A Big Spring Dance

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

When I think back to the dances I attended while going to Lee, most of them were held in just a few important places. Of course, there was Bradley’s Cafeteria on the Court House Square, which happened to be my favorite. Then there was the National Guard Armory and The Madison County Coliseum. There was also the Aquatic Club on Jordan Lane. And there were a few held at Lee High School, but those were rare.

There was one odd place which I remember going to only one time. It was the Community Center (if that was what it was called) at Big Spring Park. I don’t have a photo of the front of the building, but I remember it was right in front of the swimming pool. The photo above shows the back of the building, and that is the only shot I had of it.

I remember going there one night to a dance. It was before I started keeping my journal, so it was before November of 1963. I do not know exactly when it was, who sponsored it, or the occasion for it to be held. I don’t even know what band played that night, but I do remember attending one dance there. Had it not been for one particular incident, I probably would not have recalled it at all.

The Community Center was not a place I frequented often but I know they had a gymnasium there and in the gym was a set of rings. I had never played with rings before and during one of the band breaks I thought I would try them. I ran across the gym floor and jumped up to grab the rings, but my aim was off. I hit one of the rings right in my face – in my eye socket to tell the truth. I had no idea they were made of heavy metal but it hurt like heck to hit one at the speed I was running. Almost immediately a knot rose up on my eye and it turned blacker than coal. Everyone at the dance thought I had been in a fight – and lost. I was so embarrassed I left the dance early and it took a few days for my injury to heal. 

It might have been during the summertime, for I do not remember going to school with a black eye and having to explain what had happened.

I know this is a long shot, but if anyone remembers attending a dance at the Big Spring Community Center I would like to hear from you. Or, if you have a picture of the front of the building please share it with the rest of us.

The Wayback Machine

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

I asked The Wayback Machine to play something from 1961 and this is what came up. It has a very interesting background.

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Linda's original was written in Zulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss.

The song has been adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk artists. It was recorded as "Wimoweh" by the Weavers in November 1951, and published by Folkways Music Publishers in December 1951. Artists who have recorded various versions of the song include R.E.M., NSYNC, Henri Salvador, Karl Denver, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Noro Morales, Miriam Makeba, and the Kingston Trio.

In 1961, a version adapted into English with the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the doo-wop group The Tokens became a number-one hit in the United States. It went on to earn millions in royalties from cover versions and film licensing.

In 2000, South African journalist Rian Malan wrote a feature article for Rolling Stone magazine in which he recounted Linda's story and estimated that the song had earned $15 million for its use in the Disney movie The Lion King alone. The piece prompted filmmaker François Verster to create the Emmy-winning documentary A Lion's Trail, which told Linda's story while incidentally exposing the workings of the multi-million dollar corporate music publishing industry. 

In July 2004, as a result of the publicity generated by Malan's article and the subsequent documentary, the song became the subject of a lawsuit between Linda's estate and Disney, claiming that Disney owed $1.6 million in royalties for the use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in the film and musical stage productions of The Lion King. At the same time, the Richmond Organization began to pay $3,000 annually into Linda's estate. In February 2006, Linda's descendants reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music Publishers, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney, to place the earnings of the song in a trust.

(Editor's Comments: Below are two other versions of this song. The first is the original version by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube". The second is the version by The Kingston Trio, which is the first version I ever heard and enjoyed during the great Folk-Song era of my youth.)

Every time the heat of August returns I cannot help but remember all of the reunions we previously held during this period in years past. There was always a controversy about having it this time of the year and many who had left the South and moved to milder climates refused to attend the reunions because of the heat and humidity of Alabama in August. I still have great memories of those who did attend and are no longer with us.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, and Comments

Mary Ann Wallace, LHS ‘64, "Another great Lee's Traveller.  Thank you so much Tommy for the time and effort you put into continuing this tradition.  Love the personal articles that graduates from Lee have sent to you.  Always look up to seeing what is new that really is old memories."

Johnny J. Sharp, LHS ‘64, "Thanks for the Johnny Cash music and "The Rebel" video clip.  I've still got that old 45rpm record in one of my closets.  I guess our sons will run across it after I'm gone. Ha! Ha!"