Sing-Out South Was Created 45 Years Ago Today

It was on this date 45 years ago today (January 25, 1966) that Sing-Out South was created with an organizational session at (then) Belmont College. The meeting attracted a crowd of some 500 students and parents (see photos above).

This massive turnout came despite another 3 inches of snow falling on Nashville after the city had been struck with a 7.5 inch blanket of white, accompanied with below freezing temperatures, over the previous weekend.

Such was the excitement that Sing-Out' 66 had left in town following a week-long tour of the area. Said Thomas "Rusty" Wailes, a Sing-Out and Moral Rearmament (MRA) official who spoke that first evening (and as reported in THE NASHVILLE BANNER): "To see a force like this for a city like Nashville is a historic thing...it's a terrific idea that ought to take wings and rocket today."

The article continued: "Wilkes predicted Sing-Out South would be "the most original idea" that has ever hit the South. "I can tell now that you are going to make it work."

This excitement was also mirrored in THE BANNER's farwell editorial to Sing-Out '66 published the day before on January 24, 1996 (see above).

"It was THE BANNER's privilege to bring this group to Nashville and present it on the college campuses--which responded so notably to the opportunity...Words can not due justice to this team (Sing-Out '66), either to its music--the spontaneuous outpouring of what is in these hearts--or the personality and character comprising it, member by member. Faces shine from what is within, and in the cleanliness of personal pride in contrast with the dirty minds and dirty faces of beatnikism. Such was their impact here...they came, they saw, they conquered. And Nashville reciprocated. It came. It saw. It concurred."


So how and why did THE NASHVILLE BANNER develop such an interest in Sing-Out and Moral Re-Armament? So much so that it would bring the cast to town for a full week and devote a huge amount of column inches and photographs to promote the tour for well over a month (before, during and after Sing-Out '66 left Nashville)? Why did the paper continue similar coverage for Sing-Out South?

Some insight seems to come from the article above which was published on the front page of THE BANNER on Friday, January 14. It seems two of the paper's reporters, Lee Bandy and Jacque Stubbel, had done signficant "reportial work on the student leftist movement and their interest in an antidote for the beatnik movement." By doing the reports, the story in the paper continued that they "became closely associated with MRA officials and the "Sing-Out" cast before it hit the road to take its message acorss the United States and to foreign countries." That included visiting MRA's Mackinac Island conference center as well as traveling with the cast on the road. The article also indicates both reporters had"contributed to the internationally circulated MRA magazine, PACE, which is devoted to the constructive accomplishments of youth over the world as opposed to the downhill and defeatist trends among the young."

The article never mentions BANNER Publisher James G. Stahlman. But it is obvious the paper would have never brought into Sing-Out & MRA unless he was totally on board to sponsor the trip to Nashville and approve all the coverage of Sing-Out'66 (Up With People)and later Sing-Out South.

In the weeks to come Sing-Out South would begin its practices (see photo above) ultimately aiming towards its premiere shows held at Hillsboro High School the weekend of March 25-27. Those are also the dates that have been selected for a Sing-Out South 45th Anniversary Reunion this year. More details to follow soon.

Meantime, even from the first organizing meeting on January 25,1966, the positive spirit of Sing-Out was evident from the quotes in the BANNER article which featured some future key cast members.

Jim Troutner, Belmont student body president, later soloist in SOS and UWP:

"We want our world to be great. Now we have a chance to make it that way."

Dennis Cohen, sophomore at Cameron High School:

"I think this will do a lot for Nashville if everyone pitches in and works.'


Ted Overman, Vanderbilt University sophomore, SOS Band Coordinator and later SOS Cast Director:

"I am impressed with the show. This can be the type of thing to really work."

Sing-Out South's second practice was also held at Belmont on Saturday, January 29 with 300 young people returning despite another overnight snowfall of 2-3 inches.

Committees met to deal with topics such as stage crew, technical, make-up, photography, costumes, soloists, public relations and choreography.

It was the beginning of a lot of hard work that would continue with the cast until the early 1970s, leaving a legacy to look back on today and say:

"Happy 45th Birthday, Sing-Out South!"