Bobby Bellarosa - Cadets Hall of Fame

[BklynMario]

Just to let everyone know that "Da Kid" was inducted into The Cadets Hall of Fame this past Sunday. The ceremony was held in the Lexus Lounge at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, NJ, prior to the competition that became an exhibition because of the weather. You cannot imagine how proud I was to accept the honor in Bobby's name. What I had to say was this:

Bobby “Da Kid” Bellarosa

With very few exceptions, no one loved the Holy Name Cadets, the Garfield Cadets, the Cadets of Bergen County, and The Cadets, more than Bobby Bellarosa did. Considering the countless thousands who have worn the uniform, this is a statement that demands evidence.

One of Bobby’s favorite stories was how, in 1949, he joined the Holy Name Cadets— by mistake. When he missed a bus going from New York City to Irvington, to join their Sons of the American Legion corps, he took the next available bus, whose last stop was Garfield. As he exited, he saw a group of kids carrying horn cases. What followed was:

“You guys goin’ to practice?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I wanna join the corps.”

“Oh, okay. Come with us. Hey, you from New York?”

“No. I’m from Brooklyn.”

From then, until he left the corps in 1953, Bobby always got on the right bus for the four-hour round trip from Brooklyn. While it can’t be verified, it’s been said by many that he never missed a practice. On the other hand, Bobby said it was true, so it must have been. You don’t argue with a Golden Gloves boxing finalist.

While with the corps, Bobby won (just an estimate), more than one hundred and fifty medals for his individual French horn performances. And, he was with us in 1950, when they won the American Legion National Junior Championship in Los Angeles. In 1952, he was named Cadet of the Year.

After leaving Holy Name for the Skyliners, Bobby went on to publish his Eastern Review magazine. In a time often characterized as “The Golden Age” of drum and bugle corps, his home grown 12- to 16-page, 25-cent, picture-plentiful, monthly gazette, was abundant with contributions from first tier reporters, instructors, judges, and Bobby’s very own insider gossipy, “Off the Grapevine” column.

“Eclectic” doesn’t begin to characterize Bobby’s ventures. If you were a startup corps that needed horns, drums, flags, rifles, or uniforms, you went to see Bobby. Recordings? Parade jobs? Need music? A drill instructor? A place to practice? Corps jackets? A bus? Talk to Bobby. But you had to speak Brooklyn fast to keep up with him. Much like the song, Bobby had to be—and was— here, there, and everywhere all at the same time.

Bobby’s greatest dream was never fully realized. His Original Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame, though full of every manner of drum corps treasure, was troubled by lack of funding. Nevertheless, he refused to give up on it. Hopefully, the newly announced Drum Corps Heritage Project will fulfill at least a small part of that dream.

Through the years, Bobby shared his talent and selfless contributions to every aspect of our avocation. Not believing that he ever truly deserved it, he refused to be inducted into any hall of fame. Involuntarily, he was named a member of the Brooklyn Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame, and the prestigious Bugler’s Hall of Fame. When asked the reason, Bobby jokingly deflected the query with his best James Cagney tough guy voice, “Wait until I’m dead!” Bobby died last year, just one day short of tonight’s contest. Welcome to The Cadets Hall of Fame, Bobby!

I'd like to thank everyone who helped make this possible. Your words and thought made it easy. While it is a hackneyed expression, I sincerly mean that I could not have done it without you - Bobby also helped. My "mission," if you will, is to make certain that my boss, is inducted into every D&BC HoF. SO far, he's also in the Brooklyn HoF, and the Bugler's HoF (All done INVOLUNTARILY) Please help me make certain this mission is successful. Grazie!

btw About the Lexus Lounge: 3 pretzels, 3 sodas = $43.44. The mustard, straws, and napkins, as well as the tray for the cups, were free.

[bariman50]

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Edited August 16, 2012 by bariman50

[bariman50]

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Edited August 16, 2012 by bariman50