Pam Grooms Smith, LHS ‘65, wrote, "Tommy, I appreciate every single thing you put into Lee's Traveller. Just because it's Christmas, would you please reprint Rainer Klauss's account of the Lee High School band trip to the Orange Bowl. Thanks Pam." 

For my old skating partner from Carter's Skateland, I will gladly honor her request.

We’re Going to the Orange Bowl  (And You’re Not)! 

A Band Trip Confession

by Rainer Klauss

LHS ‘64

Reprinted from Lee's Traveller January 6, 2014

( Note : Rainer wrote this story in 2004, when it had been 40 years ago that we made that trip. We reprinted it again in 2014. Now we’re a bit further down the road on our own parade, but still marching together in many ways.)

        Forty years ago, in the early evening of Friday, January 3, 1964, the Lee High School Band rolled up in front of the school, having completed its duties as Alabama’s Official Representative at the Orange Bowl Festival in Miami. Greeted by the welcoming fanfare of our families, we proud but weary ambassadors swarmed out of the three buses, picked up our gear, said goodbye to our friends and lovers, and headed back home for de-briefings and familiar comforts. In our nine-day musical odyssey through three states, we had gotten an early thrill, strutted our stuff before a national television audience, enjoyed prime seats at a major bowl game, and, in general,  had given a good account of ourselves while we experienced as much fun and pleasure as a healthy group of teenagers could (given that we were chaperoned). For those of you who were lucky enough to participate in the trip, I hope the following reminiscence sparks your memory and reminds you of the good times. For those of you who had to stay behind in the cold, here’s a condensed, expurgated version of what happened.

        I am fortunate that my mother saved the booklet that the Band Parents Association created for this trip. It’s the blueprint of a bold and ambitious venture. This seventeen-page document is, in its very comprehensiveness, an indicator of the many complexities and details a project of this nature had to address and resolve.  Since the author or authors are anonymous, I don’t know who to praise for this manifold document. It’s an itinerary, history, organization chart, passenger manifest, code of conduct, vision statement, and public relations pamphlet all rolled into one. Much of what I relate here comes from its pages.

        The idea of pursuing a bid to participate in the Orange Bowl Parade was introduced at one of the committee meetings of the Band Parents Association in December 1962. Robert Becks, the father of Sylvia (’64) and Roger (’65), provided much of the vision, drive, and experience that helped make the dream come true. His co-chairman was C. M. O’Bryant, the father of Richard (’64). These two men were ably assisted by Mr. Foley, the band director, whose main responsibility was developing our musicianship.  A lot of the essential work of organizing this expedition was done at another level: many of the smart, talented and dedicated parents of the band members stepped forward to make things happen through committees and individual initiative.

        Ultimately, of course, this project gained the assistance of the entire school and community. As an example of the city-wide influential support the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC) sought, the Honorary Executive Committee of the project included Mayor Searcy, Dr. Wernher von Braun (Director, MSFC),  General H.P. Persons (Commander, Army Missile Command) and many other officials and business people in the city. The operative word in that sentence is “honorary,” of course, but even such gestures could be beneficial.

        “Think Big” must have been the motto of the OBC.  They went all the way to the top and reached out for support from NASA (hoping to procure the services of Alan Shepard or John Glenn) and President Kennedy, but neither request bore fruit.

        To help pay for our fun in the sun, we engaged in numerous fund-raising efforts. Each band member was enjoined to come up with $100 as his or her personal share of the expenses. I earned that money with a summer job at Brown Engineering.  In addition, I worked door-to-door in Darwin Downs several times, trying to sell donuts, in competition with the Pierce brothers and Ronnie Hendrix, other neighborhood band members. In an attempt to increase attendance at our 1963 Spring Concert (and swell our coffers), the marching Generals took to the neighborhoods, hawking tickets. I remember strolling the streets of Lakewood with Linda Sewell, she in her gray majorette costume and me in my blue uniform, neither one of us eager to badger the homeowners. 

        “You do the talking this time.” 

        “No, it’s your turn.” 

        “But those last people didn’t buy any tickets.” 

        “Well, so what? It’s still your turn.”

        In another concerted effort, the band put down some tracks on vinyl. The album, a rare item now (but available as a CD on the website), is on the American Band Production label (Custom Division). The record jacket features blue-tinged portraits of the band and Mr. Foley. Artwork in blue and orange mimics the Confederate battle flag, and a blue football in the middle of the bars displays the news of our status as the chosen state representatives to the Orange Bowl.

        The word that we had officially been selected to participate in the Orange Bowl Festival must have come in the spring. Strangely, the booklet, which otherwise supplies an abundance of information, does not mention the specific date the news of our acceptance arrived.

