THIS ROZELLE MYSTERY PHOTO has no information on the back, and it isn't even an aerial. Could it be Ozzie's band? The setting appears to be Starlight Bowl. Looks like the same place I played in the 1957 Thearle Piano Festival

This week's photo was taken at the then Ford Bowl in Balboa Park. I believe it is the All City Catholic School Band Concert held at the end of each school year during the forties. I have photos taken in 1946 and 1947 of these concerts. I believe I'm in the third row of trumpets -- Joe Luna ’59

The Rozelle photo looks like the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. I used to play piano recitals there when I was a mere kid. They use to have a lot of events like that in the 1950 era. Take care yall and thanks for keeping us all in touch --
Roberta Williksen Carlton ‘60

Your mystery photo is of my dad, Merle Coady, conducting the Parochial School bands and choirs. He traveled to many of the Catholic Schools every week to teach band classes and the nuns conducted the choirs. At the end of every school year he combined and rehearsed all of the groups to perform at Starlight Bowl! Our mom is still alive and continues to receive phone calls from "kids" who played in all the bands he conducted. The Coady School of Music was downtown, across the street from Thearles --Jill Coady ‘74

I found my name in the Thearle Piano program -- section 6 Gordy, Karen !! These were the most amazing events ever. The organization was astounding. Hundreds of kids in a program at the same time and each year it was a smoothly executed extravaganza!! I always loved the first rehearsal each year. Everyone played as fast as they could. It sounded horrible. I would laugh and laugh at the complete organized chaos. Then the conductor had the gigantic enormous task of taming the "wild pianists" into a singular melodic voice. As an elementary school teacher for 33 years, these 50 + year old memories still astound me -- Karen Gordy West '63








Return to Howard Rozelle Page

Return to Historic Photos Page