100 Oaks---The Place To Be Again

When we were all together in Sing-Out South, 100 Oaks was Nashville's first indoor shopping mall and THE place to be during the holiday season, especially beginning the day after Thanksgiving (Friday).

And now that Vanderbilt Medicial Center has opened a major clinic operation inside the old mall, it is once again the place to be as new restaurants, shops and other businesses are once again opening and flourishing in the area.

Sing-Out South performed often at 100 Oaks Mall in its early days, as you can see from the photo above. This picture most likely was taken during a show at 100 Oaks in the late 1960s. I can remember several appearances we made, including one where we did the show in the area right between the two escalators during Christmas season.

We got a lot of attention, but as I recall, since we were right at the front door, our performance tended to clog up people going in and out because they were stopping to listen to us sing, either just as they entered and right before they got on the escalator, or right after they came down from the upper level of the mall and were near the exit doors.

By the way, the entrance and the escaltors are still there and you can still get the feel of the old mall if you go out to Vanderbilt 100 Oaks. Here are some more photographs from our late '60s show there (courtesy of Alan Mayor). Remember you can click on these photos to make them larger and easier to see.

On the Sing-Out Express with Dave (Harry)Goodman in the foreground runnning the sound board.

We attracted quite a crowd that day.

More of the crowd listening to our performance at 100 Oaks mall.

Sing-Out South did lots of shows at area shopping centers besides 100 Oaks, including Belle Meade Plaza, Madison Square, Rose's in Murfreesboro and others. What memories do you have about those shows? Please feel free to share them below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On the Road Again---Sing-Out Asia

It's been over 41 years since the members and families of Sing-Out South hosted the Sing-Out Asia cast for a show at West End High School on September 4, 1968.

Yet despite the years, that visit continues to touch us.

The latest examples are a couple of responses here on the blog that were sent in just a few days ago (they are under the posting concerning the passing of one of our beloved Sing-Out parents, Mr. Curry Barry).

The messages are from Rey Sayno, who says he was one of the guitarists for Sing-Out Asia. Chances are pretty good he is prominently featured in the photo below, which was taken by a photographer either by the Metro City Photographer or THE NASHVILLE BANNER newspaper, while the group was practicing before their show.

In the messages he posted, Rey Sayno offers his condolences to the Barry family and he thanks the Johnston family (Mama J and Bobby)for their hospitality in hosting him while he was in Nashville so many years ago. He also wants to let us know that Sing-Out Asia has reformed and has been performing concerts for the last two years all over Asia.

Wow!

The memories of the Sing-Out Asia visit in the fall of 1968 remain quite strong for some former Sing-Out South cast members and others who kept SOA members while they were in Nashville.

I related Mrs. Barry's memories in an earlier posting. Here are some others I gathered when I put together an article for THE TENNESSEAN a couple of years ago (2007). Perhaps most compelling were the rememberances of a young Tommy Sloan.

" In World War II my father was a 22-year old US soldier captured in the fall of the Phillipines. He endured the Bataan Death March and was a prisoner of war in Japan (1942-45). He welcomed the Sing- Out Asia cast member into our home, including conversing in Japanese. It was an extraordinary event for my family."

Then there are the memories of Shelia Stephenson Lindsey, a member of Cast C of UP WITH PEOPLE who just happened to be home for a visit when her family hosted some Sing-Out Asia cast members.

"My mom was a host. She recalls make them a rice dish and how hungry those boys were! They gobbled up that rice faster than anything we'd seen in a long time. There were three boys staying in our home as I recall, but I don't remember their names. I got to see their show and it was so special that I was in town during their visit. Good memories."

After writing my article for THE TENNESSEAN, I had my own personal contact from a former Sing-Out Asia member. Atek Jacinto was the Assistant Music Director for the cast in 1968, part of a 12-member Phillippine contigent of singers and instrumentalists.

Somehow he found my article on line and contacted me through THE TENNESSEAN. He asked me to send him all the photos and information I had on the SOA visit, including the remembrances of the former SOS cast members and their families, which I did.


Here is one, final, amazing twist to the ongoing story of Sing-Out Asia's visit here. Not long after I wrote THE TENNESSEAN article about Sing-Out Asia and I was contacted by Mr. Jacinto, the new Up With People cast visited Nashville. I attended their show which was held at the Acuff Theatre at Opryland on St. Patrick's Day (March 17), 2007.

After the show, I met one of the UWP cast members who was from Japan. Her name was Madoka Tatsuno. I told her about the visit of Sing-Out Asia here in 1968. She became very excited because, as we both quickly realized, her mother had been a member of that cast and now here was her daughter in the same city many years later, again spreading that Up With People spirit.

It was an awesome moment!

I took down her e-mail address and sent her the photos and the other materials I have from that 1968 Sing-Out Asia show to share with her mother. A few months later on May 16, I got a wonderful e-mail back from her, telling me how excited and grateful both she and her mom were to receive my information.

Here's what she said: "Thank you for your support and information about Sing-Out Asia. I went back home and talked with my mom about you. She was very excited to see the pictures and to know of the amzing coincidence from Nashville.She told me she joined (a Sing-Out Asia reunion)in the Phillipines and met many friends in her cast last year.

