A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM TOM
EDWARDS
As we look to 1999, Linda and
I would like to take this opportunity to wish each member of our
TOPS IN BLUE
Family a joyous holiday season and the very best for the coming
new year. As I reflect on the upcoming year, there are some concerns
I feel I need to address.
The first issue is regarding
the bulletin board on the TOPS IN BLUE website. I feel it is important to allow people to
reach our priors, particularly family members of those on tour.
In writing messages on the bulletin
board, however, I must ask that we use it in a positive and uplifting
way. It is not the place to air "dirty laundry" or to
make negative comments about the program or family members. Keep
in mind as a TOPS IN BLUE prior, you are never out of the public eye and there
are always those out there who are looking to see us fail. We must
not give them this satisfaction by making negative remarks on the
bulletin board.
The need to maintain family integrity
is of paramount importance. If you have something negative to discuss,
use e-mail or some other form of communication. The bottom line
here is "keep it on the bus," not on the website.
The other issue concerns the
survival of the program. In order for TOPS
IN BLUE to continue, it is imperative
that we have increased participation Air Force-wide. To this end,
you as TIB priors must get involved and help drive the program at
your local bases. Times have changed, the recreation centers that
were the focal point of the talent program are gone, as are many
of those center directors who had a firm grasp on the program.
Today's Community Centers are
trying to maintain the participation, but they desperately need
our help. They need people who, from their experience in TOPS IN BLUE, can communicate
what the program is all about and tell prospective participants
what the rewards are. They need people who can help contestants
prepare themselves for Worldwide and so they can put their best
foot forward and succeed. Most of all, they need people to come
forward and help them to find talented individuals and inspire them
to participate.
Each of you must make a conscious
effort to help. This is your program and I must count on each and
every one of you to do what you can to help keep it going. I hope
you will make a pledge this year to continue to involve yourself
in the program and that next year we will see the fruits of those
efforts.
Once again, I wish each of you
a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous 1999.
Tom Edwards
TOPS IN BLUE '98: PACAF, WWTC
AND INTO THE HOME STRETCH
TOPS IN BLUE 1998, "Red, White, Rhythm and Blue" will finish its PACAF swing and be
on their way to Andrews for the AF Worldwide Talent Contest, January
15-22, before heading into the final segment of the tour.
TIB '99 STAGING TO BEGIN ON
1 APRIL; ASSISTANCE NEEDED
Following the 1999 Air Force
Worldwide Talent Contest, which will be held at Andrews AFB, MD,
January 15-22, staging for TOPS IN
BLUE '99 will commence on April 1st
with the worldwide tour beginning in early June. Assistance is needed
in all areas for staging. If you can help, please contact Air Force
Entertainment (AFE) immediately at (210)
652-6566. In addition, Tom is looking
for any songs which may be suitable for this year's show. If you
have any suggestions, please contact the office with the song title
and artist.
LUCKY
SEVEN FROM '57 REUNITE IN AN IRONIC TWIST OF FATE
Our TIB family members continue
to be reunited with each other thanks to our website, newsletter,
word of mouth, and sometimes a little bit of ironic luck. In an
incredible twist of fate, seven priors were recently reunited. Here's
the story: It begins with Jane
Bunker Overy, TIB '57 who moved to
Searchlight, NV 18 years ago.
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Oddly enough,
when she moved there in 1981, she noticed in a newspaper that an
entertainer named Jac Hayden was performing at the Landmark Hotel in Las Vegas.
She wondered if it could it be the same Jac Hayden she toured with
on TOPS IN BLUE
in 1957? Curious, she went to the show, and sure enough it was!
Jac was there performing with Siegfried and Roy and Joan Rivers.
They met and continued to keep in touch. At the time, Jane had also
been keeping in touch with another member of the '57 group, Marion Peet,
now a retired postal employee and living in Jamaica, N.Y. She put
Marion and Jac in touch and so it was the three of them hooked up,
still wondering what happened to many of the others they toured
with.
Meanwhile, during her time in
Searchlight, Jane served on the Town Board and on several Clark
County (NV) committees. She founded a museum and became well known
in this tiny community southeast of Las Vegas. When it came time
for Searchlight to put on its Centennial Celebration in '98, the
town turned to Jane. In need of an MC, Jane turned to Jac, her former
TIB cast member. Jac is still performing in Las Vegas as "Mundane
the Grate," the same act he did in the '57 show.
Jac decided it would be nice
to round up some additional talent for the event and having earlier
located the TIB website, he put the word out that he was looking
for TIB priors from the 50's. Through the website, that word managed
to reach Pat Williams who runs a bed and breakfast in Oregon and who just
happened to be another cast member from '57. Website guru Bob Morrow
saw that note on the site's bulletin board and promptly called Pat
to give her Jac's phone number. She hadn't seen or talked to Jac
in 41 years!!!
But the story didn't end there!
Jac then put Pat in touch with Jane, who in turn put Pat in touch
with Marion. As it turns out, Pat had remained in touch with three
other cast members from that fabled '57 tour -- the Air Chords:
Phil Schwarz and Rick
Wilson who live in Illinois and Frank Williams
who lives in Ohio. So of course, Pat put Jane, Marion and Jac in
touch with them. In all, seven TIB priors from the '57 tour were
reunited. And now they hope to remain in touch and continue to look
for other members of the group. And isn't it ironic that this story
all began in a small Nevada town called what else -- Searchlight?
HOLIDAY CARDS TO COLONEL AL
REILLY
Once again this holiday season
presents us with an opportunity to say thank you to Colonel Al Reilly,
who created TOPS IN BLUE in 1953. Tom Edwards and I believe that each and every
one of us owes a continuing debt of gratitude to Col. Reilly and
ask that you join us again this year in sending holiday wishes to
him. Send your cards to: Colonel Al
Reilly, 1625 Vickers Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 88091-8122.
SPOTLIGHT: Where are They
Now?
Name |
Specialty |
Tours |
Saundra Y.F.
Herbert |
Vocalist |
Tops In Blue
'88 (The Magic of Imagination)
'90 (Spirit
of the 90's)
'91 (Tribute
to America) |
Saundra is still in Air Force
blue and is currently stationed at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. She
is assigned to the 20th Aeromedical/ Dental Squadron. Married to
Khalil Wahid, Saundra has three daughters, Alexie 5, Aaliyah 4,
and Aayahna 2. She says that as you can see, she's been busy since
her last tour!
Name |
Specialty |
Tour |
John Nadeau |
Logistics |
Tops In Blue '88 (The Magic of Imagination) |
Having departed from the Air
Force, John currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He owns
an 18-wheel "big rig" and drives it for a living in and
around Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. On the entertainment
side, John is currently singing with a 50's "Doo Wop"
group and loving it. He's married again and says he couldn't be
happier.
BLUE NOTES
Congrats to Golden Roger recipient
Antoine B. Wilson on his retirement from the Air Force! Here's an update
on the current AFE Staff: Ms.
Beckey Fine - Operations Coordinator;
Ms. Bonny Handzlike - Finance & Logistics Coordinator; Ms. Carol Sudy
- Tour Coordinator; Mr. Bernie
Rone - Production Coordinator; Mr.
Marty Patton - Technical Director. The address for AFE is 10100 Reunion Place, Suite #403, San Antonio, TX 78216 and the phone number is 210-652-6566. (DSN 487-6566) |