THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 30, 1997 TAG: 9701280125
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: CLOSE-UP
SOURCE: Kathryn Darling
LENGTH: 82 lines
Security Officer John Hopkins not only helps keep the Norfolk campus of Tidewater Community College safe, he keeps it entertained.
Hopkins, 73, a security supervisor stationed in the lobby of the Mason C. Andrews Science Building, doesn't just whistle while he works. He sings.
As he stands guard on the day shift, Hopkins runs through his repertoire of more than 600 songs. He can sing nearly any song that was a hit in the '30s through the '60s.
But the crooner songs of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Andy Williams are his speciality.
Hopkins never took music lessons. Instead, he studied singing styles and learned to imitate the signature features of the biggies.
Like Dean Martin, Hopkins can sing with a whimsical smile on his face.
And he raises, then lowers the last note when he's singing an Andy Williams classic. Williams, who had a soft mellow voice, was inventive with the endings to his songs, Hopkins said.
Sinatra's voice always led the music, so the girls could hear his voice and start to swoon, he said.
And Bing? He hung one hand at his side while he sang - he was the ultimate relaxed man, he said.
Hopkins' first performance, when he was only 11, was singing for sailors at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. His reputation grew - he performed on stage in Norfolk and even had two local radio shows. In the '50s, he and his sons started a band, Shiloh U.S.A., a variety group.
Hopkins, a resident of Roosevelt Shores, has always loved music, but it wasn't his primary vocation. For 47 years he worked as a butcher. A year and a half ago, he started working as a security officer for Atlantic Protective Services and was assigned to the Tidewater Community College's Norfolk Center. Although the school officially became a campus this fall, classes have been meeting downtown for a number of years.
Teachers, faculty and staff pass through the lobby where Hopkins works and make requests all the time, he said.
And what is Hopkins' favorite song? He doesn't have one.
``I love them all,'' he said.
Name: John Hopkins
Nickname: ``Johnnie'' because John sounds so old.
What brought you to Norfolk? I grew up in
Richmond but spent the first two years of high school in Norfolk. Finished high school in Richmond and moved back here after graduation to work for the government. I enlisted in the Navy six months later, was here for 14 days then served in Central and South America. After the war, I came back to Norfolk.
Birthplace: Richmond.
Birthdate: Dec. 26, 1923.
Occupation: Security officer. Retired after 47 years in the butcher business.
Marital status: Married 52 years to Florence.
Children: Five boys.
Favorite TV shows: Warner Brother's cartoons such as ``Bugs Bunny,'' ``Road Runner.'' I love cartoons. Life is too short to be serious.
Favorite movie: ``Going My Way,'' starring Bing Crosby.
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? I've never worried about that. Like Sammy Davis Jr. sings, ``I gotta be me.''
Biggest accomplishment: Staying married for 52 years.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My age. I'd go back a few years to 40 or 30.
Perfect way to spend the day: Playing my guitar can change any day into a good day.
Pet peeve: Everybody makes mistakes. The day they stop putting erasures on pencils is the day I'm going to start worrying, because it'll mean nobody's making mistakes anymore.
First job: Carrying newspapers in Richmond when I was 13. I delivered 250 papers on my route.
Worst job: Haven't had one.
Hobbies: Music.
Favorite restaurant: Pungo Place, but it's not open anymore.
What do you like most about Norfolk? The nostalgia. I remember the entertainment hotspots of the past and I remember singing at the downtown and Ocean View theaters.
What do you like least about Norfolk? I can't find anything wrong with it. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON