I recognized Pep Foster in this picture, so I sent him a copy and asked, “Who are these people and what are they doing?”
Pep was kind enough to scratch his head a few times and fire back this message:
From left to right (the numbers after the names are class year, not ages):
- Bill Withers 66
- Gary Fisher 66
- Preston ‘Pep’ Foster 64 (age barely 17)
- J. Frank Moore 64
- Ron Anderson 64
From the bulletin board, it would be Dale Williams Choir Room. The 1964 wall calendar says Student Council Talent Show / Hootenanny Spring 1964.
Gary and Pep did a duet of two Kingston Trio Songs. I remember that Bill and Jay and Ron all built Lutes or Guitars with Mr. Bush who lived in the 900 block of Perry Ave.
A few minutes later, Pep sent this amendment: Ken, on further checking, make that “Jay Moore“…a bow to those changes that have come with age. His Facebook is “Jay”. So be it!
I replied, That’s OK. Kenny morphed to Ken as soon as I crossed the Mississippi River headed out of state.
That’s what college is for, a chance to reinvent yourself.
Here’s a gallery of the group and their audience
As always, click on any image to make it bigger, then step through the gallery by clicking on the left and right sides.
Tribute to real folksingers
If you were a Peter, Paul & Mary fan, here’s a tribute I posted when Mary Travers died. I photographed them when they performed at Ohio University the day after Martin Luther King was gunned down in Memphis. They were a class act on stage and off.
Ken,
These lessons [illustrated by your incredible time slices] have been hard learned, and while the scars remain, not easily forgotten:
1) All memory is selective, and edited. [To say Heavily edited would be redactive, but often true.]
2) Hindsight is ever and always 20/20. [It was, I stretch, Mr. Lester Bush who lived on the Northwest corner of Perry Ave and Dunklin St. His basement shop was on the Dunklin St. side of his home, in the garage. Just about 4 doors up Perry from Grandparents Foster at #805 Perry. Mr. Bush helped me refret an antique Banjo Uke in ’66 or ’67 before he gave up the craft due to age and infirmity. Said uke hangs on the wall to my left; take it off the hook and play it still!]
3) “It’s quite true what philosophy says, that life must be understood backwards. But one then forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forwards. A principle which, the more one thinks it through, precisely leads to the conclusion that life in time can never be properly understood, just because no moment can acquire the complete stillness needed to orient oneself backward.”
— Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
Lesson learned: “Take it easy, but take it.” Pete Seeger (celebrated 90th birthday in June, 2009)
I second and echo Bob Hope, “Thanks for the memories.”
Pep
Pep,
Thanks for all your help. In reference to your point #3, a 20-something friend of mine was agonizing on Inaugutation day, “Will my grandchildren hold it against me that I wasn’t in DC today? Yes I think so. I wouldn’t blame them either.”
http://www.palmbeachbiketours.com/obama-what-just-a-few-generations-will-do/
I wrote:
I don’t regret missing the crowds and the cold to experience the swearing-in. I’m sure I saw more on TV than I would have seen in person. The day did get me rooting through old memories, though. Maybe that’s the difference between Mathilde and me: at her age, she’s still charging her memory batteries; I’m draining mine.
Some familiar faces in Photo 2. Based on the people in the audience, this looks like it was a predominately freshman-sophmore class. To the best of my recollection are, from left:
ROW 1–Carol Brady 66, Mary Bray 66, ? Mary Rogers 65, Vicky Seabaugh 66.
ROW 2–Marilyn Maevers 66, Joni Tickel 66, Roseanne Hecht 66, ?, ?
ROW 3–?, Paul Sander 66, ? Steve Crowe 65, Brad Brune 66, ?
ROW 4–?, ?, Phil Lewis 65, Tom Finney 66, Burt Lehmann 66, ?. ?
Way to come through, Bill.
We’ll have to have Pep & Company play you a song of tribute at the reunion next Summer.
Of course, if you screwed up any of the names….
I ought to get some credit for doing it without a yearbook, even if Paul Sander is not Paul Sander!
Thanks so much for these photos they bring back such great memories. We were called the Humdingers. We went around to different classed that day to promote the hootenanny. Ron Anderson was the one Mr. Bush help make a great looking 8 string instrument with a hand carved at the end of the neck. Ron was quite the artiest and still is. I think he still has the instrument. I remember Mr Bush was short tempered and taught me to cuss. Great job Bill on putting names with faces. I didn”t have a clue” I went on to play in a rock show band for about 30 years after this picture was taken. The other guys were much smarter that me by not trying to get into the music business. Thanks for the memories
Jay Moore
Went from J. Moore to Jay because no one knew what the J stood for and I got tired of trying to explain it. It cost me many push ups from drill sargents in the Army.
Just realized the ? next to Brad Brune should be Ron Bedell. Sorry Ron.
I have a guitar that is reported to be handmade by Mr. Bush. My dad has had it for as long I could ever remember. I remember plunking the strings as a kid growing up. And Yes I remember Miss Foster, Miss Cook…
Ken,
A few more identities:
Row #3-Dan Jacobs,Don Evitts (deceased), Steve Black (all class of 67) – these are first 3 from the left.
Row 4 – far right end-Charles Hensley ’67