The TOPS IN BLUE Priors Newsletter, Vol. 5, No. 2, March 1998
It's Official: the Reunion Is Set for July in S.A.Tom Edwards to the TIB Family: It's Time to Step up to the Mic!The following is a message from Tom Edwards Well, I guess it's time for those of you who have been "talkin' the talk" to start "walkin' the walk!" I guess it's time for some of you to cross the road and see if an egg was laid! In our terms, it is now time for each of you priors to step up to the mic!!! You have been talking "Reunion"... Now let's do something about it!!! The 45th Anniversary Reunion is scheduled for San Antonio, TX, July 4-9, 1998. People will be able to start arriving on the 3rd and this is a reunion for the entire family. We will start with a big gathering on the 4th that will take us into the 4th of July, San Antonio Premiere of TIB '98 at Randolph that night with fireworks. We have represented this country around the world and it only seems appropriate to start this celebration on such an important day. The following days will be packed with fun events for the families and some events for just the adults. We will use the great resources of San Antonio, such as The Riverwalk, Fiesta Texas, Sea World, Canyon Lake, etc., for some events such as a picnic, Karaoke night, Riverboat dinner or lunch, etc., and just some great togetherness and fellowship. We will select many of the attendees to perform at a final banquet on the 9th. We are planning to identify the acts so we can rehearse at home ahead of time and reduce the amount of time required here. Rehearsals here will be during the day on the 7th and 8th. This will all be in Mitchell Hall at Lackland, the sight of the 35th Anniversary reunion show and banquet. What I need is a small committee that will work with me to oversee the arrangements for the reunion and make sure this the event to remember. Remember, we are in staging for TIB '98 during that time and my staff will be unable to work on the reunion. I also want one member of each tour unit to serve as coordinator for their tour, ensuring everyone gets notified and shows up! We have plenty of time if we start now! But we must start now! Francine will start a list of people who want to work either of the areas above and/or want to attend, until the official committee is selected. You can call the office DSN 487-6566 or Commercial 210-652-6566. Everyone does need to understand that this will be a "pay-as-you-go" event! That's one of the reasons we scheduled it as we did, so that people can drive if they want. Jim Walker is attempting to get some low cost lodging on Lackland, but nothing is firm yet and we don't know if it is even possible. I believe this family is closer than it has ever been, and we need this! That is why Worldwide was so great. Seeing all of the people who are so dear to you and those you have always heard about but never met. Let us know of any ideas you might also have to make this reunion "da bomb." No one should be able to do it better than Tops In Blue, if we work together and commit to doing this. I thank all of you for your prayers and the richness each and every one of you has put into my life. You can not imagine what missing people through 26 years of this program means. Tom Edwards Worldwide '98 Launches the 45th Anniversary of Tops In BlueThe 1998 Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest was held at Andrews AFB, MD, 10-17 January, launching the year-long 45th Anniversary celebration of Tops In Blue. It was indeed a week to be remembered. While the official reunion is scheduled for July in San Antonio, this year's contest was a "mini-reunion" itself, as 38 TIB priors from as far back as TIB '59 attended, most of them working on staff. In addition to the outstanding talent presented, the contest was highlighted by a truly memorable announcement banquet. Severe AF budget constraints nearly eliminated this year's banquet, but thanks to a sizable monetary contribution sent in by honorary TIB'er and "Vibe" host Sinbad, the banquet went on. During the evening's festivities, the 38 TIB priors that were present united with the '97 cast to present a stirring tribute to the remarkable 45-year history of Tops In Blue. In addition to the musical performance, the tribute was punctuated by several emotion-filled stories, including one by Gerald McMillian that brought tears to everyone's eyes, and a special song that Glenn Ash dedicated to Tom Edwards. When it was over, there was no doubt that everyone in the room had been touched. It clearly set the stage for the announcement of the winners, who by then had a much better perspective of what Tops In Blue is really all about. Congratulations to the winners as follows: Instrumental Solo Specialty Male Vocalist Female Vocalist Best In Show Gary Smith Becomes the 29th Golden Roger RecipientHe became a part of Tops In Blue, as a drummer back in 1978. He was an A1C then. Now twenty years later, Gary Smith is a Lieutenant Colonel, he stills plays the drums on rare occasions, and he is still a part of Tops In Blue. And now, after his twenty years of dedication to the program, he is something else: the 29th recipient of Air Force Entertainment's prestigious Golden Roger Award. His reaction: "It's a great award and an honor to be selected. I have always been trying to give something back to the program, but you can never give enough. To me, the others who have received this award are indeed what Tops In Blue is all about, without them there would be no Tops In Blue. And those who follow me, will be the ones to continue to make the program go." Gary's contributions to the program go far beyond his touring days. Over the past twenty years he's only missed two Worldwides; both due to duty commitments. He has been a tireless worker on staff, handling a great deal of the protocol and liaison work with the host base command staffs, in short, making sure that we get the support we need. Despite