They Still Have Friends In High Places

From the first time the Colwell Brothers, Herb Allen and the original cast of Up With People came to Nashville in January, 1966, it was clear they had friends in high places. The sponsor of their week-long local tour was James Stahlman, the publisher of THE NASHVILLE BANNER, the city's powerful afternoon newspaper.

The paper was a veritable PR machine running dozens of articles and photographs (on the front page and throughout the paper) about the visit. In  fact it was a lead story every day THE BANNER published during the month of January (and that continued with the founding of the local Sing-Out South group).

Our local political leaders were also very supportive. The first show the cast performed the night it arrived in town (following a welcoming banquet at the Hermitage Hotel)  had the Governor, the Mayor, the Congressman and many other governmental and civic leaders in the audience.

So it was only appropriate that when the Colwells and Herb Allen returned to Music City last Saturday night, I contacted our current Mayor Karl Dean (seen above) to help us recognize these special gentlemen. He responded with the following proclamation:

WHEREAS, The Colwell Brothers (Steve, Paul & Ralph) and Herb Allen made a profound impact in Nashville over the last 46 years through their work as the musical creators of the international education program, Up With People, and,

WHEREAS, In January, 1966, Up With People made its first visit to Nashville for a week-long series of concerts, including a performance on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium, that led to a number of  area young people joining UWP casts and traveling the nation and the world, and,

WHEREAS, The Colwell Brothers have a long and distinguished history in bluegrass and other related musical genres, having performed with such country music legends as Tex Ritter and Little Jimmy Dickens, and Herb Allen is a renowned composer, arranger, teacher, pianist, percussionist, conductor and xylophone player, and,

WHEREAS, The Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen are returning to Music City for a special concert at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 to be held at the J.T. Moore Auditorium to fund scholarships for another generation of young people to have the opportunity to take part in the "Up With People" worldwide education experience,

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Karl Dean, Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, do hereby recognize Steve Colwell, Paul Colwell, Ralph Colwell and Herb Allen for their contributions to Music City and encourage the citizens of Nashville to join me in expressing gratitude for their generosity.

I have hereonto set my hand on this 23rd day of June, 2012

Karl F. Dean
Mayor  

Mayor Dean's support mirrors that of one of his predecessors, Mayor Beverly Briley, who was mayor from 1963-1975. He strongly endorsed the first visit of UWP to Nashville and often issued proclamations in support of Sing-Out South and other UWP-related activities during the late 1960s The Mayor even made a special trip back to Nashville to introduce the SOS cast at its premiere show at Hillsboro High School on March 25, 1966.

Mayor Briley's sucessor, Richard Fulton (above, Mayor from 1975-1987) was also an UWP supporter. While he was a Congressman back in the mid-60s he made at least one speech on the House floor and into the Congressional Record, extolling the patriotism of the group.

And not to be outdone in their support for UWP were our state's governors, beginning with Governor Frank Clement (see below). Governor Clement made a special surprise trip to Cookeville, Tennessee where he introduced Cast A (and the Colwells and Herb Allen) when they returned to the state later in the spring (late February or March) of 1966 to perform for the students at Tennessee Tech University.

By the way the Tennessee Tech show was also significant in UWP history. It was where what later became THE VOLUNTEERS quartet (Lee Piepmeier, Joe Capers, Ken Ashby and Dick Smith, all students at TTU) first saw Up With People. Soon they briefly joined Sing-Out South, perfoming in SOS's premiere shows, before becoming part of the national cast to play a major role in the years to come.   

Frank Clement left the Governor's office in early 1967. But gubernatorial support for Sing-Out and UWP did not leave. His succesor, Buford Ellington (seen below) also issued several proclamations to support SOS and Up With People activities in Tennessee during his four years in office (1967-1971).

