Last known photo of Finleyville Royal Crusaders

[jeff danchik]

From the annals of obscure W. PA drumcorps history

Hm.... I think Jeff's right about the chronology. It had to be summer 82. Spring 81 I joined RC and got to play with Dougie Jefferson for a while-now he was an amazing player. (Wonder whatever happened to him?) I learned so much from just playing next to him for a few weeks. (Mainly that I sucked, lol!) Anyhow, I was in Jeff's attempt to revive the corps, and after that was done, we had some folks left-basically friends with nothing to do for the summer of 82. So the RC Cadets did a bunch of local parades the summer of 82. The drumline was reasonable in a class a kind of way-we played old Finleyville cadences, but I think the brass was troubled. Come to think of it, I think we did have some sort of small color guard-I recall a guy named Greg Blasich (?) was the instructor who may have also marched. Me, him and Spicher had gone to DCI Montreal in 81 on a road trip.

I remember it being 82 b/c that was the year before I joined GBV. A number of RC cadets (Paul Devlin, Mary Jane Hanula, etc.,) ended up at Vagabonds and marched 83-85. After the end of RC Cadets in summer 82, Spicher retired as far as I can tell, Mike Gionfriddo the other tenor ended-up at Ohio Brass Factory along with George Cunic, who ran the RC Cadets. I'm not sure how, but I knew Paul (G) before I was in Vagabonds. BTW: We did have the RC tops as well, but rarely wore them b/c we were so small and didn't want to ruin the RC mysique with bad performances-the blue shirts were kmart blue light specials. George drove us about in an old RC school bus that was eventually sold after 82.

That's funny about Lee Kumer-I hadn't heard that name in years. I marched with her daughter Michelene (Golden Girls) at Pitt. Now I have a fiat spider-but in blue, lol.

That bus is still in a yard off the road to Rogers Ohio with a bunch of weeds around it

[steelcityrabbit]

Hm.... I think Jeff's right about the chronology. It had to be summer 82. Spring 81 I joined RC and got to play with Dougie Jefferson for a while-now he was an amazing player. (Wonder whatever happened to him?) I learned so much from just playing next to him for a few weeks. (Mainly that I sucked, lol!) Anyhow, I was in Jeff's attempt to revive the corps, and after that was done, we had some folks left-basically friends with nothing to do for the summer of 82. So the RC Cadets did a bunch of local parades the summer of 82. The drumline was reasonable in a class a kind of way-we played old Finleyville cadences, but I think the brass was troubled.

I remember it being 82 b/c that was the year before I joined GBV. A number of RC cadets (Paul Devlin, Mary Jane Hanula, etc.,) ended up at Vagabonds and marched 83-85. After the end of RC Cadets in summer 82, Spicher retired as far as I can tell, Mike Gionfriddo the other tenor ended-up at Ohio Brass Factory along with George Cunic, who ran the RC Cadets. I'm not sure how, but I knew Paul (G) before I was in Vagabonds. BTW: We did have the RC tops as well, but rarely wore them b/c we were so small and didn't want to ruin the RC mysique with bad performances-the blue shirts were kmart blue light specials. George drove us about in an old RC school bus that was eventually sold after 82.

That's funny about Lee Kumer-I hadn't heard that name in years. I marched with her daughter Michelene (Golden Girls) at Pitt. Now I have a fiat spider-but in blue, lol.

Wow! There's some old names. Doug Jefferson last I knew was a was a band director in Ohio, by Stuebenville. We did a rehearsal with Steel City there late 80's. He also taught Steel a bit. mary Jane, if that's the same one who later came to Steel with the Beatty's, boy, do I have a story. My brother always told me how Mike carnahan and him would just torture her in GBV. George Cunic, I think he was there in Saxonburg, driving the bus. Michelene would be the same girl as I mentioned before, just got the spelling wrong. Of course she is also the daughter of DCI HOFer Mike Kummer, Dean of Music, Dusquene and former DCI telecast colorman.

[steelcityrabbit]

That bus is still in a yard off the road to Rogers Ohio with a bunch of weeds around it

Next time to the flea mart, I'll have to find it and take a picture. I also need to get around to taking a picture of the Schaumburg Guardsmen bus in a junk yard in Butler.

We could start a webpage of old DC buses rusting away. I used to have a website that had old muscle cars rusting away like that.

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

Wow! Michelene and Bugger!

Yeah, that's the same Mary Jane. Paul did torture her. Nothing too bad though.... She played quads in 83 and moved to pit the next year where she got to be pretty good.

I'm scanning some pics tonight... Hopefully will post them in awhile.

Next time to the flea mart, I'll have to find it and take a picture. I also need to get around to taking a picture of the Schaumburg Guardsmen bus in a junk yard in Butler.

