United States Army Band
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1922, the United States Army Band – known as "Pershing's Own" – is the premier musical organization of the United States Army
. Before 2002, the United States Army Band was the only Washington-based military band
to have participated in a theater of foreign combat operations. There are currently eight official performing ensembles in the unit: The United States Army Concert Band, The United States Army Ceremonial Band, The Army Chorus, The Army Blues, The Army Band Downrange, The Army Herald Trumpets, The Army Strings, and The Army Brass Quintet.
John J. Pershing
, Army Chief of Staff
in emulation of European military bands he heard during World War I. In its early years, the band was featured on RCA
, CBS
, the Mutual Broadcasting Network, and other networks. The band also completed four national tours between 1928 and 1931 and was noted for its professionalism during a trip to Spain for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929
.
In June 1943, the United States Army Band was called overseas to perform in North Africa and in Europe during World War II. The band received a campaign streamer
for their efforts during the Rhineland Campaign. This period also saw the band perform with numerous well-known artists and composers, many as part of the very successful Freedom Sings concert series that started in 1950 and continued for several years. Notable musicians included Metropolitan Opera
bass Jerome Hines
, composers Paul Hindemith
and Percy Grainger
, and the pianist duo Whittmore and Lowe. Similarly, several well-known entertainers and recording artists were band members during this period. Eddie Fisher
, Robert Dini, and Steve Lawrence
were very popular during the 1950s, as were harpist Lloyd Lindroth
, future Metropolitan Opera
tenor George Shirley
, and announcer Charles Osgood
.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the United States Army Band continued to perform and serve with distinction. In 1963, the band participated in the state funeral of John F. Kennedy
with Army Band Bugler Keith Clark
performing "Taps
" during final interment at Arlington National Cemetery
. Brucker Hall, the band's training and performance facility, was constructed in the mid-1970s. Also during this era, the Army Blues, the Army Brass Quintet, the Army Chorale (now operating as 'Downrange'), and the Army Brass Band were officially established as regular performing ensembles. An official Coat of Arms and distinctive uniforms were approved to reflect the band's increasing visibility at events of national significance, including the visit of Emperor Hirohito to Alaska
with President Richard Nixon
, the United States Bicentennial
in 1976, the Lake Placid Winter Olympics, the return of hostages during the Iran Hostage Crisis
, the 1982 World's Fair
in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the 1984 Olympic Games
in Los Angeles.
The United States Band has performed in Canada, Japan, and Australia as well as in several of the nation's prominent concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall
, Radio City Music Hall
, and the Guggenheim Band Shell at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Hollywood Bowl
in Los Angeles, and the Hatch Shell
in Boston. In 1984, the band recorded and participated in the filming of Francis Ford Coppola
's movie Gardens of Stone
.
Under the leadership of Colonel L. Bryan Shelburne, leader and commander (1990–2000), the band continued its tradition of excellence with performances at the 1990 Economic Summit in Houston, the Desert Storm Victory Parade in New York City, and Reba McEntire
's Christmas Special in Nashville. Col. Shelburne also led the band in performances in Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey, Nova Scotia
, Scotland, and a concert of International Goodwill with the Soviet Union's Navy Band in Stockholm.
In November 1997, The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" culminated its rich 75-year history with a grand concert at Carnegie Hall
in New York City. Guest artists included Walter Cronkite
, Charles Osgood
, and Metropolitan Opera
stars Roberta Peters
and John Cheek
. In April 2000, Colonel Gary F. Lamb returned to the United States Army Band.
In December 2002, a ten-piece pop group from the band, dubbed "Downrange", accompanied country musician Darryl Worley
, comedian Kathy Griffin
, actress Karri Turner
, pro wrestler Bradshaw
, and two cheerleaders from the Jacksonville Jaguars
to Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Afghanistan as part of a pre-Christmas USO
tour in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was the first time since 1945 that members of the band performed in a theater of foreign operations. Since the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the tour has been repeated annually under the title "Hope and Freedom", with a larger ensemble and additional stops at military positions in Iraq. Other celebrities that have accompanied recent tours include country singer Mark Wills
, comedian Al Franken
, and cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins
.
Colonel Lamb retired in June 2005 and was succeeded by Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr., whose previous assignment was Commander/Conductor of the United States Military Academy Band in West Point, New York.
