{"id":2655,"date":"2017-12-07T20:10:32","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T20:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commarts.pleather.us\/2017\/12\/07\/the-unedited-storycorps-interview-nia-c-mathis-cavril-p-williams\/"},"modified":"2017-12-07T20:10:32","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T20:10:32","slug":"the-unedited-storycorps-interview-nia-c-mathis-cavril-p-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/2017\/12\/07\/the-unedited-storycorps-interview-nia-c-mathis-cavril-p-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"The Unedited StoryCorps Interview: Nia C. Mathis & Cavril P. Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that the\u00a0stories\u00a0you hear from us on NPR<\/a>\u00a0and our\u00a0podcast<\/a>\u00a0are excerpts of interviews pulled from the StoryCorps Archive? Participants visit one of our\u00a0recording locations<\/a>\u00a0with a friend or family member to record a 40-minute interview with the help of a trained StoryCorps Facilitator, or record a conversation using the\u00a0StoryCorps App<\/a>. We\u2019re sharing this unedited interview from the StoryCorps Archive with you in its original form.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"WilliamsBody\"<\/p>\n

In May 2009, Cavril Payne Williams shared stories with her granddaughter, Nia Cavril Mathis, about traveling and entertaining members of the United States Armed Forces on the USO Tour, her musical family, and meeting her husband at the beach. Their interview was recorded in partnership with the Hebrew Home at Riverdale<\/a> in Riverdale, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were a family of music,\u201d Cavril says, as she remembers the piano, dancing and singing lessons she had growing up. She tells Nia about how her brother, Cecil Payne, was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie, who told him, \u201c’You don\u2019t look right playing that little sax’ \u2014 he had an alto sax \u2014 and Dizzy said, ‘You should play the baritone; you\u2019re big enough!’\u201d<\/p>\n

Cavril talks about traveling around the world with the USO tour, with her singing group, the Three Bon Bunnies. \u201cI thought I was hot todoodie!,\u201d she giggles.<\/p>\n

Nia asks what it was like traveling in the 1940s as black women. \u201cSome of them were surprised to see that we were a black group,\u201d Cavril says. \u201cBefore we got there, they knew about us. And then when they saw our color!\u201d She laughs, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy. They looked at us and said, “‘I don\u2019t want no’ \u2014 whatever they called us then, and the manager that we had said, ‘You get this or you get nothing!’\u201d<\/p>\n

After singing with The Three Bon Bunnies, her father told her, \u201c’Don\u2019t you think it\u2019s time to settle down? You go to church, you meet a nice man!’\u201d Instead of church, though, Cavril went to the beach, where she met a handsome lifeguard. She told him, \u201c’My mother and father don\u2019t want me to travel anymore; they feel that I should settle down and get married \u2014 hint hint hint hint!’\u201d Cavril and Nia laugh as she recounts her wedding day. \u201cMy gown was ice blue, because I was naughty before I was walking down the aisle \u2014 I couldn\u2019t go down with ice white!\u201d<\/p>\n

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