Tribute to Bill Gamble on his 95th Birthday

 We always light a memory candle on the birthday of loved ones who are now gone.  We want to remember their life, not their death. 

I have been thinking of Alan's dad, Bill Gamble, a lot recently because we attended all three days of  the Johnson City Jazz Festival at the Carnegie Hotel.  Bill Perkins brought in an amazing series of incredible performers.  Throughout the performances, I kept thinking about how Bill would have loved that jazz is still very alive and well in the Tri-Cities.  

Most of you may not know that Bill was not only a jazz performer, but also a patron.  He founded the Jazz at the Fine Arts Center (JATFAC) series in Kingsport during the early '70's, bringing in world-famous artists.  He was able to feature such notables as Billy Taylor, Buddy Rich, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.  Among the memorabilia we ended up with after Bill's death, was a collection of things from those days.  We plan to give them to the Kingsport Archives, if they want them.

 Besides bringing in famous artists, he was always cultivating and featuring outstanding local musicians.  Bill put together a brief chronology of JATFAC, where he said that "JATFAC has served as a training ground for young orchestra leaders and students."  He listed several notable examples, one of whom was Rick Simerly, who was the featured artist at last night's Johnson City Jazz Festival. 

Bill's ebullient personality came through as a performer.  He played clarinet, saxophone, and flute beautifully. His band "After Six" was a mainstay of the social scene for many years.  He was probably the first in the area to have racial diversity on the bandstand.  He wanted the best, and the best is who he would hire. (Alan's first drum teacher was a history teacher at the black high school.)

Because he was raised in the '40's, Bill had a great love of the big band sound.  For several years, Kingsport had a Triangle Jazz Festival.  Bill was delighted to be able to play sax with the big band at those performances.

For his efforts on behalf of the arts, Bill received many awards and accolades. But I think he would be happiest to be remembered as someone who took great pleasure in bringing the joy of jazz into the hearts of the people of the Tri-Cities area.