Given the many patriotic songs we performed, there's no question the 4th of July is the national holiday that most comes to mind when you think of Sing-Out South.
But ironically, the original SOS cast did not perform live on its first July 4th in 1966. Instead, the group was winding up its time at the ACTION NOW national Sing-Out conference in Estes Park, CO., where many were joining up with one of the Up With People national casts.
Sing-Out South did, however, have a major presence in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area that holiday some 44 years ago. Our first TV special "A Living Declaration" (which was taped at WSM-TV studios in May) aired on the station on July 3, 1966 and then had an encore performance on July 9 (by public demand reported a story in THE NASHVILLE BANNER).
Jim Troutner
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Eddie Lunn
The Channel 4 TV show featured cast members Jim Troutner, Eddie Lunn and, indeed, the entire cast reciting major portions of the Declaration of Independence, all intermingled with our many patriotic songs such as CAN'T YOU HEAR AMERICA CALLING?, VOLUNTEERS OF TENNESSEE, WE VOLUNTEER,and perhaps, most appropriately for this holiday (as performed by the UP WITH PEOPLE national cast), FREEDOM ISN'T FREE....
By the way, there is an audio recording of the "A Living Declaration" TV show that has survived these past four decades plus. I hope to find a way to post portions of it here on the blog in the future.
As for the other 4th of Julys back in the late 1960s, SOS did perform in the Kingston Springs' 4th of July festival in 1967 as well as participating in the parade that was held in that small town just outside of Nashville....
The 1967 4th of July holiday was a big one for Sing-Out South as we also performed a major show on July 2 for area Boy Scouts at Camp Boxwell. The following year on July 4, 1968 we gave a show for members (and their families) of Post 88 of the American Legion on Elm Hill Pike, which is still an active American Legion Post to this day.
This is how hundreds of thousands of folks in Nashville celebrate the 4th of July today! Beginning under Mayor Richard Fulton back in the mid-1980s, the city has returned to its roots along the Cumberland River to celebrate our nation's birthday with a major fireworks show and a world class musicial concert (as only Nashville as The Music City can do).
Courtesy of YouTube, here are some highlights from the 2009 celebration, featuring Wynonna, the Nashville Symphony and other artists, then closing with some unbelievable fireworks...
I'd like to think that if Sing-Out South was around today, we'd be a part of Nashville's major 4th of July celebration just as we were so many years ago.
Happy 4th everyone! Happy Birthday and God bless the U.S.A.!
I am trying to find a song from my 1970's childhood sung by Up With People that included all 50 states in alphabetical order in the lyrics. My grandmother bought the LP for me at a State Fair somewhere, and I don't know the album name and have listened to lots of MP3 samples on Amazon, but cannot find the song. Do any of this blog readers know this song and the album? Thanks!
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