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The question
keeps coming up... "What was it about Dayton that spawned so many musicians,
and entertainers. To this day it goes on with youngsters like model, and TV
host, Tocarra Jones, musician, Van Hunt,
comedians Maceo Clark, actor, Dejuan Guy, producers, Ronald Nooks III, and Tyreece Jones still
cranking out the hits, and appearing on the silver screens.
Who can forget a legend like Roy
Meriwether. A kid growing up in Dayton View, could on a Thursday afternoon,
sit in an alley off Lexington Ave, and watch the group that brought Dayton
to the table - the Ohio Players, rehearsing for their week-end gig. We could
stand outside the club on Riverview, and listen to Cannonball Addrely put it
down. During the summer, we could go to Island Park and watch Zapp (then
known as The Human Body) in concert for free. so it's not hard to imagine
why so many young Daytonians in the 70's were motivated to become musicians
- but that does not explain what it was that made so many of them good at
it. Even though many of the hoards of Dayton bands never made it big - those
who lived there can attest to the high caliber of entertainment that was
experienced on any given Friday night - at a talent show, or Battle of The
Bands, at any one of the local high schools. So what contributed to the
technical skills that brought the talent forward? I have a theory.
Mr. Spencer was the music and choir teacher at Roosevelt High
School. His counterpart, the band director, was Mr. Sutton The professional
musicians and vocalists that poured through the halls of of these music
programs goes without saying. We learned sight reading and music theory.
Even those Dayton groups that originated at a different school, and did not
study under the Roosevelt Music program usually had at least one person in
the band or group that did. Note I said "We". My band was from Colonel White
- where we studied under Ms. Carrol (who was an excellent teacher as well),
but she did not show up until our Junior year. When we were in our
freshman/sophomore years, Mr. Spencer was so good at his craft, that Brian
Mullberry and Tony Joe White (The Nomads/Lakeside) introduced us to him, and
we paid him to tutor us in music theory and harmony, after school.
If somebody would do one of these 6 Degrees of Separation deals
(ala Kevin Bacon) you would certainly find Mr. Sutton's and Mr. Spencer's
fingerprints on every band out of Dayton.
Hats off to Mr. Spencer and Mr. Sutton who probably
engineered the Dayton Sound from the ground up.
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