The United States Army Band is headquartered at Fort Myer
in Arlington, Virginia, and annually hosts the The United States Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference in January and Eastern Trombone Workshop
in March.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Before 2002, the United States Army Band was the only Washington-based military band
United States military bands
There are many military bands in the United States military. Some are assigned to specific military bases or units. There are also bands associated with each of the service academies....
to have participated in a theater of foreign combat operations. There are currently eight official performing ensembles in the unit: The United States Army Concert Band, The United States Army Ceremonial Band, The Army Chorus, The Army Blues, The Army Band Downrange, The Army Herald Trumpets, The Army Strings, and The Army Brass Quintet.
History
The United States Army Band was established on January 25, 1922 by General of the ArmiesGeneral of the Armies
General of the Armies of the United States, or more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest possible officer rank of the United States Army.Only two soldiers have been granted the rank of General of the Armies; John J...
John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
, Army Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
in emulation of European military bands he heard during World War I. In its early years, the band was featured on RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, the Mutual Broadcasting Network, and other networks. The band also completed four national tours between 1928 and 1931 and was noted for its professionalism during a trip to Spain for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929
Ibero-American Exposition of 1929
The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 was a world's fair held in Seville, Spain, from the 9th of May 1929 until the 21st of June 1930. Countries in attendance of the exposition included: Portugal, The United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, the Republic of Colombia, Cuba,...
.
In June 1943, the United States Army Band was called overseas to perform in North Africa and in Europe during World War II. The band received a campaign streamer
Campaign streamer
Campaign streamers are decorations attached to military flags to recognize particular achievements or events of a military unit or service. Attached to the headpiece of the assigned flag, the streamer often is an inscribed ribbon with the name and date denoting participation in a particular battle,...
for their efforts during the Rhineland Campaign. This period also saw the band perform with numerous well-known artists and composers, many as part of the very successful Freedom Sings concert series that started in 1950 and continued for several years. Notable musicians included Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
bass Jerome Hines
Jerome Hines
The American Jerome A. Hines was a basso opera singer who performed at the Metropolitan Opera from 1946 to 1987...
, composers Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
and Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
, and the pianist duo Whittmore and Lowe. Similarly, several well-known entertainers and recording artists were band members during this period. Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
, Robert Dini, and Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence is an American singer and actor, perhaps best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie"...
were very popular during the 1950s, as were harpist Lloyd Lindroth
Lloyd Lindroth
Lloyd Lindroth was an American harpist who was nicknamed "The Liberace of the Harp". He had played for millions of people at the time of his death. A Seattle native, Lindroth began playing at age 14. In 1983, he moved to Nashville, where he would stay until his death, after a bout with pneumonia...
, future Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
tenor George Shirley
George Shirley
George Irving Shirley is a renowned tenor opera singer.He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.-External links:*** by Bruce Duffie...
, and announcer Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood is a radio and television commentator in the United States. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book...
.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the United States Army Band continued to perform and serve with distinction. In 1963, the band participated in the state funeral of John F. Kennedy
State funeral of John F. Kennedy
The state funeral of John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, DC during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas....
with Army Band Bugler Keith Clark
Keith Clark
Keith L. Clark is a Professor of Computer Science at Imperial College London, England. He has lectured in both mathematics and computer science. Since 1979 he has had a tenured position in the Department of Computing, Imperial College London, where he has been Professor of Computational Logic...
performing "Taps
Taps
"Taps" is a musical piece sounded by the U.S. military nightly to indicate that it is "lights out". The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfields Lullaby", or by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done". It is also played during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet...
" during final interment at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. Brucker Hall, the band's training and performance facility, was constructed in the mid-1970s. Also during this era, the Army Blues, the Army Brass Quintet, the Army Chorale (now operating as 'Downrange'), and the Army Brass Band were officially established as regular performing ensembles. An official Coat of Arms and distinctive uniforms were approved to reflect the band's increasing visibility at events of national significance, including the visit of Emperor Hirohito to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
with President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
in 1976, the Lake Placid Winter Olympics, the return of hostages during the Iran Hostage Crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
, the 1982 World's Fair
1982 World's Fair
The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."...
in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the 1984 Olympic Games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles.
The United States Band has performed in Canada, Japan, and Australia as well as in several of the nation's prominent concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, and the Guggenheim Band Shell at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
in Los Angeles, and the Hatch Shell
Hatch Shell
The Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell is an outdoor concert venue adjacent to the Charles River Esplanade near downtown Boston....
in Boston. In 1984, the band recorded and participated in the filming of Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's movie Gardens of Stone
Gardens of Stone
Gardens of Stone is a 1987 film by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel of the same title by Nicholas Proffitt.A drama, it stars James Caan, Anjelica Huston, James Earl Jones and D. B. Sweeney.-Plot:...
