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DU82
10-21-2017, 04:55 PM
I don’t have any more details, but it was announced at today’s football game that Jim “Coach” Henry, DUMB director from 1960 to 1985, died this week.

Coach was responsible for creating the college basketball pep band at Duke, one of the first ones (if not THE first) in the country. He also guided Duke from a scramble band to a traditional marching band in the late ‘70s (with a lot of pushing from the Iron Dukes.)

God speed Coach, and I hope there’s plenty of majorettes wherever you are.

sagegrouse
10-21-2017, 04:59 PM
I don’t have any more details, but it was announced at today’s football game that Jim “Coach” Henry, DUMB director from 1960 to 1985, died this week.

Coach was responsible for creating the college basketball pep band at Duke, one of the first ones (if not THE first) in the country. He also guided Duke from a scramble band to a traditional marching band in the late ‘70s (with a lot of pushing from the Iron Dukes.)

God speed Coach, and I hope there’s plenty of majorettes wherever you are.

sorry to hear about Jim Henry.

Yep -- the pep band was an early creation, but I believe UCLA had one first.

Tappan Zee Devil
10-22-2017, 12:38 AM
I don’t have any more details, but it was announced at today’s football game that Jim “Coach” Henry, DUMB director from 1960 to 1985, died this week.

Coach was responsible for creating the college basketball pep band at Duke, one of the first ones (if not THE first) in the country. He also guided Duke from a scramble band to a traditional marching band in the late ‘70s (with a lot of pushing from the Iron Dukes.)

God speed Coach, and I hope there’s plenty of majorettes wherever you are.

I have very fond memories of Mr Henry from my years in DUMB and the pep band (66-70), including (among others) a pep rally we held during intermission at the Gayety Theatre (think Burlesque, actually think strip joint) in Baltimore on the Friday night before playing Navy.


May light perpetual shine upon him, and in the mercy of God may he rest in peace.

NYBri
10-22-2017, 07:15 AM
Damn.

So sorry to hear about this.

Jim was not only DUMB leader, but he also would lead the Hoof ‘n’ Horn orchestra for the big spring productions. I directed three of those shows in the early 70s and worked very closely with Jim.

He was a fabulous human being.

RIP, Jim.

Atldukie79
10-22-2017, 08:33 AM
So sorry to hear the news.

I loved being a part of DUMB and Jim Henry was the perfect leader for that group. He could joke around and have fun with the students. He had a loose leash on a group of largely non-music majors enjoying the college experience.

My Duke experience was much better because of Jim.

RIP

grossbus
10-22-2017, 08:45 AM
I was on that first pep band and it was indeed modeled after what UCLA had done. Mr Henry ( he never responded to me when called Jim) was indeed a great guy. My memories of Duke are filled with him and DUMB.

sagegrouse
10-22-2017, 01:34 PM
I was on that first pep band and it was indeed modeled after what UCLA had done. Mr Henry ( he never responded to me when called Jim) was indeed a great guy. My memories of Duke are filled with him and DUMB.

Did you guys ever travel, like to NCAA tournament games? I seem to remember the first season as being 1963-64. Did you go to KC?

BandAlum83
10-23-2017, 10:26 AM
RIP, Mr. Henry. Your openness to take in a snare drummer who didn't even have a High School football team, let alone a marching band, as a Sophomore "walk on" made my Duke years more than memorable.

Being a drummer on the first row under the basket (when we didn't have folding chairs and 100s of paparazzi in front of us) allowed me to lead cheers (yes, drummers were allowed to back then), and see some amazing up-close ACC basketball during what many would say were the Golden Years of ACC Basketball.

I'll never forget, and often tell the story of the road trip the marching band took to Death Valley, Clemson, in 1981 when we silenced the (very gracious) crowd as we were the last team to beat them before they won their 1982 National Championship.

Great memories, great camaraderie, and a tone set from the top by a wonderful, accessible, relatable leader.

grossbus
10-26-2017, 09:32 AM
Did you guys ever travel, like to NCAA tournament games? I seem to remember the first season as being 1963-64. Did you go to KC?

Pep band went to Louisville and KC. I was not on the band at KC, but was there as photog for the Chant.

grossbus
10-26-2017, 08:27 PM
Oh, and the arena in KC was the most poorly lit basketball venue I have ever been in. In addition, the pep band was at the very top of the arena. Very odd.

BandAlum83
10-27-2017, 11:23 AM
I got to enjoy a number of road trips with the marching band, but only the ACC tournament for the Pep band. We didn't make the NCAA my 3 years in the pep band. Sophomore year we would have gone to NY for the NIT, but we lost to Perdue in the final 8. Ironically the same team we lost to in my Freshman year in the elite 8 of the NCAA tourney. We were pre-season #1 that year and pretty sure a #1 seed in the tourney that year (1980)

DU82
10-27-2017, 03:53 PM
I got to enjoy a number of road trips with the marching band, but only the ACC tournament for the Pep band. We didn't make the NCAA my 3 years in the pep band. Sophomore year we would have gone to NY for the NIT, but we lost to Perdue in the final 8. Ironically the same team we lost to in my Freshman year in the elite 8 of the NCAA tourney. We were pre-season #1 that year and pretty sure a #1 seed in the tourney that year (1980)

No, we had slipped to #6 in the ACC, and needed to win the tournament to make the NCAAs. Traveled to Greensboro through ten inches of snow in Southern Coach's oldest bus to get there. In the NCAAs, we traveled to Purdue to play Penn, then to Lexington and beat Kyle Lacy and Kentucky before losing to Joe Barry Carroll and Purdue. (GMan was sick, and had a bucket next to him on the bench to use when needed.)

BandAlum83
10-27-2017, 04:08 PM
No, we had slipped to #6 in the ACC, and needed to win the tournament to make the NCAAs. Traveled to Greensboro through ten inches of snow in Southern Coach's oldest bus to get there. In the NCAAs, we traveled to Purdue to play Penn, then to Lexington and beat Kyle Lacy and Kentucky before losing to Joe Barry Carroll and Purdue. (GMan was sick, and had a bucket next to him on the bench to use when needed.)

A steel trap memory, Jim.

I do remember hearing G-man had his very own bucket at that game.