Finally, even out of office, former Governor Clement was a great supporter. In the summer of 1967, he came to one of Sing-Out South's funding raising concerts at the Bandshell in Centennial Park. SOS was raising funds to send cast members to the first World Sing-Out Festival at Ft. Slocum on David's Island just outside New York City and New Rochelle, NY.

During intermission, Governor Clement took to the stage and made one of his famous stump speeches in support of SOS. A large amount of money was collected that evening in those little blue buckets we had, which read S.O.S. on the front of them.

Sing-Out and UWP has always gotten great help and support in Tennessee, at least in part because of our friends in high places.

Quite A Night!

While I was not able to attend, from everything I've heard it was quite a show Saturday night at the J.T. Moore School Auditorium. That's when the Colwell Brothers along with Herb Allen performed their first concert in Nashville in over 46 years!

Thanks to photos from Jack House, here's a little peek at the evening

Former Sing-Out South and Up With People musical guru and songwriter Bill Cates (left) was in the house!

Herb Allen can still bring down the house with one of his performances!

Linda Blackmore Cates (Bill's wife) can still sell a song and entrance an audience!

These guys (Steve Colwell on the left and Cabot Wade on the right) were among the driving forces to help make the show happen in Nashville along with some folks not pictured here, including Lee Piepmeier and Vickie H. Law. Thanks to all!

After the show, a grateful audience seeks autographs and a copy of the Colwell biography, A SONG FOR THE WORLD. I am sure enjoying my copy and my autographs. Thanks, guys and thanks for coming back to Nashville again! 

Returning To Famous Places and Famous Friends

The trip back to Nashville for the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen wasn't all about preparing for their Saturday night concert. They took time to re-visit the Ryman Auditorium downtown. That's where The Brothers and Herb joined with Sing-Out '66 (later Up With People) to perform on the Grand Ole Opry back in January, 1966. Actually, that was the last time they were in Music City.

The Brothers and Herbie also had the rare opportunity to sit back stage at the New Opry House on Friday evening during the Opry show. While there, they got the chance to renew their friendship with Little Jimmy Dickens, now the senior performer on the Opry every week.
The Colwells performed with Dickens back in the 1950s when they were both under contract with Columbia Records as well as other country performers such as Tex Ritter, Cousin Joe Maphis and Speedy West. Little Jimmy was so happy to see the Colwells again, he asked them for their autographs during the visit! I have seen photos of that happening and hope to post them soon.

The Colwells and Herb Allen's visit backstage to the Opry was facilitated by Opry General Manager Pete Fisher, who is an Up With People alumnus.  Thanks, Pete! You can see from the photo above, a very good time was had by all!   

Ready To Go

They are in town and practicing hard.

The Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen, the musical Founding Fathers of Up With People, are ready for their first concert in Nashville since January, 1966.

Are you ready to come and enjoy this one-of-a-kind evening?

Tickets are $10 and will be on sale at the door.

The concert will be held at 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening, June 23 at the J.T. Moore School Auditorium, 4522 Granny White Pike.

Special alumni guests are also set to join the show throughout the night.

Autographed copies of the Colwells' biography, SONG FOR THE WORLD, will be available for purchase with 10% of the proceeds going to the Up With People Alumni Association. All donations will go for scholarships to help local young people and others to travel for a year with one of the current casts of Up With People.

That will bring it all full circle. The Colwells last trip with Herb Allen to Music City over 36 years ago led to the founding of Sing-Out South along with dozens of area high school and college students later joining and touring the nation and the world with UWP. 

 I can't come Saturday because of a family conflict. But don't miss your chance to see these special musicians and entertainers. You may never get the opportunity again.

From Child Prodigy to UWP Founding Father

Herb Allen, who returns to Nashville Saturday night with the Colwell Brothers, for their first performance in Music City in over 46 years, has had a long and distinguished career in music and the performing arts.

The following brief biography of Herb may tell you a few things about the man you didn't know.

He has been performing since the age of 3 when he was with the Seattle Children's Orchestra.