.
Under the leadership of Colonel L. Bryan Shelburne, leader and commander (1990–2000), the band continued its tradition of excellence with performances at the 1990 Economic Summit in Houston, the Desert Storm Victory Parade in New York City, and Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
's Christmas Special in Nashville. Col. Shelburne also led the band in performances in Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Scotland, and a concert of International Goodwill with the Soviet Union's Navy Band in Stockholm.
In November 1997, The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" culminated its rich 75-year history with a grand concert at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York City. Guest artists included Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
, Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood is a radio and television commentator in the United States. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book...
, and Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
stars Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters is an American coloratura soprano.One of the most prominent American singers to achieve lasting fame and success in opera, Peters is noted for her 35-year association with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York...
and John Cheek
John Cheek
John William Cheek, CBE was an Australian politician, who was an Independent member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council representing the electoral district of Westmorland on two occasions from 1907 to 1913, and then from 1919 until his death in 1942.Cheek was made a Commander of the Order of the...
. In April 2000, Colonel Gary F. Lamb returned to the United States Army Band.
In December 2002, a ten-piece pop group from the band, dubbed "Downrange", accompanied country musician Darryl Worley
Darryl Worley
Darryl Wade Worley is an American country music artist. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2000, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last , I Miss My Friend , Have You Forgotten? , and Darryl Worley in 2004...
, comedian Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin
Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedienne, television personality, New York Times best-selling author and an LGBT rights advocate. Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom...
, actress Karri Turner
Karri Turner
Karri Kathleen Turner is an American television actress who is best known for playing Lieutenant Harriet Sims on the television series JAG .Turner was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and raised in Bentonville, Arkansas...
, pro wrestler Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
, and two cheerleaders from the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Afghanistan as part of a pre-Christmas USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
tour in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was the first time since 1945 that members of the band performed in a theater of foreign operations. Since the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the tour has been repeated annually under the title "Hope and Freedom", with a larger ensemble and additional stops at military positions in Iraq. Other celebrities that have accompanied recent tours include country singer Mark Wills
Mark Wills
Daryl Mark Williams is an American country music artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute and And the Crowd Goes Wild — as well...
, comedian Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
, and cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Colonel Lamb retired in June 2005 and was succeeded by Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr., whose previous assignment was Commander/Conductor of the United States Military Academy Band in West Point, New York.
The United States Army Band is headquartered at Fort Myer
Fort Myer
Fort Myer is a U.S. Army post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. It is a small post by U.S...
in Arlington, Virginia, and annually hosts the The United States Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference in January and Eastern Trombone Workshop
Eastern Trombone Workshop
The Eastern Trombone Workshop has become one of the largest annual events for trombone in the world. The workshop’s mission is to give students, performers, and educators an opportunity to meet and share ideas, talents, and opinions about the world of trombone. ETW regularly hosts participants...
in March.
Leaders
| Date | Portrait | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1922 | Warrant Officer Francis Leigh | |
| 1923–1935 | Warrant Officer William J. Stannard | |
| 1935–1946 | CPT Thomas F. Darcy | |
| 1946–1964 | LT COL Hugh J. Curry | |
| 1964–1976 | COL Samuel R. Loboda | |
| 1976–1990 | COL Eugene W. Allen | |
| 1990–2000 | COL L. Bryan Shelburne, Jr. | |
| 2000–2005 | COL Gary F. Lamb | |
| 2005–2011 | COL Thomas Rotondi, Jr. | |
| 2011-present | COL Thomas H. Palmatier |
Lineage
- Organized January 22, 1922 at Fort Hunt, Virginia, as The Army Band
- Discontinued January 31, 1948 at Fort MyerFort MyerFort Myer is a U.S. Army post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. It is a small post by U.S...
, Virginia - Re-constituted August 17, 1949 in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with the United States Army Band (active) (constituted January 8, 1948 in the Regular Army; activated January 31,1948 at Fort Myer, Virginia) and consolidated unit designated as The United States Army Band.
Decorations
- Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit CommendationThe Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
(Army) for WASHINGTON, DC 1969–1971 - Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for WASHINGTON, DC 1971–1973
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1987
- Army Superior Unit Award for 1992–1993