On the Town: A reunion of the ‘boys’ from the band
What do film director Tim Burton, “Happy Days” star Anson Williams, Burbank Unified School Board member Charlene Tabet, former Burbank firefighter Rich Dean, and longtime Burbank Leader columnist Joyce Rudolph all have in common?
They were all participants in the Burbank Police Boys (Youth) Band.
More than 50 former members of the musical organization, often affectionately referred to as the “Fuzz Band,” that disbanded in the 1980s, gathered to reminisce, peruse the displayed band uniforms, photos and memorabilia, and once again play together during their fifth biannual reunion held this past Saturday evening at the Elks Lodge.
Founded in 1953 by Burbank resident Ben Porter with help from his wife Mary and Rosemary Glenn, the Burbank Police Boys Band represented the city at numerous local and regional events, including the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Porters and Glenn went to see then-Burbank Police Chief Rex Andrews and asked him what he thought of forming a boys’ band. The chief thought it was a great idea and arranged for some of the officers in his department to help them get the band established.
Supported by the police department, the City Council, which allocated funding for uniforms, and the city’s Park and Recreation Department, the band recruited boys between the ages of 14 and 21 to showcase their musical talent in precision, military-style marching and concert performances.
In the 1970s, the organization also gave young women the opportunity to participate as the band’s color guard and majorettes, changing its name to the Burbank Police Youth Band.
At last week’s reunion, chaired by Joanne Lento Miller, special guests included Bill Kuzma, a former principal at John Muir Middle School who served as the band’s director, and Gerry White, the widow of Morgan White, who was the band’s first director.
Among those who reminisced and caught up with one another at last week’s reunion were Rick Chandler, Scott Chew, Bob Cox, Edna Dean, Kevin Fisher, Cherie Fryman Armstorff, Ruth Grossnickle, Greg and Gina Hartman, Bruce and Dale Hogue, Sherri White Hopper, Tom Huber, Debby and Brian Jones, Ellen Nicholson Kesler, Fred Liberman, Pam Bernstein Malone, Michael Manning, Richard McMillan, Jeanne and Bruce Minniear, Keith Myatt, Jim and Sue Pritchett, Wally Rose, Rob Stirling, Sharon Kuzma Stockman, Sharie Dunn Telles, John Thompson, Larry Vangor, Lila Jordan Webb, Rick Mathison and Kimo Yap, who proved to be the envy of the crowd by showing up wearing his original band uniform.
The evening concluded, as it has at each of the past reunions, with band members taking up their instruments and playing their signature song, “South Rampart Street Parade,” which was arranged especially for the band by trumpeter Art DePew, who played with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra.
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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
