Our Iowa Heritage: An Introduction. We might suggest you start here! Here’s how & why I got started collecting stamps, coins, and other Iowa memorabilia.
Karl L. King – Iowa’s March King. In 1920, fresh off his gig as director of The Barnum & Bailey Circus Band, Ohio bandsman Karl King, came to Ft. Dodge, Iowa, setting up camp there for fifty-one years. Over that time, King established himself as Iowa’s March King, rivaling even the renowned John Philip Sousa as America’s most prolific composer of marches. In 1921, he helped pass The Iowa Band Law, which opened up opportunities for community bands nationwide.
Iowa’s Own Music Man – Meredith Willson. No list of famous Iowans can be complete without a big 76-trombone tribute to my very favorite – Meredith Willson of Mason City – better known to the world as Iowa’s Music Man. In 1957, his first Broadway show opened – becoming an overnight sensation – winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and running for 1,375 performances.
Meredith Willson – The 1940’s Pop Songwriter. Long before Meredith Willson became known for The Music Man, he was writing pop songs that were being recorded by all the big-name stars of Hollywood. Take a brief glimpse and an enjoyable listen to three of Meredith’s top radio hits from the early 1940’s – You And I, Two In Love, and his first salute to his home state – Iowa.
The Big Show – Meredith Willson’s Big Stage. In the fall of 1950, NBC-Radio debuted The Big Show – a high-budget, star-studded variety show designed to stop the public’s infatuation with the latest innovation in home entertainment – the television. While the effort failed to save radio, the show produced an abundance of amazing moments, including the debut performances of Meredith Willson’s classics: May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You, and The Iowa Fight Song.
May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You. In November of 1950, The Big Show on NBC-Radio introduced Meredith Willson’s song of blessing in its closing segment. Within weeks, America had a new favorite song – one that has shown amazing staying power even to today.
Meredith Willson & The Iowa Hawkeyes. Everybody knows that Iowa’s Music Man – Meredith Willson – made it big on Broadway, but fewer know that he loved the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, writing The Iowa Fight Song in 1950 and directing The Hawkeye Marching Band on numerous occasions – including the 1957, 1959 & 1982 Rose Bowls.
PBS-Iowa – The History of the Iowa Fight Song. If you’re a Hawkeye fan – you know what happens when you hear a cymbal crash. What’s the word? Fight. Fight. Fight. Back in December of 1950, Iowa’s Music Man – Meredith Willson introduced his new Iowa Fight Song on national radio. All these years later, it still serves as one of our favorite songs in Iowa City! Watch the Iowa-PBS video story here.
NBC’s Chime Master – Iowa’s Meredith Willson. In 1951, NBC celebrated its 25th anniversary, and in order to commemorate the special occasion, NBC-Radio executives asked their employee and long-time musical director – Iowa’s own Meredith Willson – to write a special song that paid tribute to NBC’s famed three-note trademark. By October, Willson had his tune – Three Chimes of Silver – written and recorded by a popular quartet of the day – The Mellomen – and the song debuted on NBC-Radio’s last big hurrah – The Big Show.
It’s Beginning To Look Like A Meredith Willson Christmas. 1951 was a big year for Iowa’s Music Man Meredith Willson with several of his songs finding big success across America. In September, Perry Como released a new Meredith Willson Christmas song which quickly hit the charts and has remained a Yule-time classic even to today.
My Meredith Willson – Music Man Story. I owe a big thank you to Meredith Willson and his best-known work – The Music Man. When the movie version appeared in 1962 – I was enthralled with this Iowa love story – choosing music as my primary passion when entering high school and college in Iowa City.
Meredith Willson …And Then I Wrote The Music Man. In 1959, Capitol Records released a LP record album that corresponded with Meredith Willson’s latest biographical book – But He Doesn’t Know The Territory. Tied in, as well, with a 20-city tour, this record features both Meredith and his wife Rini as they recreate their two-person presentation used in finding a Broadway producer for The Music Man back in 1956. Here, you can listen to the entire album and get a wonderful first-hand listen to Willson – Iowa’s Music Man, and how he originally envisioned this Broadway classic.