As a composer, arranger, teacher, pianist, percussionist and conductor, Herb has dedicated a life time to music and he has performed world wide.

After studying under noted instructors John Hopper, Whitney Tustin, Carl Pitzer and Dr. William Reed, Herb went on to a professional career. One of his career highlights include touring as accompanist for Muriel Smith, the original Carmen Jones on Broadway. He's also conducted pops programs with various choral groups and symphony orchestras in the United States and Europe.

In addition, Herb was the founding musical director of Up With People, writing and directing its music for performances in Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Japan's Kabuki Theater. He served as music director for Up With People's musical spectaculars which included four Super Bowl Half Time shows.

Herb also composed the music "Moment By Moment - Jewel of the Desert" for the opening of Arizona's newest State Park, Kartchner Caverns. He often collaborates with The Colwell Brothers, Steve, Paul and Ralph, and with his talented British wife Jane Allen, along with singer actor Tom Sullivan and award winning producer David Mackay.

Tickets are still available for the 7:00 p.m. Saturday night show to be performed at the J.T.Moore School Auditorium, 4425 Granny White Pike. You can buy them at the door that evening or in advance on-line at:

http://www.eventinterface.com/UWPNashville

The extraordinary lives of the Colwell Brothers (Steve, Paul and Ralph) are also captured in their biography, A SONG FOR THE WORLD, written by Frank McGee. Autographed copies of the book are available for sale at the concert with 10% of the proceeds going to support the Up With People Alumni Association. Donations received at the concert will also go toward scholarships for local young people to travel with one of today's UWP national casts.

It was the last trip to Nashville by the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen back in January, 1966 that led to the creation of Sing-Out South and for dozens of Nashville area high school and college students to join Up With People over the next several years.         

A Rare Opportunity

Still have dreams that you are back on stage in Sing-Out South or Up With People?

Maybe you never got the chance to perform with the Colwell Brothers or Herb Allen, or with Cabot Wade, Linda Blackmore Cates or Hazel Robinson, among others?


Would you like to do that and briefly relive or create some happy moments?

Well, if you are interested, here's your chance.

Now don't worry, you'll still remember all the words and the movements to the songs and you will have all your clothes on! It's not that kind of dream come to life.

This Thursday night, June 21  from 6 p.m. to 8p.m., please come to the J.T. Moore School, 4425 Granny White Pike here in Nashville for a free song-swapping session. The Colwells and Herb will there as will Cabot Wade and others (who play guitar and other instruments). So bring your sheet music and your favorite UWP song to sing or request!

What a great night this should be, topped only by the performance by the Colwells and Herb Allen on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. also at the J.T. School Auditorium. It's their first concert in our city since they brought the original cast of Up With People (Sing Out '66) to town back in January, 1966.

They literally took the city by storm in those days, creating such enthusiam it led to the founding of Sing-Out South (with over 600 people attending the first practice), and dozens of Nashvillians travelling with Up With People in the years to come.  

Tickets are still available for Saturday evening. They are $10 and can be purchased at the door Saturday or on line at:

http://www.eventinterface.com/UWPNashville

All donations made that evening will go to support Up With People scholarships for future young people (including, hopefully, another generation from Nashville and Tennessee) traveling with one of the national casts.

The biography of the Colwells, A SONG FOR THE WORLD written by Frank McGee, will also be available for sale and autograph, with 10% of those proceeds going to support the Up With People Alumni Association. 

But for Thursday night, just bring your tuned-up vocal cords, your HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN SING OUT book, and/or your  favorite UWP song to sing or request....and enjoy a very unique and special evening. 

Less Than a Week Away

Don't forget!

This Saturday, the Colwell Brothers (Steve, Ralph and Paul) return to Nashville for their first performance in over 46 years (1966) in Music City. The Trio is joined by their fellow musical Founding Father of Up With People, Herb Allen. They will be in concert beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the J.T. Moore School Auditorium, 4425 Granny White Pike. The evening will also feature special performances by UWP alumni. It's an evening not to be missed!

