Spirit of Atlanta's exhibition on the day Jim Ott died

[oldsoprano]

Here's some more background on Spirit's performance that night in Memphis:

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=269738c0-35cd-4d4f-9b0e-f5b4639e7c7f

It was truly a day and night I'll never forget.

[esch]

Wow. What a great gift. I remember that day like it was yesterday.... only I was in California at the time. This is an amazing document of a tragic yet poignant performance for these kids. Thanks for sharing it!

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Thank you for that. I am in tears.

Incredible.

[Mello Dude]

Very cool.

[Tim K]

What a great performance in what must have been a painful time for the corps. The sheer power of that phenomenal Ott horn line between 1978-80 is so iconic and amazing.

So many of the shows of 1980 were great, and at finals less than one point separated first from fourth. Since this was still when the tic system was in place, an error or two by BD, 27th, Bridgemen, or Spirit could have changed everything. I know in the Boston area, we were eagerly awaiting Spirit's first New England appearance that summer and when they did perform, it was riveting but there was also a twinge of sadness in their show and justifiably so. I still feel that way when I watch the DVD of finals that year.

[mcjordansc]

Remarkable. Thanks for sharing. I cannot even imagine the emotional strain on the members that night. The finals show in Birmingham was also an amazing, emotional performance.

[jthomas666]

Many thanks for this.

I'd like to suggest that this be permanently pinned at the top of the Historical Junior Corps board.

Edited September 13, 2012 by jthomas666

[byline]

Wow. Words fail me. Thank you for sharing this, and thank you to Roy Perez for bringing this gem to digital form so that it could be shared. What an extraordinary achievement ... in so many ways. How remarkable that the corps was able to pull itself together to give us this emotional tribute to Jim Ott. Thank you to all involved!

Edited September 12, 2012 by byline

[Northern Thunder]

Thanks for posting! I had interviewed Jim's sister Bonnie the night before the accident. She was a horn instructor for the Americanos, and they were competing in St. Paul, Minnesota that night.

That clip includes the Count Basie chart "The Heat's On", which was dropped at the halfway point in the season.

Funny thing is that PBS used Spirit's "The Heat's On" as background music for their promos for the DCI Championship broadcast that year, but by the time DCI rolled around

Spirit didn't even play it anymore.

[AlanAndreasen]

A heart felt thank you...