It’s a mild evening in mid-October.
Inside Crawdaddy’s, Bryan “B-Luv” Horton belts out songs and tickles the keys on his Yamaha YPG-235 keyboard. Patrons listen from a bar in a dimly lit room while fire crackles in a fire pit outside on the deck.
When he performs indoors or busks in downtown Harrisburg, his music is well received to some. To others, he’s a nonentity, hardly allowing his presence to impact their day.
But what some onlookers don’t realize is they’re witnessing a musical pioneer. Horton, 53, of Susquehanna Township, helped to weave a song into the fabric of American history. He played drums for “Rapper’s Delight”—a gargantuan single that introduced rap to the mainstream. The new genre would soon sweep the world.
Now, Horton has come full circle.
The Highs
Horton first came to Harrisburg as a child, moving from his hometown of Lenoir, N.C. He says his drum set kept him occupied during that period.
“When I saw a drum set, it blew my mind,” he recalls.
As a teen, Horton played in his high school’s marching band.
“I used to carry my drum set on foot,” he says. “Older people thought I was crazy.”
As a young man, Horton became the drummer for an eight-piece funk/soul group called Positive Force, which eventually was signed by Sugar Hill Records, owned by Sylvia and Joe Robinson.
Later on, the Robinsons asked Positive Force to provide the background for “Rapper’s Delight,” which is how Horton came to play a part on one of the most influential rap anthems of all time.
Upon its release in 1979, the song rocketed up the charts, peaking at No. 36 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the highest any rap song had made it up the pop charts until that time.
“It was new to me,” he says about the birth of rap. “I’m happy to be part of that.”
Horton credits another Harrisburg native, Nate Edmonds, for much of his early success. The late organist/pianist/writer/arranger recruited Horton for Positive Force.
“When I got with Nate, that’s when I became a beast,” B-Luv says, referring to how he improved as a musician.
Outside of “Rapper’s Delight,” Positive Force had some success all its own.
The band’s song, “We Got the Funk” (not to be confused with Parliament’s better known “Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)”) hit the airwaves in 1979, the same year as “Rapper’s Delight.”
“We Got the Funk” is a party anthem drenched with funky strings. Towards the end of the song, singer Brenda Reynolds does a roll call, calling out Horton’s name first after seeing him going to town on the drums.
Singer Diane Wilson of Harrisburg also joined Positive Force.
“We were like family,” Wilson declares about being in a group with her friend Horton. “We had a lot of fun. It opened up doors for me. I’ve been truly blessed.”
“We Got the Funk” was more of a hit in the United Kingdom than it was in the United States. Although band members in Positive Force started changing by 1980, Horton stayed in the group until 1984. Around that period, he became part of the local jazz collective called Stevenson Twins.
Unfortunately, Positive Force wasn’t Wilson and Horton’s only common thread.
Both members had bouts with drugs. Wilson used them, but has been drug-free for 33 years and now sings in church and performs with her group Vinyl Groov.
Horton sold drugs to support his family. Unfortunately, money earned from playing with the Stevenson Twins and cleaning cars wasn’t enough, he says. By 1989, he had served some jail time for dealing. Horton, who read the Bible in jail, says his faith in God kept him focused.
“I tried not to mingle with the riff-raffs [in jail],” he explains.
The Turn
By 2005, Horton got into church. Despite his missteps in life, he says he’s always been a man of God.
Nowadays, a reformed Horton runs B-Luv Entertainment. Through his business, he performs everything from R&B to jazz to gospel. He can be found performing throughout Harrisburg, including the People’s Community Baptist Church, which he attends.
You also might hear him on the streets. He’s been known to set up his keyboard in various downtown Harrisburg locations, including in front of Hornung’s True Value Hardware on N. 2nd Street. This area could benefit from more buskers like Horton, according to the hardware store’s proprietor, Pat Hornung-Davis.
“He’s a kind person,” she says. “He wants to play all the time. He loves the Lord. Ninety-eight percent of the customers walk in and say, ‘he has made my day.’ I think that’s what Harrisburg needs.”
During his set at Crawdaddy’s, Horton sang a wide variety of songs, such as Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” and Teddy Pendergrass’ “Close the Door.” When B-Luv performed George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” he sped up the tempo and gave the song a jazzy twist.
Crawdaddy’s sits on N. 6th and Reily streets in Harrisburg. Coincidentally, B-Luv lived on Reily St. when he was younger.
“It ain’t about being famous,” Horton says as he reflects on his career. “It’s about the music. Learn your craft. I’m still taking lessons. Bruce Lee never stopped learning.”
To book Horton at your event, call him at 717-317-8621, or visit his Facebook page. Photo by Leon Laing.
