Classmates, Please go to this website and read about Mr. Wiehe, who was our band director when we were in high school. The kids who were in the band know a lot of this stuff about him, but the rest of us probably never knew how really terrific he was and how great our band was under his direction. Take a look, would love to hear comments from the band members. Bandmaster's Hall Of Fame
Here's some notes from Monty Clendenin and Kathy Mason Lindsey about the band. We did notice, folks ! ----- Original Message ----- From: Lindsey, Kathy To: Molly Walls Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 8:54 AM Subject: RE: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME Great Molly - thanks. The band didn't get the recognition they deserved at the high school. Remember when they would play "Temptation" at pep rallies, and games? fabuous! It used to give me chills. Kathy Lindsey Associate Director, Admissions Middlebury College
----- Original Message ----- From: Monty Clendenin To: "Molly Walls" Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 3:19 PM Subject: Re: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME Aaah. To hear BSHS band play "Temptation" again. I hope they're playing that when i go through them pearly gates. Hats off to all you talented ones I get goose bumps. Monty
I can't think of a better recommendation than a career in band directing as a legacy to a great teacher. Don Pierce made a career of it. I know we have at least 2 guys who became well known and won many awards, and played in symphonies because of the experience at BSHS. ----- Original Message ----- From: Donald Pierce To: Molly Walls Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 9:38 PM Subject: Re: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME Molly, Thank you for forwarding the information about Mr. Wiehe. Since I retired from being a band director, I have lost track of my fellow directors and friends. Mr. Wiehe was the kind of role model most of us had in school. He was the reason I wanted to be a band director. I never came up to his standards, but I always treasured the times in band. From the long trips to Seattle and Anahiem to Corpus Christi to the late nights after out of town football games. Good memories, all. Thanks, Don Pierce CO 64
----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Paul Jones To: Molly Walls Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 2:13 PM Subject: The Band Hi, Because it has been 43 years ago I cannot remember all the details but here goes. The BSHS Band members pushed a victory bell from Big Spring to Abilene for a football game. Does anyone remember? During the game I was knocked out cold and the meat was out of my taco for 24 hours. However, I do remember that there was a one armed referee who officiated the game. Thank you BSHS Band members for you support. Does anyone remember? lpjones
----- Original Message ----- From: "jim frazier" To: Molly Walls Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:49 AM Subject: RE: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME Molly, Many thanks for this information. I had lost contact with the Wiehe family after keeping in touch for many years after high School. There is definitely not a more deserving teacher than Doug Wiehe to be in the Band hall of Fame. I knew Doug and Donna very well. Not only were they my teachers, but they also attended the same Church as my family, and played bridge with my parents. They moved to Denton the same time I went to north Texas, and again we went to the same Church and they looked after those of us who were ifrom Big Spring. They had us in their home several times for a home cooked meal while at North Texas. I was never a talented musician, actually hardly knew what a note was. I could play the scales, and yet I got the same private lessons as anyone else. I was not once criticised for my lack of ability, but I was expected to practice and not be late getting to practices. As a result, I was able to go to the Worlds Fair in Seattle, Disneyland and Corpus Christi. The long bus rides to Los Angeles and Seattle are some of my fondest memories of High School. I always thought that the only reason, I was able to stay in the Band was because my parents were bridge partners. I also think to this day that Don Green and Betty Lou Green passed me in their respective classes because my parents played bridge with them also and we all went to the same Church. It is ironic, that my grandmother taught piano and voice in Big Spring for over 50 years, and I cannot play a note musically. I guess my attitude about school and study was that is was a prelude to a social activity just being with all the other kids. John Lawson and Jim Burleson, were along with Don Pierce were three people I know of who made careers becasue of Doug Wiehe. Thanks for lletting us know about Mr. Wiehe. Hugs, JB P.S. You outht to ask John Lawson or Ricky Ream about finding a body on the Beash in Corpus Christi, and how Mr. Wiehe was totally skeptical until it came out in the Corpus Christi news about the boys from Big Spring finding a body on the beach... Sad, in a way but hysterical in another way. If you knew John Lawson, you would understand how it would be hard to believe him. He was always pulling something funny. To tell Mr. Wiehe that youwere past curfew because you found a body on the beach and had to talk to the police really sounded too absurd to believee.. I can still see Mr. Wiuehes face as he said "Now Come on John, get to your room!" When Mr. Wiehe spoke to you in that voice you hopped,, yet I dont thinkk he ever injured any student.....
