The composer, John Phillip Sousa, the March King, leader of the Marine Band, and top of the hit parade from the late 1800's into the 1920's had an interesting quirk.
Not just a band leader and creator of such rousing marches as "The Stars and Stripes Forever," Souza was a novelist, a world-class trapshooter, and a horseman of some renown, as well as a Freemason. He had perfect pitch, and while he favored the violin, could play all the wind instruments in the band, as well as, apparently, most of the brass.
The sousaphone, a bigger version of the tuba that you can wear, was named after him.
According to the story, once he was successful, the man wore white kid gloves whenever he went out in public -- and to make sure they were spotless, he never wore the same pair of gloves twice. At the end of the day, the ones he peeled off were given away or tossed out, and he would don a new pair the next day. Bought them by the gross.
I'm not sure what that means, but I found it interesting ...
Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteMy great-great uncle, who lied about his age to join the navy during WWI, was in the navy band and once had Sousa as a conductor. I wonder if he wore the gloves then.
It means your having a flash back Steve....LOL....hippy lettuce blow back.....LOL
ReplyDeleteGood thing about going through the Sixties is when I start seeing things that aren't there 'cause my brain has shriveled up, it won't matter -- I saw all that stuff before ...
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