holding high profile positions at both the Pentagon and the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph, he has always had time for the program; going to bat for AFE with directors, commanders and other high ranking officials on a number of issues. Gary has indeed come a long way he was an A1C in Air Traffic Control school when he was selected to tour in '78. He was a brand new 2Lt and Air Traffic Control Officer when he won a Wilco as an instrumental soloist in 1980. And now as a Lt. Col, en route to assuming command of the AF's largest Mission Support Squadron, the 86th MSS at Ramstein Air Base Germany, he is our newest Golden Roger Recipient. Gary, this salute is for you... A Request from Our Web Guru Bob Morrow: Update Priors' PageOver the two and half years the site has been in existence, many e-mail addresses have become invalid and therefore have been removed from the site. If your name is no longer on the page, that is the reason why. To be reinstated, just fill out the form online. There is also a link from the "Priors' Page" to postal mailing addresses and/or phone numbers for those priors who have given permission to have that information posted. If you are not on that list, or if you need the password to view it, simply follow the instructions on the page. Please note that the database maintained by T.A. Burrows and the website database are not one and the same. (Note: T.A.'s is the master TIB database, while the website database is comprised only of those who have provided information for posting.) Just because you subscribe to this newsletter does not mean your information is automatically posted on the website. For privacy reasons, you must give permission for that information to be posted. Permission and information for posting can be submitted by e-mail to Bob Morrow at bob.morrow@tibpriors.org Also, there's a part of the web site that doesn't seem to generate much traffic, probably because people don't know about it. It's How We Found Our Way to TIB and includes some very interesting stories on how some priors found their way to Tops In Blue and the resulting changes in their lives. Feel free to add your story if you like. |
Center Stage: What Was the First TIB Tour Like? Ask Olga Ford...As we celebrate the 45th anniversary of Tops In Blue, it's incredible to think of how the program has changed in just the past 10 years alone, not to mention 45 years. It's even more intriguing to think of what the very first Tops In Blue tour must have been like. Who knows? Olga Ford knows. You see, Olga Ford was a member of the very first cast on that very first Tops In Blue tour back in 1953. I had a unique opportunity to speak with Olga, and she provided a fascinating look at the roots of Tops In Blue. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Olga used to go to stage shows in New York City and was bitten by the entertainment bug. As a result she dabbled in stand-up comedy at local establishments and churches, etc. Later, she joined the Air Force and she had been in for three years when a new program was launched, the Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest. She was stationed at Ft. Myer, Arlington VA, assigned to the Pentagon as an admin clerk at the time, and she decided to try her stand-up routine at her base level contest. She not only won at base and command levels, but went on to win a Roger at the first WWTC at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, SD in May 1953. Then, much to her surprise and delight, she was selected along with 18 others by then- Major Al Reilly to tour with as part of a newly formed, elite entertainment troupe called Tops In Blue. "I was absolutely blown away by the fact that they were going to get a chance to tour and perform," Olga says. Besides herself and two other women, Olga says the rest of the cast members were males including a five- piece band, a barbershop quartet, three acrobats, an accordion player, a male vocalist, a tap dancer, and a master of ceremonies. Their show was about 2 hours long and of course, Olga says, they had no equipment like today. "It was pretty much bare bones." The tour traveled 26,000 miles, providing 230 performances in 235 days, entertaining over 320,000 people. Due to the fact that her enlistment ended before the entire tour was over, Olga was on tour for the first six months, but during that time, she said they toured every AF base in US, Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands, as well as Air Force and Navy bases in Japan, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Korea (the remainder of the tour was throughout Europe). How did they travel? Stateside they flew from base to base in a C-47 propeller plane. "We spent the entire flight sitting on top of our parachutes," she recalls. Their trip to Japan and Korea was in a C-51 prop; long and grueling flights. Korea proved to be most memorable for Olga. "We actually ended up there at the at signing of the Korean War truce," she stated, "at the time there was big debate about whether the women would even be allowed to go to Korea, but we were. The most incredible thing was that we did our shows there on the front line before a mountainside loaded with GIs!" What did she enjoy most about the tour? Going to Japan. She had never been outside the US, and she was truly excited about getting to go to Japan. Hardest part of the tour? In Korea, traveling by open truck over dusty roads. "It was difficult traveling over roads that were designed to move troops. The trucks had no headlights, they were blacked out with only slits for lights. It was dark and treacherous driving through the mountains on roads with no guard rails. And when we arrived at our destination we were covered in dust." Funniest moment? "We were doing one show on a flight line in Korea and for some reason, the guns on one of planes inadvertently fired a few rounds over the stage. I said to