); Rev. R.L. Tubbs (New Directions BC) also participated the home-going services.
The services were spiritually "rocked" by George’s granddaughter, Brandee Nelson & her Voices of Grace, from Grace Fellowship BC in Brenham, Texas, after Pastor George Nelson Jr., evoked fond memories of his father’s youthful days and Pastor Woodard capped the celebration with one of the deepest sermons many had ever heard. It’s small wonder why Pastor Woodard preached so sincerely from his heart, when one realizes George was one of the founding members of Christian Rescue Mission in the 1960s, after embracing his father. Bro. George, in fact, was treasurer of the City Wide Club of Clubs. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, he, along with the CRM, fed massive crowds at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Danny Thomas, Rodney Britton, Richard Thomas, Charles Mathis, Zachary Thomas and Earl Franklin were honored to be active pallbearers.
Honorary pallbearers were, CRM Deacons & Core Brothers, Tray Kallie, and KTSU staff, Rick Roberts, Skipper Lee Frazier, Trae Antonie Hill-Nelson, Dick Oppenheimer, Larry Owens, John Owens, Larry, James and George Nelson, Jr. The always humorous George, Sr. would no doubt have chuckled if somebody had reminded him that he was as old as the Houston Independent School District, but he, indeed, was born to George and Minnie White Nelson on Oct. 3, 1924, the same year that HISD was established and Dr. E. E. Oberholtzer became its first superintendent. In fact, Phillis Wheatley High School was less than 10-years-old when George became one of the 5th-Ward school's first outstanding basketball stars under coach John E. Codwell, who later became a legendary HISD principal at the Fifth Ward School and Jack Yates High School.

Like many, in George’s era, he served a stint in the armed services and having fought in World War II, returned to continue his education at Wheatley. George often gave his fans a glimpse of his basketball prowess, when KYOK organized a team. Displaying slick moves, a la the Globetrotter’s Reese "Goose" Tatum, George often claimed to be the first Black Houstonian to play professional basketball, insofar as he played briefly with the New York Rens (nee Renaissance), an all-African-American team that inspired Abe Saperstein’s fabulous Harlem Globetrotters. George, however, decided to pursue another field and graduated from Southern Business College. Feeling the drive to enter broadcasting, he trained under prominent broadcaster Dan Rather at KTRH.
In March of 1956, Dick Oppenenheimer hired George to become the leading gospel DJ at KYOK, which was then Houston’s leading Black Gospel radio station, that targeted the African-American market, although it was White owned at the time. George, who was eulogized as a visionary, whose life’s philosophy was shaped by Ecclesiastics 3:1-8, realized that it was time for Black radio personalitie, and became a pioneer by paving the way for many of yesterday’s and today’s top jocks. Bro. George was instrumental in exposing many of top gospel artists such as the Jackson Southerners, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Southern Tomes, Inez Andrews, The Swanee Quintet of Augusta Ga., The Salem Travelers, The Original Five Blind Boys and many more.

Meanwhile, Groovy George was introducing listeners to James Brown, Rudy Dee, The Isley Brothers, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Johnny Mathis, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, Joe Tex, Joe Hinton and Johnny Taylor. George also turned to his sports background and was the play-by-play man when KYOK started airing Black high school and TSU football games. He naturally made friends with many athletes of his era, including Muhammad Ali, who was introduced to him by Rev. Ray Martin, "Houston’s First Fighting Preacher." On the political side, it was fitting that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee honored George with a Proclamation that was read at his funeral, because he was somewhat a mentor to Mickey Leland and former City Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem, Rev. Jew Don Boney.

Suffice it to say, he was widely known by national figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as local personalities in every walk of life, inasmuch as he was one of those people who truly never met a person he didn’t like. And that attitude endeared Bro.George to his listeners, therefore, when he was forced to lead a strike for more equitable pay and benefits against KYOK in 1968, the community’s support was so overwhelming until the station yielded to the disc jockey’s demands. However, the station manager’s memories were long, and after 34 years of dedicated service, Bro. George was jettison by the station, the same as Rick Roberts and later Chet "Hotsy Totsy" McDonald and other personalities. KTSU came somewhat as a refuge for Black broadcasters, under the late Bernard Walker, who had been general manager at KYOK before being forced out.
Bro. George’s 5 a.m. gospel show on KTSU became an institution and he continued to open the show from his hospital bed, after his health failed. He passed away April 3, 2003, after fighting deliberating diabetes for more than a decade. Leaving to cherish his memories are Mrs. Annie Mae Nelson, whom he married in 1945; Larry H. (Diane) Nelson, George (Theresa) Nelson, Jr. and James Nelson; Susan James, Larry (Yulonda) Owens and John Owens; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews, cousins and special friends.

George Henry Nelson, Sr. is listed in the International Who’s Who of African-American Broadcasters and have received numerous awards and accolades; including the Indiana University AAMC, The Smithsonian Institute... and in our hearts.