Villanova Swings Into Retirement
By MICHAELA BASHAMArticle Photos
WHEELING - He may be "In The Mood" to keep swinging to the sounds of big band music, but Vince Villanova led his final "Moonlight Serenade" at Heritage Port on Wednesday.
After decades of entertaining Ohio Valley residents with jazz and big band-style music, Villanova is retiring at age 82 and passing his drum sticks and conductor's baton to another.
Originally known as the Bob Berry Band, Vince Villanova's Big Band has been entertaining local music lovers with a library of classic swing music for decades. The band has performed at Wheeling's waterfront on many occasions and at OglebayFest each year.
Before joining the Bob Berry Band, Villanova played at Ernie's Esquire every Friday and Saturday night with the Frank Constanzo Trio for about 10 years. In his high school years, he played at Wheeling Park every Saturday with the Niles Carp Band.
Now, after 67 years of playing percussion and roughly 30 years of leading the big band, age is forcing Villanova to retire. He said even with his son helping out at performances, it has become too much for him to carry all the equipment and keep up with the requirements of running a band. Still, he has enjoyed his musical career.
"I'm the happiest guy in the world," Villanova said. "It's been a great experience."
He notes that a percussionist helps to hold a band together musically, providing the beat everyone else follows. Villanova enjoyed the musical connection he had with his band members, but more so he appreciated the personal connection.
One band member, trumpeter Phil Plumby, has known Villanova most of his life. They grew up together, playing concerts on the weekends during high school because they were both too young to enlist in the military during World War II.
"He's a great human being," Plumby said of his best friend and the godfather to his son. "He's just got a good heart."
Seventeen members travel across the tri-state region to play with Villanova's Big Band, many drawn by the classic playbook.
"There's too few of us today that play this kind of music," Plumby said.
Together, these musicians from Washington, Pa., East Liverpool, Follansbee, Bellaire, St. Clairsville and Wheeling have formed a close-knit group that has become a well-recognized sound of the area.
Villanova hopes the band will continue on without him, but if it does members said he will be sorely missed.
Plans are still in the works to find a new leader for the band. Villanova said there are four or five "capable and wonderful people" who could carry on as percussionist, but plans for the band's future have not been finalized.
Villanova played his final set with the band at a Waterfront Wednesday event in Wheeling.
Also at the concert, Wheeling country music legend Doc Williams was presented with an Honorary Lifetime Membership to the area chapter of the American Federation of Musicians, which sponsored the concert in conjunction with the city of Wheeling and JPMorgan Chase. Williams, 94, was a country music staple in the valley for decades, playing with Jamboree USA from 1937-2003. His late wife, Chickie Williams, joined him for many of those performances.
In receiving the award at Heritage Port, Williams noted he could see the Hawley Building, where he first stepped up to the microphone for a radio broadcast seven decades ago.
"It's been wonderful to be able to entertain here ... ," he said of the Friendly City.
|
PCGS701
|
|
|---|---|
|
07-03-08 10:43 AM
|
I went down and watched for about a half hour. Good job.
|
|
CenterWheeling
|
|
|
07-03-08 8:49 AM
|
Another local treasure lost...
|
|
TransplantedMountaineer
|
|
|
07-03-08 6:16 AM
|
I had the pleasure to both watch and play with the man. He will be missed.
|
|
kmd0302
|
|
|
07-03-08 4:28 AM
|
What a man , but foremost what a musician, will be missed by all.
|