Tickets are $10 dollars and are still available on line at:

http://www.eventinterface.com/UPNashville

Tickets will also be sold at the door the evening of the concert.

Signed, autographed copies of the Colwell's biography, A SONG FOR THE WORLD, will be available for sale with 10% of the proceeds going to the Up With People Alumni Association. Any donations from the evening will  go to fund scholarships for local young people to have the chance to travel with Up With People.

That's exactly what happened back in 1966, after the last visit the Colwells, Allen and the original cast of Up With People (then known as Sing Out '66) made to Nashville. They took Nashville literally by storm (the city was struck by at least 3 major snowstorms during their stay). Yet hundreds of area college and high school students were so excited they started the local Sing-Out South cast in response to the visit, and, over the next few years dozens, joined Up With People and toured the nation and the world.

And so, may the magic continue Saturday night!
     

Here's What It's Really All About

While our Saturday evening (7 p.m.), June 23rd show at the John Trotwood Middle School Auditorium will help us celebrate the lives and music of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen (seen above), it's about something else too.

All donations (above the $10 admission price) will go to a scholarship fund to help pay for young people (hopefully, including some from the Nashville area) to travel with Up With People. Want to know more or how to donate directly, watch this YouTube video below, then come to the show.

http://youtu.be/xJAEq9T4fSY


Tickets are available on line at

http://www.eventinterface.com/UWPNashville

The story of the Colwell Brothers and Herb Allen entitled "A SONG FOR THE WORLD" by Frank McGee, will also be available by pre-order at the show.  The costs are $15.00 for a soft cover copy, $17.50 for a hard copy and $20.00 for the deluxe edition. 10% of book sales go  to support the Up With People  Alumni Association.   

 

An SOS Original Cast Member Has Passed Away

Larry Emsweller, a well known, longtime Nashville broadcast executive/business consultant and one of the members of the original cast of Sing-Out South has passed away.

Acccording to the information I have received he died in his sleep overnight between Friday evening and Saturday  morning. No cause of death has been announced but it is believed to be heart related. His funeral arrangements are to be handled by the Marshall Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home. His death notice has not yet appeared in the local papers.

Larry became a part of Sing-Out South while he was a student at John Overton High School. He was a member of the original Task Force groups of Sing-Out South which performed our earliest shows, including an impromptu one for Senator Albert Gore, Sr. at the old Sky Chef restaurant near the old Nashville airport.

Larry and his wife Margaret lived in the Franklin area. According to information on his LinkedIn page, he had a wide and varied career in the media and communications, including being a television news reporter in Nashville as well as being station manager for WSMV-TV, Channel 4 in Nashville for nearly a decade (1988-1997). He was also briefly Director of Program Development for Meredith Corporation which owns Channel 4. Back in the 1980s, Larry worked for Group W Broadcasting as Senior Program Consultant and Senior Coordinating Producer in Group W's National Office.

After leaving broadcasting, Larry owned and operated his own his own communications firms (LCE GROUP, LLC and Emsweller Marketing Strategies) where he took his talents and longtime experience to provide local businesses and business executives with marketing, media, crisis communication and advertising services, especially in the emerging area of  internet marketing. In his final years, Larry founded Christian Stewardship Consultants to help assist Christain Churches with the development of time, talent and treasure initiatives in their local religious communities.

Larry attended Aquinas College in Nashville and holds a MBA degree from the University of Tenneessee, after earlier receiving an undergraduate degree from UT-Nashville in Psychology/Business.

One of the many tributes being left to Larry on his Facebook page, includes this one from his fellow Sing-Out South castmate and Overton High schoolmate, Lyn Neal Walker. She wrote:

"He had a wonderful smile that just lit up the room. Even a young boy, he was a joy to be around. Prayers to his family and friends."

Amen. May he rest in peace. I will post more information about vistation and funeral arrangements for Larry as I learn them.