the audience, 'Hey if you don't like the show, you don't have to shoot at us!" Her most rewarding moment? Going to Korea and talking with the GIs there. "The guys on the line hadn't spoken to an American woman in a long time, and after the show, they just wanted to sit and talk about everything that was going on back home the latest records, dances, and news." She also said that the GIs welcomed them. "They were so happy that we were not the USO, they had gotten tired out of those shows. They got a big bang out of the fact that we were GI's like they were; we lived in the tents like they did and ate in the mess hall with them. They were such incredible audiences, too. Imagine a whole mountainside of GI's laughing at your jokes. I'll never forget it." After leaving the Air Force, Olga went on to become a detective in New York City, serving for 25 years. She is currently retired and living in Duchess County in upstate NY, but she still has a unique connection with the program. Her nephew William Ford participated in the program in 89. Olga says she lost track of the program when she left the AF. But when William showed her all the photos and such, she could not believe it was the same program. Today, she says it really blows her mind that Tops In Blue has grown to what it is now. She reads the website now and then and is amazed at how close the family is. And indeed she a part of the family. "It's something to have been a part of the original TIB," she says, "and it's incredible that it's gone on so long." But it has, because Tops In Blue family members like Olga Ford gave us such a great foundation to start with. Lane McCray and La Bouche Looking for Talented MusiciansTIB Prior Lane McCray is looking for any individuals who are possibly interested in playing for live television performances and major promotional events with LaBouche. "We are looking to put together a 4-6 piece band to play 60-90 minute shows," says Lane. He is looking for drummers, keyboard players/ programmers, guitarists, and horn players. Scheduled television shows are being confirmed now in conjunction with the upcoming LaBouche CD entitled "SOS." Interested? Contact Crayco Lane Artist Management in Germany at 011-49- 711-856-7559. Spotlight: Where Are They Now?
Present: When last we "heard" from Joey, he had left the Air Force and was living in Sacramento. He was working as a talent agent for a marketing firm called Creative Alliance, where he recruits, trains, and manages promotional entertainers. Of course, by night, he's still "Joey Mime." He spent the summer of '96 with the L.A. Comedy Connection Improv and recently opened for both the Sacramento and Modesto Symphonies. A single parent, his daughters Vickie, 16 and Danielle, 14 also double as his stage and prop managers!
Present: Jim and Alyson (Giese) met on the '87 tour - another case of family becoming family! Jim has a successful guitar instruction business and after graduating from the Grove School of Music, he was the musical director for a television show pilot. The couple currently live in Laguna Nigel, California and perform together at local festivals, restaurants, and coffee houses under the name "Q2" (Q-squared). Incidentally, Jim says he's also done transcription work for Hal Leonard Publishing and has almost completed his first novel.
Present: "Glo" is currently stationed at Andrews AFB, MD, where she works as a PC instructor at the Malcolm Grow Medical Center. Glo has also been a permanent fixture on the Worldwide Talent Contest staff for the past three years and has done an outstanding job. In her "spare" time, she does volunteer work for the base chapel, and the youth and fitness centers. And, she's also a member of the Andrews AFB Inspirational Gospel Choir. You go, Glo!... Blue NotesJay Reamey just completed a studio portion of a project that he and Andre Johnson, the '89 overseas tour bass player have been working on. Look for "A.J. & Company" at your local music stores soon. Dennis Walters-Smith has written and released a powerful CD single entitled "Missing Children." It is a profound song that has received national attention. Dennis is currently looking to promote the song worldwide. If anyone has any ideas or contacts, please let him know - his e-mail address is mindwalters@webtv.net. Congratulations to James and Melissa Mitchell, on the birth of their son Matthew Frederic on January 16th! Here are a couple of prior updates provided by USAFE Entertainment Specialist and longtime TIB supporter JoAnn Mellon: Eddie Lawson, TIB '88, is living in Germany and singing with several bands, also with the Golden Gospel Singers and Doug Jordan, TIB '86 is the Operations Director for the AF Band at Bowling AFB. JoAnn says she worked with him last year on a tour to Bosnia. Incidentally, JoAnn says she's lost 159 pounds over the last 18 months and is doing fine. She says hello to all of the "TIB family." Well, gang, that's it for this special extended edition of "We Are Family." Hope to see you all in San Antonio this July. The next edition of "W.A.F." will be out shortly before the reunion. Please be sure to see the piece below...it's something to think about. Peace T.A. Friends....After a while, you learn that what you really are is all the experiences and the thoughts you've ever had and all the people who have touched your life, no matter how briefly. After a while, you learn that troubles are temporary and relationships aren't always permanent. You learn that many people come into your life and fade into forgetfulness, while others remain as warm places in your heart. You learn to forgive the bad times and overcome the resentments. And you learn to live with love in your heart for the good times and for the good friends who may not be present, but who never go away, because the warmth of their friendship and their essence lives within you and becomes a part of what you are. (Submitted by Lisa Davis - TIB 94) |