DCUK Hall Of Fame Inductees 2017
This year we are extremely pleased to announce that Drum Corps United Kingdom has introduced its own Hall of Fame as a way of honouring the “legends” of the activity ensuring they are remembered for the indelible impressions they have left.
The original vehicle for recognising the great work of individuals and their contributions to the UK Drum Corps activity was the DCUK Fellowship, which began in 1985 and since this time 18 people have been honoured and they have all automatically been inducted into the new Hall of Fame.
New candidates for the Hall of Fame have been nominated and seconded and discussed by the Hall of Fame assessment team and we are proud to announce that the three successful candidates for 2017 are Joe Fitzpatrick, John Johnson and Mark Mayes.
Congratulations to all three of these worthy inductees. Below are extracts from their nominations…
JOE FITZPATRICK
In 1984, when forming The Senators Drum & Bugle Corps, it was always Joes ambition for the Corps to reach a standard that would enable them to become a member and competitive force within DCUK. There can be no doubt that it was his commitment and passion that drove The Senators to achieve this goal just a few years after the Corps was formed and led them to a record 8 DCUK Championship titles and back to back DCE Championship titles in 2007 and 2008.
From an early stage Joe not only led The Senators with absolute commitment but also became active in his support for and the development of DCUK as a valued board member and trustee. Joe took on the role of Vice Chairman of DCUK for a number of years and became Chairman serving in this role for 6 years. He was a major contributor in the formation of MPAUK and in the development of DCUK’s integration with DCE. In recent years Joe been an integral part of the partnership with DCI and the introduction of SoundSport and DrumLine Battle to the UK.
We honour Joe Fitzpatrick by inducting him into the DCUK Hall of Fame, for his unique contribution to its artistic and administrative development, whilst also influencing the interpretation of competitive adjudication.
JOHN JOHNSON
John Johnson was the founder and first Chairman of the Drum Corps activity in the UK.
In the early 1980’s, John had the vision to bring together a small number of like-minded Corps Directors. Some 38 years later, DCUK is still the home of the Drum Corps activity in the UK.
John was the Corps Director of the Dagenham Crusaders, originally founded as the Dagenham Corps of Drums in 1968. The Crusaders were the original DCUK Champions and the first U.K. Corps to visit the USA and take part in the Drum Corps International tours, which they did twice – in 1983 and 1988.
John sadly passed away in 1997, however his memory and legacy live on.
John paved the way for many more Drum Corps to follow. His leadership during the 1980’s, both as Chairman and a Board Member, set DCUK on a sound footing for its future.
We honour John Johnson by inducting him into the DCUK Hall of Fame, for his vision, leadership and founding of the Drum Corps activity in the UK.
MARK MAYES
Mark began his career in the Drum corps/Marching Band activity at a very young age and by the time he was 14 he had already been crowned as a Champion Drum Major. Mark very quickly moved into pivotal roles within the Basildon Blue Eagles where he designed and created renowned shows for both the Winter Guard and Drum Corps for the Eagles.
Mark became the show designer, brass/percussion arranger and Director of the Blue Eagles and his creative talents have helped to shape the artistic direction of the drum corps activity during the 1990’s and into the 2000’s and we can still see his influence in the shows performed today.
Mark also taught and wrote visual, brass, percussion and guard shows for numerous groups around the UK. He also judged Drum Corps and Winterguard for DCUK.
In 2009 Mark was also one of the creative forces behind the Dagenham Crusaders Alumni Corps helping to bring this famous Corps back into the Drum Corps activity and filling many fans dreams to be able to see them once again at the British Drum Corps Championships.
Mark is inducted into the Drum Corps United Kingdom Hall of Fame recognising the unique contribution he has made to shape the artistic direction of the Drum Corps activity in the UK.
Presentations will be made at the forthcoming British Drum Corps Championships on Saturday 23rd September and more information regarding the DCUK Hall of Fame can be found at http://www.dcuk.org.uk/about/dchof.html