She is keeping the UWP spirit even now. And you have inspired my mom more!! I appreciate the coincidence and opportunity to know you in Nashville."

How amazing that something that happened one night so many years ago when Sing-Out Asia performed in Nashville, can still invoke such wonderful memories!

If you have memories of the Sing-Out Asia visit please feel free to leave them below.

Christmas Village!

It was 43 years ago this very day (November 11, 1966) that the NASHVILLE BANNER carrried the photo above (featuring Sing-Out South Cast Director Ted Overman) with a cutline promoting the upcoming performance of Sing-Out South at the Christmas Village charity event.

Now a Nashville tradition in its 49th year, Christmas Village was just getting started back then as an holiday fund-raiser for the Nashville Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity raising money for its charities.

With more than 200 merchants from all around the country coming to town for the latest edition of Christmas Village this coming weekend (November 13-15),even more money will be added to the $6.6 million that has been raised in the past 48 years for charities such as the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, which serves persons challenged by communication-related disorders.

Back in 1966, Christmas Village was held at Nashville's Hippodrome
on West End Avenue. According to an article by George Zepp in THE TENNESSEAN on November 8, 2006, the Hippodrome was the city's arena of its day (1906-1968) operating for some 62 years.

It was Nashville's favorite place to roller skate, attend big band and other musical shows along with dances, even Vanderbilt home basketball games were held there (in the days before Vandy built its Memorial Gym).

I can remember attending many pro wrestling contests there as well as seeing the Harlem Globetrotters perform in the mid-60s. I also got my hair cut in a little barber shop (called Joe's Barber Shop) which was right between the Hippodrome and the Western Auto Store (you can look for it in the photo above).

Trade shows and fund raising fairs such as Christmas Village were also held here. And while the Hippodrome reportedly boasted 40,000 square feet, the one thing I remember most about Sing-Out South performing at Christmas Village was how crowded we were being confined into our booth space. We were bunched in so close together, it was kind of difficult to do all the choreography without bumping into the person next to you.

After the Hippodrome closed and was demolished in 1968 (for the present-day Holiday Day Inn-Vanderbilt where my wife and I had our wedding reception in 1974) Christmas Village has been held for many years in the Women's Buildings at the State Fairgrounds. But now that the Fairgrounds is closing next June, the site for Christmas Village for its 50 anniversary edition is in some doubt.

Let's hope something can be worked out to keep this wonderful annual event a part of Nashville's holiday tradition!

Marlene!

During the years I have been active in trying to find former Sing-Out South cast mates, one person's name which consistently comes up is, Marlene Echols. It seems everyone has wanted to know where she is, and what she is doing these days.

Now you have that chance!

I am happy to say, thanks to my cousin, Gene Nolan who tracked down her contact information, we are back in touch with Marlene, who is now Marlene Echols Kinnard. She is living in the Townsend area outside Knoxville, TN. She tells Gene she would be happy to hear from her former SOS and Up With People friends and cast members.

Some of you will remember Marlene attended our SOS Reunion at the Maxwell House Hotel back in 1989. But unfortunately we had lost touch when we had our 40th reunion in 2006.

Now I have her home and e-mail addresses, which I will be adding to our SOS list and which I will be recirculating soon to all of you on our roster.

Marlene Echols(far left playing guitar) sings in female quartet including Gail Goodman (obscured), Debbie Jones and Karen Davis during show at Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon in the fall of 1966.

Marlene was a member of the original cast of Sing Out South. She attended the Action Now! Sing-Out Conference in Estes Park, CO in June,1966, and then traveled the rest of the summer with one of national casts. She returned to Nashville to continue her high school education and re-joined Sing-Out South.

A vibrant and,at times, an outspoken personality, she could more than hold her own during our "bull sessions" when we discussed the important issues on our minds. That included discussions with folks like Henry Swider or Bob Sharp who you see below going at it back in the day. This photo was taken by Alan Mayor (as was the shot at the top of this posting)

If you have memories or stories you like to share about Marlene please feel free to leave them below. Or Marlene, if you are visiting the site, please leave your thoughts and memories below to share with us.

We are so happy to be back in touch!

A November to Remember....

It was a November to remember 43 years ago when Sing-Out South hosted a state-wide conference of Tennessee Sing-Outs at West End High School here in Nashville.

It began on Halloween, 1966 and continued through November 2 with Cast C of Up With People coming to town for the event and performing school assemblies over two days at Battle Ground Academy, Belmont College, Father Ryan High School and Overton High.

I remember two things very distinctly about this conference. First, watching with great excitement as the members of other Tennessee Sing-Out groups (Lebanon, Springfield, DeKalb County, Memphis & Knoxville) disembarked from their buses by the dozens, and then all of us coming together to practice songs on stage at West.

My second vivid memory is when Cast C came to Father Ryan a few days later. Nashville had a freak early November snow storm and several inches of the white stuff covered the ground and streets. Some other schools I think had already closed. But because Up With People was coming, our principal Father James Hitchcock kept Ryan open until the assembly was over.

I am not sure all the students were happy about that, but I remember Cast C got a good response that day.