Till There Was Meredith Willson. Did you know that the classic love song – Till There Was You – from The Music Man was written seven years before first appearing on the Broadway stage in 1957? Meredith Willson wrote numerous pop songs in the early 50’s and while Till There Was You flopped in 1950, it’s reappearance stirred many different recording artists to include it on their hit albums – from Chet Atkins to Ray Charles to, yes, even Paul McCartney and The Beatles!
1960 – The SUI School Of Music Presents… During the late 1950’s, when the University of Iowa was experiencing a football revival, the Hawkeye Marching Band and the Scottish Highlanders became an important part of every home football game, plus were a huge hit in Pasadena, when Iowa was invited to the 1957 & 1959 Rose Bowls. In 1960, the SUI School of Music released a LP record that included one whole side dedicated to Highlander music, and the other, to the University Band & Men’s Chorus performing SUI football favorites. Come, give it a listen.
1960 – The SUI School Of Music Presents – Vol. 2. After the first LP record (above) was so well-received, the SUI School of Music recorded and released a second album. Side One featured eleven marches from the SUI University Band, including On Iowa, The Iowa Fight Song, Roll Along, Iowa, Meredith Willson’s 76 Trombones, and Karl King’s Hawkeye Glory. Side Two belonged to The Old Gold Singers. Formed in 1957, this show choir was hugely popular around campus for over 50 years.
Simon Estes – From Centerville to Center Stage. Born in 1938 in Centerville, Iowa, Simon Estes is the son of a coal miner, with a grandfather who was once a slave sold for $500. Crediting his strong faith in God, Estes rose above the racial prejudice, finding his singing voice at SUI in 1961, before establishing himself as a world-renowned opera singer, with many calling him the finest baritone-bass in the world.
Our Hawkeye Sing-Along. At Homecoming 1962, The Daily Iowan published an article called “Sing Along with SUI’s Parade of Music”. Here four Hawkeye song classics and their stories were presented. Now, sixty years later, join us as we look once again at those memorable spirit-songs plus add another four to the list. From 1905 to 1985, the Hawkeyes have had some great (and not so great) chart-toppers. Clear your throat and come sing-along.
Marching, Musical, High-Stepping Hawkeyes. Originally a military unit, in 1937, the Hawkeye Marching Band transitioned to the School of Music and never looked back. In 1969, “I modestly took my place as the one and only bass” – actually there were a dozen of us in the sousaphone section – and we never looked back. Today, the HMB is a vital component to Iowa Football and everything Hawkeye.
Tom Davis – Our HMB Musical Mom. The Tom Davis-era (1968-1972) just might have been the golden age of the Hawkeye Marching Band. This jazz percussionist from Wyoming arranged some of the HMB’s best-known classics, including the timeless crowd-pleaser, Hey Jude.
The Music Man On Broadway – 2022. Sandy & I were honored to be a part of the first NYC tour group representing Meredith Willson’s hometown – Mason City – and the Hawkeye State at the newest Broadway revival of The Music Man – starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.
Meredith Willson Marches On To Iowa-PBS. After two decades of discussion, Iowa-PBS finally gave the go-ahead to film a one-hour television special dedicated to Meredith Willson – America’s Music Man. Debuting in February 2023, Our Iowa Heritage was honored to offer a little contribution to the program, and yes, we are certainly proud to play a small part in such a beautiful production that honors Iowa’s best-known musical hero!
UI Alumni Marching Band – The Fossils. At Homecoming 2023, the University of Iowa Alumni Marching Band celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1973, Dr. Tom Davis and his team of volunteers brought together the first Fossil Band to march in the Homecoming Parade and appear at half-time of the Minnesota/Iowa game. The Hawkeyes lost – 31-23 – and went on to a dismal 0-11 season, making the debut of the UI Alumni Band one of the highlights of the entire season!