What was it like to open for R&B legend Sam Cooke? Just ask this Athens Music Walk honoree

Call it long overdue recognition, respect paid or proper attention given. Just don't call Jackie Payne's plaque on the Athens Music Walk of Fame a mic drop. Payne detests the term, which is often used to denote a statement or achievement made in extravagant confidence.

"I hate it when they drop the mic like that," Payne told the Banner-Herald. "In the clubs and theaters I came up in, if you broke anything, you bought it."

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The Grammy Award-nominated R&B artist was among the 2023 honorees for the Athens Music Walk of Fame, and his plaque was installed on Oct. 3 in the section of West Clayton Street sidewalk just a few steps away from the plaque honoring his uncle, Neal Pattman, who was one of the inaugural 10 Music Walk honorees in 2020.

Born in Athens in 1945, Payne grew up singing in his father's gospel choir and learned how to play the blues from Pattman, who rose to fame late in life as a star harmonica player and recording artist. Payne began singing professionally in his early teens, and opened for R&B legend Sam Cooke as part of a group called The Serenaders before moving to Texas and making his solo debut single "Go Go Train" for Jetstream Records.

"Sam was my hero, and in all these years since that show, I've never heard anyone that could compare with him," Payne said. "He had an aura about him, and the girls just lost it when he would perform. They went nuts. He was a remarkable entertainer."

The success of "Go Go Train" and its B-side "I'll Be Home," which was written for his wife Miriam, landed Payne a slot on the 1967 Stax/Volt Revue, a 45-city tour that featured R&B royalty such as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. and the MGs, Rufus and Carla Thomas and more. After a stint in the U.S. Army, Payne settled in California and spent decades in radio, recording and performing. Payne was featured on the Johnny Otis Orchestra album "Spirit of the Black Territory Bands," which was nominated for a Grammy in 1993.

Now semi-retired, Jackie and Miriam live in Athens and are regular visitors at Wuxtry Records, where an original 45 vinyl copy of "Go Go Train" hangs on the wall and the song is part of the regular rotation in manager Nate Mitchell's DJ sets. Mitchell told the Banner-Herald that local music archivist Kurt Wood was the person who first pointed out that Payne was from Athens.

"My favorite Jackie Payne song is 'No Puppy Love,' the follow-up to 'Go Go Train' on the same Texas-based label," said Mitchell, who described "No Puppy Love" as "an upbeat soul scorcher" that is appreciated in the collecting community of rare soul music recordings.

When asked if he'd ever consider hitting the stage in Athens in the near future, Payne's response was an emphatic and enthusiastic "yes," with a couple of modest caveats.

"I'd like to find a nice intimate club where I could work every week," Payne said. "I would absolutely love that because I could go home every night. I'm through with getting in a van or a bus for the next gig."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: R&B artist Jackie Payne honored with Athens Music Walk of Fame plaque