Although Dr. F.D. Hall served as director of the band, chorus and orchestra in the 1920s, the marching band began in the 1940s consisting of college students and students from Lanier High School. Through the years it has become known for intricate, precision marching and the big band sound. The “Sonic Boom” has performed many halftime appearances for the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals; a television special for Motown’s 30th Anniversary and the 34th NAACP Image Awards, with a special guest performance by “Cedric the Entertainer.” The band is a favored entry in halftime performances during football season as well as for parades across Mississippi and in other states. The Jackson State University Marching Band was dubbed The Sonic Boom of the South in 1971 by students in the band. In 1974, the band’s theme, “Get Ready,” an old Motown favorite was selected and three years after that, the “Tiger Run-On” was perfected. The “Tiger Run- On” is a fast, eye-catching shuffle that blends an adagio step with an up-tempo shuffle, then back to adagio — a “Sonic Boom” trademark that brings fans to their feet during halftime performances.
Sonic Boom of the South History Chronology
Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Inc. 