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October 18th, 2006
BRADENTON - Country music entertainer Daron Norwood needed some help on stage Wednesday morning at Bayshore High School so he called on senior Latravis Washington.
At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and a quarterback on the football team who has verbally committed to play at the University of Nebraska next year, Washington is literally and figuratively a Big Man on Campus at Bayshore. So it was easy to understand why his fellow students squealed with delight when Norwood pulled him on stage, plopped a cowboy hat on his head and asked him to help him perform his next song.
As Washington used a microphone to provide a pulsating “Hip Hop” rhythm in the background, Norwood broke into a rap version of an old, but familiar song:
“Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed,
A poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed.
Then one day he was shooting at some food,
Up from the ground came a bubblin' crude.”
The students who packed one-side of the Bayshore gym broke out in howls of laughter and clapped along as Norwood and Washington rapped out the story of the Beverly Hillbillies.
The students also cheered and sang along with Norwood as he performed songs like “Take Me Home Country Roads” and “Sweet Home Alabama” and laughed and pointed as he did dead-on impressions of Johnny Cash and Ray Charles
A talented singer, song-writer, comedian and speaker, Norwood has performed on stage with country mega-stars such as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks and Alabama.
He was in Manatee County the week of October 16-20, to perform his “Keep it Straight USA” tour at 10 different schools. In addition to singing and entertaining students, Norwood talked to students candidly about his own struggles with substance abuse and implored them not to make potentially deadly choices.
Holding up a picture of Todd Peurifoy, a Manatee High student who committed suicide in 2005 while under the influence of drugs, Norwood told the students he himself got sucked into a life of drug and alcohol abuse while trying to climb the country music charts in the 1990's. Norwood said drinking and drugs almost ruined his marriage, career and life at one point, but now he's been clean and sober for 11 years and with a new infant daughter, he sees the beauty in life.
“My grandma was a woman of hope and faith and she told me don't ever give up,” Norwood said. “There's a life out there and you've got to decide what you're going to do with it.”"
Norwood's performance and talk left a strong impression on some of the students, many of whom stayed after to speak with him personally.
“He's a big-time performer and he came here to talk to us about life,” Washington said. “It was a real blessing.”
Marshall Greene, a sophomore at Bayshore, said Norwood's message was one that needed to be delivered.
“I know a lot of people that used to do drugs and I think it will help a lot of those people,” Greene said. “It makes me think about life and the choices I make.”
Norwood's visit to Manatee County was sponsored by the School Board and the Manatee County Substance Abuse Coalition.
Todd Peurifoy's mother, Ruth Lyerly, is a volunteer with the Substance Abuse Coalition. She worked hard to help set up Norwood's visit and was present at Bayshore Tuesday morning.
“My hope is that by coming here he can touch someone like Todd,” Lyerly said. “If his visit proves to be the turning point for just one child, then it is worth it.”
Daron Norwood and Latravis Washingon on stage