Stories We Tell

By Jordynn Holley

N.C. A&T alumni get their own special concert each homecoming. This year, R&B icon Charlie Wilson will headline the concert.

When tickets went on sale for the public, they sold out within 24 hours. 

The event starts with dinner at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 in the Guilford Ballroom at The Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The concert starts at 8:30 p.m.

Wilson is a founding member and lead singer of the legendary GAP Band (“You Dropped the Bomb on Me,” “Outstanding,” “Party Train,” and “Burn Rubber on Me.”).

As a solo artist, Wilson has topped the R&B charts with 13 number one singles, garnered 13 GRAMMY® nominations, is a New York Times and Washington Post best-selling memoir, “I Am Charlie Wilson,” received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, a Soul Train Icon Award, a Soul Train Certified Soul Award, and a NAACP Music Makes a Difference Award.

 He was also honored with a star on the Black Music & Entertainment Walk Of Fame in 2022 and will be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.

To learn more about this music legend, visit:  https://www.charliewilsonmusic.com/

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The alumni concert is a fundraiser for the Office of Alumni Affairs, which gives back by supporting the university’s growth and sustainability each year. 

Chantel Fleming, executive director of TRIO Programs and a 1987 A&T graduate, is responsible for coordinating programs that focus on academic support, first-generation college students and mentorship.

While she often spends time in the office, she enjoys homecoming because it’s a time to reconnect, reflect, and encourage alumni to pour into current students. 

“Gathering with my fellow alums whom I haven’t seen since COVID-19 and hearing great music is always exciting for me,” Fleming said.

The alumni concert has hosted performers such as Stephanie Mills, Gladys Knight, Johnny Gill and Jeffery Osborne.

“I began attending the alumni concert as a tribute to my father, Class of 1958 who took my mother every year where he proposed to my mother at the old Memorial Stadium in the early 70s,” said Robin Worthy Leech, Class of 1996. “Since then, my husband and I have continued the legacy of escorting my mother every year and enjoying the concert.” 

The annual event provides a time for alumni to gather to celebrate tradition and legacy through some good vibes, music and food.

For 1998 graduate Alteka Jinwright, this year is a chance to see a favorite performer.

“I love Charlie Wilson in concert,” Jinwright said. “The live band and his performance are always engaging.”

For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 336-433-5570 or alumni@ncat.edu.

Jordynn Holley is a senior N.C. A&T journalism and mass communications student from Charlotte, North Carolina.