        1963 was the first year of George Wallace’s stormy governorship of Alabama. (He ended up serving four terms.)  On June 11 of that year, he thrust himself onto the national political stage with his defiant “stand in the schoolhouse door” at the University of Alabama, where he briefly blocked the admittance of two black students. Later that month, on June 27, he signed the proclamation that designated the Lee High School Band as the “Official Representatives of the State of Alabama during the ‘King Orange Parade.’”

        And sometime that fall Governor Wallace came to Lee High School himself, backing up his proclamation with a charismatic appearance. I can’t recall exactly what he said that day, but he must have told us what a great state Alabama was, and that we were the most important school in the state. Be proud and do us proud in Miami. And then he must have said something along the line of “And I’m so impressed with you that I’m going to give this great band even more money that I first said I would!” This seemingly spontaneous generosity fired us up even more. You better believe that we played “Dixie” with a fervor we’d never brought to it before when the “fightin’ little judge” left the stage that day. We all learned that demagoguery can be very contagious. 

        John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963.

        Three days before our departure it snowed in North Alabama. On December 23, the Huntsville Times reported that “dreams of a white Christmas turned to nightmares this morning as snow strangled transportation throughout the Tennessee Valley and northward.” A hard freeze followed that night. 

        Road conditions had improved by the time we reported to the school very early in the morning of the 26th, and it was decided we would proceed. We probably left close to the scheduled departure time of 2:15 AM.

        The first thing that happened after we boarded the buses was a mass seat-switching. As much as I liked most of my fellow band members, I wasn’t about to spend the whole trip to Miami and back getting to know Glenn James real well. (No offense, Glenn, after all these years.)  Glenn was booted out of seat 17 and a certain fine-looking majorette slipped in next to me.

        A long caravan made its way across town.  The three buses were accompanied by a truck and trailer hauling Traveller, our equine mascot; an Alabama Highway Patrol vehicle with two troopers; a truck carrying band instruments and other equipment; and four other vehicles for emergencies, communication gear, and to carry tour officials and their families. 

        Collins Wynn’s father, Officer C.E. Wynn, traveled in bus 3 as the ground transportation marshal and police liaison officer.

        All was excitement and trepidation as we slowly crept up Monte Sano at the beginning of our adventure. When we came over the crest of the mountain and started the descent towards Owens Crossroads, the road conditions became treacherous. The truck and trailer conveying Traveller slid off the icy road, and I think all three suffered damage of some kind. The caravan halted.

        Our leaders conferred and decided that the journey would continue—with the band on foot. We were used to moving that way, of course, but not under these conditions. We left the comfort and warmth of the buses and walked along the shoulder of the cold mountain road, the vehicles descending cautiously before us and providing light. Because nothing bad happened to any of us, we can look back at this as sort of a lark in the dark, but it was dicey while it was happening.  On reflection it was an experience perfectly designed for us to appreciate the attractions of our ultimate destination. In any case, it left us with a good story to share with our children or grandchildren.

        I wish I could remember how far we walked, but that particular information is gone. I’d be very happy if someone who has strong memories of this occasion would write in and provide more detail and drama. Anyway, we eventually got back into the buses. We still had several hours of darkness left. After all the excitement and exertion some people probably tried to sleep. Others talked quietly, reliving the experience and looking forward to the next day. We fade to black.

      Our first overnight stop was in Ocala, where we stayed at the Hotel Marion. We went to our rooms, put on our party clothes and came down to supper. Joining us for the meal, supposedly, were town officials, people associated with the Ocala High School band, and students from the school. If any of them were there, I don’t recall their presence. After the meal, we were bussed over to Silver Springs, where we danced until midnight to the sounds of the Top Hats.

        The next day (December 27) was going to be busy, so we were awakened very early. The schedule takes on a military tone for this one entry; it reads: “5:45 AM Reveille.” (I think we can be pretty sure that no band mother wrote that part of the schedule.)  Sleepily, we dressed in our band uniforms, had breakfast, and then traveled 100 miles to Lakeland. There we marched in the Santa Claus Bowl Parade. The schedule called for an afternoon tour of Cypress Gardens. That evening we attended the Santa Claus Bowl, a “County Little League Football Game between County All-Stars and a team from Atlanta.” We were the guest stars for the half-time entertainment. Gloria Estefan didn’t show up.

        Right after the game, we saddled up and headed for Miami. We arrived at the Hotel McAllister at one in the morning. We had a little breather the next morning to explore the hotel and its surroundings. Situated on picturesque and glamorous Biscayne Blvd., the McAllister looked out on Biscayne Bay.  The temperature was in the 70s, the palm fronds were blowing in the balmy breezes—you get the picture. We were truly a world away from cold and snowy North Alabama.

