My brother Bob Lee and his wife Penny celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago. For the celebration, they decided to present a show.
Bob had been a member of the Young Ambassadors while at BYU. He even toured with them to Europe. He met some fine musicians in that group who later joined him playing in a dance band in college. Then later, while Bob was on his mission in Argentina, he organized a band that traveled and entertained throughout the mission. Penny, also a missionary, was assigned to go with them as the girl singer. Bob did the arrangements, sang, played any instruments needed, and was the master mind. Soon after returning from their missions, they got married.
One of the hopes for the anniversary celebration was to get Bob's dance band back together from college days to do a few numbers. Bob, again, was the mastermind. He did most of the arrangements, sang and played bass, flute, horns and sometimes even piano. Doug Clark was the drummer. Dave Hocking was the guitarist. And I was the token girl singer and played keyboards. Little brother Ben Lee sometimes joined us and sang and played horns. Penny sometimes came along and sang, too. We had a lot of fun as well as earning money to fund our schooling.
Bob had been a member of the Young Ambassadors while at BYU. He even toured with them to Europe. He met some fine musicians in that group who later joined him playing in a dance band in college. Then later, while Bob was on his mission in Argentina, he organized a band that traveled and entertained throughout the mission. Penny, also a missionary, was assigned to go with them as the girl singer. Bob did the arrangements, sang, played any instruments needed, and was the master mind. Soon after returning from their missions, they got married.
One of the hopes for the anniversary celebration was to get Bob's dance band back together from college days to do a few numbers. Bob, again, was the mastermind. He did most of the arrangements, sang and played bass, flute, horns and sometimes even piano. Doug Clark was the drummer. Dave Hocking was the guitarist. And I was the token girl singer and played keyboards. Little brother Ben Lee sometimes joined us and sang and played horns. Penny sometimes came along and sang, too. We had a lot of fun as well as earning money to fund our schooling.
Cornerstone band in the 1970's, Ben, Bob, Doug, Betsy, and Dave. (I held the flute because I couldn't carry my keyboard up the mountain to take the picture. I don't actually play the flute.)
Well, not all of us could come to the 50th wedding. Dave and Ben had some health issues, so they didn't fly to Utah from either coast. But Bob, Doug, and I were there rockin' out to tunes by Chicago, James Taylor, the Carpenters and many others. My talented son Matthew played guitar, and several of Bob's kids and grandkids played horns for the big numbers. It was good to play the old songs again.
We also did a few of our Aunt Janie's songs as a big extended family group: "The United States of America," and "Families to Match the Mountains." My sisters, Barbara and Bonnie, joined me in singing Janie's arrangement of "I Want a Little Bungalow" that we had sung back in 1974 at their wedding reception (Bonnie was just 7 years old!). And then I sang a parody song Janie wrote for Bob and Penny when they got married. The words to the old Ella Fitzgerald song "Makin' Whoopie" were rewritten to tell the story of Bob and Penny's romance in "Gettin' Married."
We also did a few of our Aunt Janie's songs as a big extended family group: "The United States of America," and "Families to Match the Mountains." My sisters, Barbara and Bonnie, joined me in singing Janie's arrangement of "I Want a Little Bungalow" that we had sung back in 1974 at their wedding reception (Bonnie was just 7 years old!). And then I sang a parody song Janie wrote for Bob and Penny when they got married. The words to the old Ella Fitzgerald song "Makin' Whoopie" were rewritten to tell the story of Bob and Penny's romance in "Gettin' Married."
Don't think anyone recorded our efforts at the 50th Anniversary, but just for kicks and giggles, here's a recording we did as Cornerstone in the mid 1970's to advertise our band. This is a Chicago cover "Call on Me."
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