From: Donald Pierce To: Molly Walls Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:34 AM Subject: Re: Fw: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME The story about John and Ricky are one of my favorite to tell my now "old" friends. Mr. Wiehe's skepticism was well founded, but the was a good sport about it after he read the account in the paper. The said of all years he had been taking bands on trips, that was best excuse he had ever heard for missing curfew. Don
----- Original Message ----- From: Monty Clendenin To: "Molly Walls" Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 8:42 PM Subject: Re: Fw: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones I do. There's a photo of Jody thompsom dragging it in one of our annuals. Speaking of which, we had a basement flood three weeks ago and it destroyed all my BSHS annuals except our Junior and Senior year and my goliad 9th grade annuals. Fortunately i had them in my office. The rest were totally ruined. I have also been trying to find a copy of "Temptation" the BSHS signature piece. I got some good info from Don Pierce but have been unable to download it from LimeWire. Wish i could find a copy of the tune. Larry Paul. Do you remember when you and Chrane drove Mrs. Smith to tears in class one day. Don't think she was expecting serious debate from you two. Monty
----- Original Message ----- From: "jim frazier" To: Molly Walls Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 10:48 PM Subject: RE: Fw: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones Molly, It was the Key Club that pushed the victory bell to Abilent. Jim Burleson, Larry Mullican, co65, Jerry Peruifoy, co65, Pat Hamilton, c065 and others were involved. I remember it well because I made the motion that we do that... I have never walked to Abilene since. Hugs, JB Molly did you get my email about the body found on Corpus Christi Beach by John Lawson and Ricky Ream co65, on our senior band trip?
From: Jody Thompson To: Molly Walls Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:25 PM Subject: Re: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones Molly, JB is correct that it was the Key Club that pulled the victory bell to Abilene...but I could have sworn that I was the "ding-dong" (pun fully intended) that suggested that we do it. No matter, it was one of those experiences like going through boot camp....glad you did it but wouldn't want to do it again. The thing I most remember is that I slept all the way home and didn't wake up until 2 or 3 on Saturday afternoon. Nothing like a 14 hour nap!! Hugs to all, Jody
LOL !! Better late than never, I guess, to find out the real truth !! I hope more of the band members will tell some stories. Didn't you guys play in the Rose Bowl one time? And Lane said that the Goliad Band director, Tommy Fry, is also in that Hall of Fame. Molly ----- Original Message ----- From: "jim frazier" To: Molly Walls Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 11:07 PM Subject: RE: Fw: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones Molly, I am glad to know that it was not I who made that stupid suggestion.... What a relief to know that Jody was responsible. What I do remember is that we got to Abilene just in time for the game and those of us who were in band had to play and March .......... The football team let us down by losing the game..... Hugs, JB
From: "James H Burleson" To: Molly Walls Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 3:30 PM Subject: Re: Fw: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones Larry, It was actually the Key Club who pushed and pulled the victory bell to the stadium in Abilene. We started on Wednesday after school and arrived precisely at 8:00 p.m.on Friday, to a tremendous accolade from the crowd. Our objectives were to support the team and to demonstrate our committment to fitness, in keeping with JFK's new national program. I have a photo from the Herald of some of the participants. Best, Jim Burleson
Just goes to show you how great each part of our class was, and is !! One of the best things about the reunions is the comeraderie that has built with each new reunion, and the friendships (and marriages) that have come from this great Class of '64. ----- Original Message ----- From: Kenneth Chrane To: 'Molly Walls' Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:45 PM Subject: RE: Fw: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME I have gotten the full story of Mr. Wiehe and the band from my dear dear Bride!! Who would have ever ever thunk it. A BSHS Football Star (Ha Ha) married to a band (quite excellent ) member!! Fate is very very strange. Interesting that the band member is the strength of the family. Kenny