        In the afternoon of the 28th, we were transported to the swanky community of Coral Gables, where we marched in the Junior Orange Bowl Parade. We had the distinction of being the only out-of-state band to appear there.

        Sunday and Monday were days of rest and touring. The schedule shows us taking a Moonlight Cruise on Sunday night. Did we go? Somebody help me out here. I can’t remember.

        On the morning of the 31st we polished our marching skills at a local park and then spent the rest of the day waiting to take our place in the parade, set to start at 7. After the initial excitement of finally stepping out in the main event wore off, the parade became, in the later stages at least, a test of fitness. It was the longest parade we ever marched in. And because we didn’t know where we were, it seemed to go on forever. Somewhere along that lengthy route, the cameras of one of the networks caught us marching past and we made a brief appearance on national television. We were rewarded for our endurance with a New Year’s Dance at the McAllister’s Flagler Ballroom.

        Attendance at the Orange Bowl game between Auburn and Nebraska was the last big item of the tour package. We didn’t perform at the game, but we did show up in uniform.  Our seating position beside one of the end zones would have made it possible for us to substitute for either one of the college bands had they been unable to perform. Auburn lost 13-7 when a late pass was knocked down by Nebraska.

        We left Miami on the 2nd. En route to our overnight stop in Jacksonville, we popped in at Cape Kennedy and toured some of the NASA facilities.

        The final homeward leg was done in one long stretch on January 3.

        Besides being a lot of fun for many people, the band’s trip to Miami was a significant part of the coming-of-age of Lee High School. In the year that our school grew a senior class and reached maturity,  this was one of the projects where many people dreamed big and worked hard to accomplish a laudable goal.

Band Bus Trip!

Terry Barnes

LHS ‘66

Added Bonus: Another Perspective and Review of the Same Trip

Reprinted from February 5, 2018

    I think that one of the most amazing bus trip stories is one that involved many members of LHS.  In late December of 1963 the Lee High School Marching Band met at the school before daylight on a cold and icy day.  My memory was that there were three buses, chartered Greyhound or Trailways I think, to carry us all as well as a vehicle pulling a horse trailer that carried our mascot, Traveller.  We were heading for Miami, Florida, and the Orange Bowl Parade, which I remember as being held on New Year’s Eve 1963, and to attend the football game played on New Year’s Day 1964.

    This all comes from my almost 70 year old memory of an event that occurred 54 years ago so any corrections or additions to my account would be greatly appreciated.

    My recollection of this trip is that the prime mover in making it happen was Sylvia (1964) and Roger (1965) Becks’ father.  I believe that us bandmembers started hearing about the possibility of such a trip in the spring of 1963 when I was a 9th grader and band member at LHS.  I can only imagine in hindsight the tremendous amount of planning and negotiating with LHS administration, the school board, concerned parents, etc. that must have gone on.

    What didn’t require hindsight was fundraising because us bandmembers were in the thick of that.  I suspect that substantial funds were raised from sources that we bandmembers weren’t aware of but we were tasked to sell a 33 1/3 record of the band playing various tunes.  Some folks showed up in the band practice room one day during band period and it was explained that they were getting a preliminary recording to check for proper microphone position, sound levels and so forth.  Well, under the direction of Mr. James B. Foley, the band played its collective heart out and that “preliminary” recording turned into the final recording (I’m sure that was the plan all along) and thence into the vinyl 33 1/3 record.  There was a $50 prize for the bandmember who sold the most records.  I went at it with a vengeance in the Lakewood subdivision area in the NW part of town and won that prize.  I suspect some of you out there might still have a copy of the record.  Yep, just checked, there’s one for sale on Ebay!  Search Ebay for “Lee High School Band Album”.

    Somehow, someway it all came together resulting in that early morning, pre-daylight gathering at the school to load up and head for Miami, Florida to march in the Orange Bowl Parade and attend the 1964 Orange Bowl.  Saying we met to “load up” is a bit of an oversimplification.  We had instruments ranging from flutes to sousaphones, suitcases, personal items, chaperones, etc.  Well it didn’t get off to a good start….as we headed south on US Highway 431 the roads going down the back side of Monte Sano were iced over.  The buses were unloaded and we all walked down the highway until the roads were clear enough that the road was safe to drive on.  The aforementioned 70 year old memory believes that poor Traveller was badly hurt, or maybe even died, when the horse trailer/tow vehicle combo slid off the icy road.

    Anyway, off we went, heading for Miami.  It was certainly not a one day trip but I don’t remember where we spent the night.  It might have been around Ocala, Florida.  I also don’t remember where we had our meals as we made our way south.  Just the logistical hoopla for the meals sounds like a nightmare task.  I don’t remember if there was a requirement for each band member to bring some cash for meals or if it was funded as part of the trip.

