VU Class of 1973 35th Reunion--Day 2

Photo courtesy of John Russell, Vanderbilt University
Well, despite our highest hopes and expectations, the football thing didn't go very well Saturday afternoon. Dudley Field was again a dud for Homecoming.

But that didn't stop the VU Centennial Class from throughly enjoying a wonderful Day 2 of our Reunion weekend, which began with a morning brunch at the home of Wendy and Buzz Martin.

It gave everyone a chance to visit again, including seeing some folks who had not made it in Friday for the educational classes and the Class Party. For me that included Dan Brown, who when we were freshman worked together (he was the D.J, I was the newsman) on a Noon to 2 shift at WRVU Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

It was the first time I had seen Dan in some years and we laughed about the time, he left the studio and came running down the stairs at Neely to the second floor landing to get a soft drink. I was there too. But Dan in his haste, let the door leading back up to the studio slam behind him (and it locked!).

Needless to say when the record Dan had on the air, ended, we were basically off the air (dead air we called it),until Mary Bristow, the station's business manager, came in about an hour later (she had a key).

All kinds of long-ago stories were being told at the brunch as folks brought photo albums, yearbooks and even our freshman annual (I think most people called it the pig book). It was fun poking through all the stuff and recognizing each other.

After that, it was on to the Homecoming tailgate and then the game.

While we were all hoping to celebrate a bowl-qualifying victory after the game, there is nothing quite like a fried chicken dinner at Loveless (including all the other trimmings, such as those wonderful biscuits, homemade preserves,country ham, mashed potatoes and green beans)to put the real comfort in comfort food.

Kacky Fell along with David and Anne Walker, enjoy good food and an evening with good friends at Loveless.

Mark Esterle re-unites with fellow Class of '73 members Charlie Burnett and Susan Fritts Burnett at dinner at Loveless

Ellen Brooks, Tina Fast & Linda Henderson at Loveless.

Randy and Carol Lang Matz

John Holland and his wife Lori

The Loveless dinner was not an "official" Reunion event. Neither was the brunch at Kacky Fell's held Sunday morning before everyone went their separate ways until we meet again for our 40th Class Reunion in 2013 (although hopefully I will see most of these folks long before that).

This 35th Reunion was a lot of fun for me, especially doing this blog. But, it's not the parties, the brunches, the educational sessions, or the football game (of course), that make it all so memorable. It's seeing and being with all the folks above and all the other former classmates I visited with this past weekend, which makes this such a special event.

And so our Reunion is history. I may well be posting a few more things in the next few days. There ar stories and items I didn't get to in the months and weeks leading up to our event.

I hope you'll check back. But if not, it's really been a lot of fun. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog as much I did producing it!

Oh What A Night!

With Vanderbilt's new Chancellor Nick Zeppos joining us, over 200 members of the Centennial Class of 1973, their spouses and significant others, celebrated a wonderful Reunion evening at the new Student Life Center on Friday evening, October 24.

The Class Party had plenty of good times for all. But more than the wonderful food and great '60s and '70s music provided by a DJ, what most folks really seemed to relish the most was just the chance to see old friends again, some for the first time in many years.

Jim Lober returns to campus to catch up with former classmates

Of course, a little liquid refreshment helped the evening along, as did the slide show of old pictures that flashed high on the wall near the front of the ballroom....

Barry Banker was seen often during the evening with a broad grin on his face and why not. He headed up a fund raising effort that saw the Class raise a record $2.8 million for the University. He and Class Reunion Chair, John Stein, did a fabulous job, as did all the others who helped plan the party.

The Centennial Class 35th Reunion--Day One

What a great first day!

The rain stopped and the sun even came out for a while.

But the true highlight of the afternoon came when Vice Chancellor David Williams delivered his "History of Motown" presentation to the Class of '73 and other alumni classes making their reunion return to Vanderbilt this weekend.

Williams grew up in Detroit in the same neighborhood where Motown was located. He knew many of the people involved in developing this famous American musical institution. So many of the stories he told had such deep personal insights, it really made the history come to life. And of course, the Motown music he played was fabulous and had many in the crowd singing and moving with the beat.

