We've talked before about what a tremendous impact Sing-Out '66 had when it came to Nashville in January, 1966. Hundreds of young people, galvanized by the performances they'd witnessed, flocked to join the local spin-off group, Sing-Out South.
On a snowy Sunday afternoon, February 27, 1966 (44 years ago),Sing-Out '66 made its first return visit to Tennessee for a performance on the campus of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. Four full busloads of Sing-Out South members, with others traveling in private cars(over 250 people total), came over from Nashville for the show.
According to a story in THE NASHVILLE BANNER, the costs for the buses were underwritten by Nashville Mayor Beverly Briley, while Tennessee Governor Frank Clement made a surprise appearance on stage at Tennessee Tech to introduce the cast.
With all that kind of support, political and otherwise, it was, to say the least, an exciting afternoon, especially when Sing-Out South took the stage for an encore with the national cast at the end of the show. So much excitement was generated in the audience that soon a Sing Out Smithville/DeKalb County was formed.
Another reason this show at Tennessee Tech remains important is that I believe it was this performance that played a major role in the Tennessee Tech Quartet (seen above) Joe Capers, Ken Ashby, Dick Smith & Lee Piepmeier joining, first, Sing-Out South, and then on to Up With People where they were all leaders in the national casts for several years afterwards.
The photo above was taken when the group performed as a part of "The Best of South" segment in the premiere performances of Sing-Out South at Hillsboro High School on March 25-26, 1966. I have a program from those shows, but unfortunately they do not relate what songs the Quartet performed.
Your posts are always interesting and I enjoy the way you present a story inside a story.
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