Part II – The Origin Story of Cold Steel

In the fall of 1984, freshman and sophomores, Lamont Christian ‘87, Charles “Shon” Yancey ‘94, Michael Humphrey ‘87, Gerald Tharrington ‘89, Darrell McNeil ‘17, and Stephanie Simon ‘87 would embark on what we now call the greatest percussionists of all time – Cold Steel.

In the December 2023 N.C. A&T Alumni Times, Bluford Library Archives reported the first official mention of Cold Steel that was in printed form in 1993.

The editorial team of the N.C. A&T Alumni Times met with the original members of Cold Steel to learn more about the origin story.

In the fall of 1983, Lamont Christian was a freshman at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University when he met Stephanie Simon during orientation. The two joined the band to be percussionists and were considered to be “crabs,” (a nickname for freshmen) and were made to wear white t-shirts during band camp.

After the football season, Christian enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves to become a parachute packing specialist that would help him pay for the cost of tuition.

“While in basic training the summer of 1984, I was assigned to an airborne platoon when I met a drill sergeant who had more swagger before swagger became popular. He had a dynamic cadence of call and response, and he was an avid runner. He taught us several mottos and chants to respond to when given different commands. For instance, when called to be at ease, we would respond with “AIN’T NOTHING TO IT BUT TO DO IT…ALL DAY…AND ALL NIGHT!” However, the one motto that stuck, and we said with tremendous pride was when we were called to attention, we responded with, “COLD STEEL!”

I was fortunate to have been selected and remained in the senior leadership position as a platoon guide for the entire cycle of training, which was unprecedented at the time. This opportunity created a level of confidence, discipline, and leadership that I would carry on to this very day.

I reported to band camp in the Fall of 1984 in better condition with my mind, body, and spirit. As we were no longer considered crabs, we were ready to take on the year with a deliberate focus on being better and doing better than the year before.

The percussion section grew to a larger group under the direction of Dr. Jimmy “JJ” Williams, affectionately known as “Jake” and Dr. Johnny B. Hodge. After band practice, we would always spend time in the parking lot of Frazier and Hine Halls working on our punch routine. This incorporated dance moves and complicated stick moves.

We always wanted to make sure we got it right, working hard, but having fun at the same time.

One evening, there was a call for the section to come back to attention and I yelled out “Cold Steel,” instead of “1, 2.”

We all laughed at my outburst, and then we soon realized this chant was something that could be incorporated into our routine as a section.”

With several games under our belt, the Cold Steel moniker had started getting noticed by Aggies during and after the games when performing our punches. However, it was the homecoming game of 1984 when we collaborated to create the original Cold Steel logo.

The percussion section coined its name as Cold Steel in 1984, and each member had line names affiliated with something cold. Members had names such as Frostbite, Snowman, Ice Cream, Black Ice, Popsicle, and Mr. Freeze, just to name a few.

Stephanie Simon is one of the first female members of Cold Steel as a snare drummer.

“I was always the only female on the drumline, but I always felt accepted and protected by my brothers.

It was an amazing time to be surrounded by people of color with amazing talent. I can remember marching on campus, and students and people from the community would follow behind us. Also, there was one man who would come out of his house and follow us with a trumpet.”

After 35 years of Cold Steel, this percussion section continues to wow crowds with their precise performances and show-stopping moves.

To learn more about Cold Steel Drummers, please follow them on Instagram at @ColdSteelDrummers.