Page 139 - a-columbia-county-boys-recollections-and-memories-of-columbia-county-florida-(2012)-lenvil-h-dicks

A Columbia County Boy's Recollections and Memories of Columbia County Florida (2012) Lenvil H. Dicks

U.S. MARINE BAND PERFORMS IN LAKE CITY

When I was in the Stetson University School of Music, I had a good friend who was a vocal major
named Bill Jones. Bill was probably the best singer in the University, and probably the best one there for
several years thereafter. He had a big booming voice, he was a baritone. He and I graduated the same
night from the Music School. After Bill graduated, he joined the Air Force and was the lead singer in an
all-male quartet that the Air Force sponsored back in the mid 50’s, and these 4 guys had a nation-wide
radio performance every Saturday morning for I suppose 3 or 4 years. Bill was the Master of
Ceremonies for the group and the lead singer.

That is how he came to the attention of President Nixon’s wife, Pat Nixon. Since the United States
Marine Band is known as the President’s Band, the President and the First Lady had a great deal to say
about what happens with the Marine Band, and she wanted Bill to be admitted to the United States
Marine Band as featured vocalist and as Master of Ceremonies. She got this accomplished.

After I learned that Bill had risen to such a prominent position in the United States Marine Band, and
since I knew that otherwise I had very, very little chance of ever getting the Marine Band to come to
Lake City, Florida, 1 contacted Bill to see if he could be of any influence in having the City of Lake City
placed on the next concert tour. He accomplished this, and in October of I960, the United States Marine
Band performed at the High School Auditorium.

It was highly unusual for this group to play in a town no bigger than Lake City, but it was standing room
only at that concert, and Bill was the Master of Ceremonies and featured vocalist.

I recall that he sang the baritone solo, “Figaro”, from the Barber of Seville Opera. It was a very difficult
number to sing, and he carried it out beautifully.

I have a copy of that program, and if 1 can work out the technicalities of it, I will include that program as
a part of this book.

The members of the band were lodged in people’s homes in the community that night, usually 2 or 3 to
a home, and after that, since they made such an impression on the people they stayed with it was easier
to get community help for whatever the band needed in the future. That performance and the fact that
the band members became well known to some members of the community was one of the greatest
things that ever happened to the Columbia High School Band Program when 1 had it. The reason it was
necessary for the band members to stay in the homes of some of the band parents was that there were
not enough motel rooms in Columbia County at that time to accommodate them. That was long before
the days of the interstate highway system, and there was no place for the band members to stay other
than to be guests of some of the band parents, which 1 appreciated very much.

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