David Williams is a true renaissance man. Not only is he Vice Chancellor, but he also acts as University Counsel and Vanderbilt's de-facto Athletic Director. It is no mistake that under his leadership Vanderbilt is enjoying a period of success almost unparalleled in its history on the playing fields, and in how its athletes perform in the classroom and in university life.

But the surprise to me about his presentation was his own life-long love of music. He performed and even majored in the subject for a while in college. While doing that, he was encouraged by a friend to come join a new singing group that soon was recording with Motown and acting as the lead act for The Jackson 5 on the road.

That group was The Commodores! Here, courtesy of You Tube, are The Commodores performing one of their biggest hits (I think it was a hit while we were in school and played for years at almost every frat party you attended):"Brick House."

You can tell Vice Chancellor Williams truly loves his subject matter when it comes to Motown. When you think he was almost a member of the Commodores and is now Vanderbilt's Athletic Director, I guess you can say, one way or the other, he was always destined to be a Commodore.

Go Vandy!

My Favorite Concert--The Fifth Dimension

We've written a lot on this blog about the various concerts we enjoyed while we were students at Vanderbilt.

But my personal favorite is one I attended off-campus downtown at Municipal Auditorium. It was in the spring of 1972 and the group performing was the fabulous Fifth Dimension.

Why it is my favorite? That's easy. While I really like the Fifth Dimension,the concert is my favorite because it was the first date I had with my future wife, Betty Lee Love, also a member of the Class of '73. In fact, I still have one of the ticket stubs from that night in my keepsake drawer.

Actually, the Fifth Dimension concert was my second attempt to take out Betty Lee. She turned me down when I asked the first time (to see a Barbara Streisand movie) because she already had a date that night. I learned later she was very unhappy she had to turn me down, so she was hoping I would ask again.

So, courtesy of YouTube, here's the group that brought us together over 36 years ago, singing a medley of several of their hit songs from the late '60s and early '70s....

The Centennial Class Returns!

It's Reunion Weekend!

Welcome back, Class of 1973!

Sure, we are off to a soggy start, but the forecast is for better weather this afternoon with rain slowly ending, then dry conditions for our Class Party tonight and sunny skies for the Brunch and Homecoming Game Saturday afternoon.

I'm sure you recognize the two fellows in the picture above: Deans K.C. Potter and James Sandlin.

If you spent too much time with these guys while you were at Vandy, it probably wasn't a good thing (although you could often hang out with K.C. at Rotier's and have a good time).

We're going to continue to blog throughout Reunion weekend. If there's a topic or something you want to talk about or reminisce, leave a comment or find me at one of the Reunion events. We may also be adding some current photos from the Reunion festivities themselves.

But mostly we are just going to have a great time!

See you later today (Friday).

One More Motown!

I hope this can hold us until tomorrow afternoon.

As we wait for our "History of Motown" lesson from Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor David Williams at 4:00 PM Friday in the Board of Trust Room at the new Student Life Center, how about some music from another Motown super group:

Gladys Knight And The Pips, with their smash hit: "I Heard Through The Grapevine" from 1971:

Or how about this song from the year we graduated from Vanderbilt
(1973): "The Midnight Train to Georgia:"

Until tomorrow at 4:00 PM. It's going to be a great program and a great way to kick off our Reunion Weekend!

Our Concerts 19691973: Volume VI & VII

Bread.

They were one of the top rock groups of the early 1970s and they came to Vanderbilt to perform at Memorial Gym while we were on campus. I went to the show, but I can't remember exactly what year or semester it was. Can you? I am pretty sure it was either sophomore or junior year, but my memory is fuzzy about that.

What I do recall is that I thought it was a great concert, and how neat it was to see, in person, a group whose songs we played all the time on WRVU.

Here, courtesy of You Tube, are a couple of their top hits, beginning with "If":

And here's "Make It With You" featuring lead singer David Gate...


Another concert I remember is when Joan Baez came to school, again to perform at Memorial Gym. I think it was during our senior year. It was another show I thoughly enjoyed.

With a look back, courtesy of YouTube, here's her big pop hit, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"....

And how about another one of her hit songs: "Diamonds and Rust:"