    We stayed in a hotel on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami I believe.  Biscayne Boulevard was the main portion of the parade route.  We marched in the parade and went to the Orange Bowl game the next day.  These were the days of just a few bowl games (Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Orange) and the parades were extravagant events.  Times have changed with bowl games galore and I think the only remaining parade of any substance is the Rose Bowl Parade.  On New Year’s Day, we watched from field level in an end zone corner sitting in folding chairs as Auburn played Nebraska and came up on the short end of a 13-7 score.

    Mission accomplished we all loaded up again and headed north and I do remember that we spent the night in Jacksonville, Florida.  Meanwhile, back in Huntsville, a fairly significant snowstorm had occurred and it seems that it may have affected out return timing.  It might have been that we had to spend two nights in Jacksonville because of the snow situation in Huntsville.

    I thought that someone would respond to the “bus story” request with something about this trip.  When I didn’t see something show up I knew had to send something in.  It was really an extraordinary undertaking on many levels.  There are surely a number of side stories about the trip that are out there as well which would be fun to hear about.  I lose track of the grade track/sequence at Lee during those times but I think that the band members that made the trip were all 64, 65, or 66ers.  Did the class of ’67 attend LHS as 9th graders?  In any event most of the folks on that trip were part of our “special” group.  Just another piece of our history that makes the 64-65-66 crew a special part of the LHS Fami-Lee.

Merry Christmas, 2021. This was the first year since Sue and I retired in 2008 that we did not travel overseas. No Hawaii, no Europe, no Caribbean, no Mexico. no cruises, no military Spae-Available travel. Even though we limited our travel to the contiguous lower 48 states, we still got in a few trips. We visited Hilton Head Island in January, and went to the National Cheerleading Contest in Ft. Worth to see our grand-daughters from Iowa compete.  In September we attended the B-52 Stratofortress Association's reunion in Dayton, Ohio. We were also able to attend the Memphis Tigers' football and basketball games this year, after sitting out last year.

 Thanks to Pam Grooms Smith, LHS ‘65, for her request to reprint a story from our past. While looking for the story she requested, I came upon some other old time Christmas memories from Christmas 1963. I have also included Terry Barns story about the same trip. Memories of facts may vary a bit, but after all, it was over 50 years ago and not everyone was in the same place at the same time. It is sad, but many of the classmates who shared these experiences are no longer with us physically, but will always be a part of us in spirit. Those were our "Happy Days of Yore" and, as the song says "Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow." Merry Christmas to my faithful friends, who are near to me. Please read and think about the words as you listen to one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Comments on Last Week's Issue

Phyllis (Miller) Rodgers, LHS ‘65, "I believe that is Jack Giles turned the wrong way in last week's picture of Central Presbyterian Church's Children's Choir."

Dink Hollingsworth,  LHS ‘65, "Each time I hear Little Drummer Boy my memories are my first Christmas in Huntsville. In the fall of 1959 my parents were both transferred to Huntsville from Anniston, Al. That was traumatic for me, I had started the 7th Grade at Johnson Jr High (with my many cousins) in September 1959.  I had overheard my parents talk about a possible move to Huntsville but did not think it would happen.  Around Halloween 1959 the move became real.  I did not take it well, new town and school where I knew absolutely no one.  Lee Jr High was maybe one year old.  Even the stores were different, a Montgomery-Ward at Parkway City.  I had never heard of that store, must have been a Huntsville thing. Even TV was different, we had to have a converter on the TV to pick up UHF signals.  The only thing that was familiar was "The Little Drummer Boy" but there was a new version by Johnny Cash that played over and over on WAAY.  Each time I hear the Johnny Cash version today I immediately am taken to a time of change that turned out to be a time I am still proud of today."

Photographic Memories - Who Are They?

Each week I plan to share a group of photos from the 1960 "The General" yearbook without disclosing the names of the individuals. You may stop and try to identify them here, and when you are through you may scroll to the bottom of this page to see the identities of your classmates in the photos.

Slow Song Selections

You Picked in the Past

Can't Help Falling In Love with You – Elvis Presley

"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley for the album Blue Hawaii (1961). The melody is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. The song was initially written from the perspective of a woman as "Can't Help Falling in Love with Him", which explains the first and third line ending on "in" and "sin" rather than words rhyming with "you". It was featured in Presley's 1961 film Blue Hawaii.

Elvis Presley's version of the song topped the British charts in 1962, spending four weeks at no. 1. The single is certified Platinum by the RIAA, for US sales in excess of one million copies. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 behind Joey Dee and the Starliters' "Peppermint Twist" and went to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for six weeks. During Presley's late 1960s and 1970s live performances, the song was performed as the show's finale.

The Identites of the Classmates in the Pictures Above