----- Original Message ----- From: Kenneth Chrane To: 'Molly Walls' Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:54 PM Subject: RE: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones I’m sure the football team never fully acknowledged or appreciated the support of the Band, Key Club, and all the other groups at BSHS. May be forty+ years too late, but I apologize for the lack of support. Kenny
From: Kenneth Chrane To: 'Molly Walls' Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 10:09 PM Subject: RE: Fw: Douglas Wiehe - TEXAS BANDMASTERS HALL OF FAME For those of you who may not know. My dear dear Bride, companion, advisor, support, mother to my beautiful children, friend, confidant, anchor, and her favorite moniker “NANA”, etc. etc. is Dale Marchant, CO66. We are certainly the best class ever at BSHS, but there are a few others, really good folks, that were stuck in other classes. Kenny
Of course what Kenny says is absolutely correct. So many wonderful people came out of BSHS. As those of you who are regular attendees at our reunions, you know that we welcome with open arms and adopt every other class member to be part of our class. Kenny's wife, and the others who married members in other classes at BSHS are honorary members of CO64, and so are the other wives and husbands who have attended our reunions. We work very hard as a committee, to make them part of everything we do at reunions so that they will feel welcome into the group. Brenda Burleson (wife of David Burleson) emails me more than David does, and loves to come to reunions. Actually she probably drags him to them. Caryle McCrary Smith, wife of Taylor Smith is the same way. I would never know what some of these guys are doing if it wasn't for those BSHS wives that were in other classes. LOL. Love, Molly
----- Original Message ----- From: Fred Simmons To: Molly Walls Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 8:23 PM Subject: Re: The Band - from Larry Paul Jones Hi Molly, I don't remember much about the band. I guess I just took it for granted that they were always that talented and good and that it would not have been the same without them. Larry's victory bell story reminded me of the time several of us cut classes and drove to Abilene after a report that they stole our victory bell. Not sure if it was that game or another year but, as well as I remember Graham Barnett and Don Osborne and I went in my car and actually walked up and down the Abilene High School halls. I can't remember the other guys that went, but I remember that a car load or girls went one of which is my wife Diane (CO 65). We later learned no one had stolen the victory bell but it was fun anyway. Fred Simmons
----- Original Message ----- From: Judy Van Pelt To: Molly Walls Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:56 PM Subject: BSHS Band And what would the football team, the basketball team, the pep squad and the cheerleaders and all the fans be without our BSHS band?? Imagine the silence!! Imagine no ditsy cheerleaders! Oh, my - try to imagine!! Judy Engle Van Pelt
Here's a message from Brenda Baker Burleson, one of our adoptees from the Class of '66 !! ----- Original Message ----- From: David & Brenda Burleson To: Molly Walls Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 10:30 AM Subject: Re: BSHS Spouses !! Hey Molly, everyone else in CO64 and honorary members (like me) - I've loved reading all the feedback regarding Mr. Wiehe - was great reading about him in the Bandmasters Hall of Fame. After he left Denton and took the position in Brazosport ISD, I saw him and Donna a couple of times (late '70's. early 80's at Baybrook Mall (down in the Clear Lake area where we live). They gave me their home address and phone number and invited us to come visit any time (but of course that never happened) - however, now that I know they are in Seguin, maybe we'll give them a call on our way to New Braunfels sometime. Main reason for my e-mail though is it seems that I remember on the same trip of finding the dead body that John Lawson and Ricky Ream acted as "guides" for Jimmy Burleson as he posed as a blind