He was their teacher, their band director and their mentor. Now he is the president of their alma mater.
They are world-class musicians, working as performers and educators all over the country. On Saturday, May 3, they will return to Lamar University to share the stage with President Jimmy Simmons, who again will lead the alumni all-stars in an evening of spectacular entertainment to celebrate Lamar’s successes.
The Jimmy Simmons & Friends Encore jazz concert will culminate Red, White & You Week across Southeast Texas. The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Montagne Center.
“Any gathering of the stronger players from Jimmy’s tenure as the jazz and saxophone instructor at Lamar will be an event, both musically and as a gathering of friends,” said Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter and performer Don Rollins, a 1983 Lamar graduate who spent 17 years as a band director at East Texas schools. “Watching Lamar University grow and flourish under his presidency is a true pleasure.”
A versatile performer on clarinet, saxophone and piano, Simmons said, “My first love, of course, is music – jazz and teaching – and this gives me an opportunity to get together with some of our top graduates and to again enjoy their wonderful talent. I’m honored so many of our wonderful alumni are returning for this encore performance. They make up quite a band.”
Simmons joined the Lamar faculty in 1970 and, in 1999, became Lamar’s 10th president. His musicians represent more than three decades of musical excellence.
“It’s not only a fun concert. It’s an extraordinarily good concert with amazing talent,” said Juan Zabala, executive director of alumni affairs at Lamar. “It has been a great year for Lamar University, and we want to celebrate the many accomplishments.”
Simmons will lead the ensemble and perform with a veritable who’s who of stellar performers – many of them taught and mentored by Simmons himself. The concert will feature Kurt Killion, Beaumont; Mike Krepper, Memphis, Tenn.; David McArthur and Doug Wright, both of Houston, and Rollins on saxophones; Jeff Laird, Spring; James Marshall, Beaumont; Kevin Stone, Orange; Gary Weldon, Houston; and Michael Westbrook, Lumberton, trumpets; Travis Harris, Denton; Lanny Marshall, Kirbyville; Tim McMillen, Lake Charles, La.; and Donnie Todd, Port Neches, trombones; Jimmy Baas, Harker Heights, and faculty artist Betsy Hines, Beaumont, piano; Chris Coleman, Las Vegas, bass; John Calderon, Houston, guitar and vocals; Billy McQueen, Houston, drums; and Sharon Montgomery, Houston; Mary Donnelly Haskell, Los Angeles; and Dixon Shanks, Lufkin, vocalists.
Behind the scenes, veteran Lamar music professors Wayne Dyess and Raul Ornelas have collaborated with Simmons in selecting and preparing the music and coordinating the musicians.
“I just can’t wait for this reunion. It will be an all-too-rare gathering of old friends and great talent,” said Laird, a Kirbyville High School graduate now director of secondary performing arts for the Aldine school district. Laird earned a bachelor’s degree in 1982 and a master’s in 1984 from Lamar. Both Laird and Rollins are 2008 inductees into Lamar’s Music Hall of Honor.
“How rare is it to find a university president who is completely, totally hip? I wouldn’t miss the chance to be included on a Jimmy Simmons & Friends concert,” said Montgomery, who attended Lamar in the 1970s, starring as Fanny Brice in a Lamar production of “Funny Girl.”
Although she graduated from the University of Mississippi, Haskell attended classes at Lamar while still attending Forest Park High School. A former Miss Mississippi, she parlayed her talents into a successful career as a singer, recording artist and film and television actress.
“My family memories of Jimmy go way back . . . to the 1960s when a new, young band director named Jimmy Simmons also served as advisor to the drill team. I spent many a Friday night watching the band play the Purple Queens onto the field,” Donnelly said.
“My most fond memory (was) being asked to ‘sit in’ with his band whenever I would be home visiting my family,” she said. “It was always sheer joy to pull out some of those old favorites to sing with the band, and Jimmy was always so gracious to include me. That’s why I am so very thrilled to be a part of this year’s Jimmy Simmons & Friends.”
Simmons was Krepper’s band director at Beaumont High as well as Lamar. “Dr. Simmons is the reason for my coming home to perform on the Friends concert,” said Krepper, a veteran performer, recording artist and educator. “I loved Lamar, but he was the reason I was there in the first place. He was and is one of the most important people in my life.”
As guitarist with jazz vocal legend Al Jarreau, Calderon performs all over the world. “It’s always fun to see Jimmy Simmons and all the cats!” said Calderon, a 1998 graduate of Lamar. “I look forward to it with great anticipation. I expect this year’s concert to be no different from the last – a great band and an enthusiastic audience.”
Coleman, a Hebert High School graduate, began his Lamar career as a tuba player in the Big Red Marching band. Switching to bass, he joined Simmons and other Lamar music legends in groups ranging from small ensembles to popular dance orchestras. Since graduating from Lamar in 1981, his career has taken him across the country, including stints as a musician and music director at nightclubs in New Orleans and Las Vegas, where he now works as a freelance musician. “I am so excited and honored to be part of this big event,” he said. “It will be exciting.”