We could start a webpage of old DC buses rusting away. I used to have a website that had old muscle cars rusting away like that.

[Spartans87]

Of course, being from Pittsburgh, having friends that marched in RC back in the day (Ken Kerr, Buddy Salvetti), I was at several practices for I think the failed '82 attempt or '81 as I don't remember, was ALL OVER this thread when I saw it! I never march in a parade or field show with RC unfortunately. When I realized nothing was going to happen beyond a parade or two, I moved on in my drum corps life.

One thing I wanted to post was regarding the A Chorus Line reference someone made earlier. I graduated from South Park, and in my freshmen year, we won PFCJ Class A championships playing A Chorus Line. I had always heard about the RC show, and wondered if we played similar arrangements, due to having a few RC ties.

High school band was a big deal in the 'burgh back then, and I hope it still is today. I just thought I would share my little piece of Finleyville (and I think we practiced in Clairton when I was there), and how I looked up to those folks for many years!

Spartans '87

The Foundation Year

[steelcityrabbit]

Wow! Michelene and Bugger!

Yeah, that's the same Mary Jane. Paul did torture her. Nothing too bad though.... She played quads in 83 and moved to pit the next year where she got to be pretty good.

I'm scanning some pics tonight... Hopefully will post them in awhile.

She was a nice girl, I found out she had a crush on my brother. We'll just keep it at that.

[steelcityrabbit]

Of course, being from Pittsburgh, having friends that marched in RC back in the day (Ken Kerr, Buddy Salvetti), I was at several practices for I think the failed '82 attempt or '81 as I don't remember, was ALL OVER this thread when I saw it! I never march in a parade or field show with RC unfortunately. When I realized nothing was going to happen beyond a parade or two, I moved on in my drum corps life.

One thing I wanted to post was regarding the A Chorus Line reference someone made earlier. I graduated from South Park, and in my freshmen year, we won PFCJ Class A championships playing A Chorus Line. I had always heard about the RC show, and wondered if we played similar arrangements, due to having a few RC ties.

High school band was a big deal in the 'burgh back then, and I hope it still is today. I just thought I would share my little piece of Finleyville (and I think we practiced in Clairton when I was there), and how I looked up to those folks for many years!

Spartans '87

The Foundation Year

Another few names from the past. Here's a little history on Buddy Salvetti. He marched with 27th in 1980 and did the whole olympics thing that winter. He then joined the USMC and was stationed with me at 29 Palms D&B. He married a female marine contra player named Shira(sp) Wilkey. She was the 1st ever female in the D&B at 29 Palms. He played drums in a local rock band in town. He was always in a practice room playing. Never saw him without sticks. He went to P.I.T. in Los Angeles and then went onto a professional studio career. He has appeared on many albums over the years.

Ken Kerr is playing lead sop fpr the Reading Buccaneers this summer.

As far as the Chorus Line, good chance that Pete Spadaro wrote both arrangements. He wrote for a lot of schools.

[Spartans87]

Dude, you are a wealth of info! The last time I saw Buddy, he was home on leave from the USMC (must have been '82-'83), and I was in his basement with Dave Campbell listening to him play every #### note from the '80 2-7 show. He was a freak!

I went to high school with Ken and his sisters. Glad to hear he is still playing. Wish I could get to Rochester to root him on this weekend!

Thanks for the response.

Mike

Spartans '87

The Foundation Year

[steelcityrabbit]

Dude, you are a wealth of info! The last time I saw Buddy, he was home on leave from the USMC (must have been '82-'83), and I was in his basement with Dave Campbell listening to him play every #### note from the '80 2-7 show. He was a freak!

I went to high school with Ken and his sisters. Glad to hear he is still playing. Wish I could get to Rochester to root him on this weekend!

Thanks for the response.

Mike

Spartans '87

The Foundation Year

Here's another tidbit on Buddy. He was into some religious thing called "Eckonkar" (sp) There was another snare in the USMC D&B who played tenors in Blue Devils 1980 and they both were way into it. The funny thing is years later when I met my wife and discovered she to was into it,(her parents were also) she was blown away that I had even heard of it. I am glad to say she now is a pretty darn good christian.

[Rocketman]

FYI:

Ek Onkar means "God is One." The symbol is an emblem of the Sikh religion and is found on Gurdwaras (Sikh temples). The symbol is derived from the Sanskrit OM, as written in the Gurumukhi script. Ek Onkar means "God is one," and relates to the Sikh belief in the unity of God.

Ek Onkar is the beginning of the Sikh Mool mantra, and the first phrase in the Sikh Holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib:

There is but one God. Truth by name, the creator, all-pervading spirit, without fear, without enmity. Whose existence is unaffected by time, who does not take birth, self-existent, who is to be realised through his grace.

The internet is a wonderful thing - sometimes.