man - had the white cane, dark sunglasses, slight swing of head - honestly, if I hadn't known better, I would have thought Jimmy was really blind. The band was my life - don't know what I would have done without it even when Mr. Wiehe yelled at me once during marching practice (using the megaphone from his "perch") telling me to point my feet forward when I walked - said I was waddling like a duck (my feet have a tendency to turn outward). It also never occurred to me the spacing Mr. Wiehe placed between each marching member was to make the band look larger on the field - thought it was just positioning us for that particular performance but I so remember him counting as he stepped off "one, two, three" and where he stopped was a placement spot for one of us. Mr. Wiehe was a state of the art director - I was blessed to be under his direction and am thankful for those 3 years. After all, David's sister, Carol, was in the band - I might not have met David otherwise. Ken was right about his beautiful bride (Dale - some of us girls call her "Bambi") - she was a topnotch performer - our Sr. year (CO'66) was Drum Major. She was one of my roommates on the LA trip our sophomore year - I had to beg and plead for months to convince my mother that I was a necessary part of the band and had to go on that trip. She tried to assure me that I was too young to go so far away for so long - fortunately, I won! Didn't realize at the time how blessed I was to be at BSHS from Sept '63 until May '66 - didn't know the rewards that would be bestowed upon me later on. Hugs to all of you - looking forward to that next reunion. Brenda
Yes he is in the Hall of Fame. There are 9 in that Hall of Fame with ties to Big Spring. J.W. King, Clyde Rowe, Mr. Wiehe, Bill Bradley, Tommy Fry, there was one from the mid- 50's at Runnels (Big Spring Jr. High, Gus Heddon (1947), Gene Smith )who was the conductor of the Big Spring symphony until a couple of years ago, now retired), and another one who was drafted, and he was the director of the band at Webb AFB when the base first opened.
From: John T. Lawson, Jr. To: Molly Walls Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 10:07 PM Subject: Little Known BSHS Band Stories - John Lawson Molly, thanks for letting Class of '64 messages come through you to all of us. Here are a couple of stories that non-bandsmen probably have never heard. On the Seattle Worlds Fair trip that the band and choir made, at some point while on the busses a group of musicians discovered if you pull your shirt sleeve up, wet your lips, place them on your arm and blow hard, a really loud and raucous noise is produced. Several of us where doing this to the tune of the Hallelujah Chorus and getting a pretty good volume level when Mr. Wiehe decided enough was enough. He told us to knock it off. The ride was a lot quieter for a while. On a band bus trip, could have been the Seattle trip, Mike Baggett was sitting next to the rear exit door and there was a red light over the door. That trip Mike became 'Red Light Baggett' which later was shortened to 'Red Baggett'. Take care all...John Lawson
From: A J Pirkle To: Molly Walls Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 6:02 PM Subject: Re: Little Known BSHS Band Stories - John Lawson I think the statute of limitations has run out by now so I can probably remind certain BSHS band students that there was quite a stir created at the motel at Corpus Christi beside the discovery of the body. One of the motel rooms where we stayed was left with no furniture in the room just the bed. Somehow everything disappeared nightstands, lamps, and the chairs. Years later when the motel owners decided to remodel and started pulling the big rectangular ceiling tiles down someone could have been injured or killed with all the furniture falling out of the ceiling. I always wanted to see the discovery of the lost furniture! Unfortunately my memory is getting so bad I can't remember the culprits involved even though I witnessed the last of the items being placed in the ceiling. However some names recently sending e-mails sure come to mind as possible criminal minds in 1964. I did not know if anyone ever was questioned about the missing furniture. It is strange that the Red Baggett story comes to light as I just asked Mike a few months ago how he got the nickname "Red". I don't think he remembered but it all comes back with John's story. Thanks John. AJ <