Before enrolling at Lamar, Todd and his twin brother, Ronnie, attended summer band camp under Simmons’ direction. Now in his 14th year as a music educator at Vidor High School Todd earned his bachelor’s degree from Lamar in 1987 and master’s from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
“Once again, it’s time for us to get together with our revered mentor, Jimmy Simmons, for music-making and fun,” Todd said. “He taught us a lot more than just music. I was fortunate to work with him extensively both as a student and young professional. We who experienced Lamar through him agree that his leadership and encouragement helped us not only to launch our careers, but our lives as successful teachers, musicians and human beings.
“It’s also great to be one of a generation of Lamar graduates who have close ties with each other through music,” Todd said. “He has helped us stay in touch with each other and rekindle a sense of pride for having once again been part of something remarkable.”
Weldon has been a professional musician for 40 years, performing on trumpet, flugelhorn and chromatic and blues harmonica with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and in of other venues. “Jimmy Simmons had a tremendous effect on my career,” Weldon said. “He was a great jazz band teacher in college and has been a mentor and friend to me since. I am honored to play at this concert.” He is a 1974 Lamar graduate.
A 1990 Lamar graduate, Harris is director of bands at Gainesville Junior High School and associate director of bands at Gainesville High School, where he directs the Lab Band in performing big-band jazz. He is also a Grammy-nominated freelance musician who has toured nationally with top musical headliners.
“I owe Jimmy (Simmons), Barry (Johnson) and Wayne (Dyess) my life,” said Harris, a graduate of Beaumont West Brook High School. “There is nothing they could ask of me that I wouldn’t try my hardest to fulfill. They gave me numerous chances when I needed them the most. They are my heroes. I’m just happy to be remembered and included in this wonderful event. On top of that, Jimmy has more talent in his little toe than the rest of us have in our entire body, and I’d be a fool not to jump at the chance to play in his band.”
“This is a unique opportunity to share the stage with musicians who live and perform throughout the country while having their musical roots developed and grounded in the Southeast Texas music scene and Lamar University,” said Stone, director of bands for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville school district and director of athletics bands at Lamar. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Lamar in 1990.
McArthur is director of bands at Stratford High School and stays busy on the regional music scene. He graduated from Lamar with a bachelor’s degree in 1980 and a master’s in 1985. “I am looking forward again to playing this event. It was a lot of fun last time, and the band sounded great!” McArthur said. “Jimmy Simmons has influenced a large number of musicians in the last 40-plus years. It is likely that I would not have chosen music as my career without his influence. It is amazing to me that there are a large number of students from my Lamar days who are actively performing. Once again, it should be a great line-up of players.”
Killion, a co-owner of Swicegood Music Co. active on the area music scene, earned a bachelor’s degree from Lamar in 1981 and a master’s in 1986. “I’m truly looking forward to playing with guys I haven’t seen in years,” Killion said. “It will be a great evening of music and a privilege to play with Jimmy and the band.”
Trombonist Marshall is a fourth-grade teacher at Kirbyville Elementary School and active as a performer. He became a full-time student at Lamar after retiring from a 20-year Air Force career, earning his bachelor of music in 1999. Marshall played lead trombone with one of the most prominent military bands, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, the Falconaires, with several albums and many nationwide tours to its credit.
“It’s great to be associated with musicians of the high caliber who are here in East Texas,” Marshall said. “I always look forward to performing with Jimmy Simmons and all the other fine musicians. The first Simmons & Friends concert was a great experience, and I know the second time around will be just as exciting.”
“I’m really looking forward to this concert,” said Westbrook, director of bands for the Hardin-Jefferson school district. “The first one was an absolute blast, and I’m sure it will be even better this time.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Lamar in 1990 and a master of education in administration in 2006.
“I’m honored to be part of this concert,” said Baas, who earned his master of music education from Lamar in 1990. “I will never forget the many hours of hanging out in Dr. Simmons’ office, listening to great jazz and practicing and learning tunes that we would eventually play with our faculty jazz combo.” Baas, originally from Orange, is associate choir director at Ellison High School in the Killeen school district.
The encore results from a Red, White & You performance of Feb. 28, 2005, when many of the alumni musicians gathered to mark the last event in McDonald Gym before its renovation.
“We thought it would be successful, but we had no idea,” Zabala said. “The response we received from the many people who attended and who bought the CDs has been amazing. They have been asking us ever since: ‘When are you going to do this again?’
“People will really enjoy the music. They will enjoy the spectacle.,” Zabala said. “So you should go for the great music. You should go for the pride in Lamar University. You should go for the dancing and the fun. And you should go for a special announcement you’ll hear that night.
“We have never been positioned this well in our history,” Zabala said. “This is the culmination of an amazing few years.”
Table seating on the floor of the center is sold out, but plenty of seats remain on the concourse level, with tickets priced at $10 per person. Lamar University faculty and staff may reserve two seats each at no charge, and LU students will be admitted free with validated identification. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. Dress is casual. To order tickets, call the Lamar Office of Alumni Affairs, phone (409) 880-8921, or visit the office in Building B of the John Gray Center, 855 E. Florida Ave. in Beaumont. Tickets also will be available May 3 at the Montagne Center box office. For additional information, email alumni@lamar.edu or visit www.lamar.edu.
