Bill Nash
2022 is the 50th anniversary of the University of Tennessee “Pride of the Southland Band” performing “Rocky Top.” Just how the Vols started using “Rocky Top” is very interesting to say the least. It all started in Chattanooga.
Wikipedia says “Rocky Top” was first used by The UT band during half time of the UT-Alabama game October 21, 1972; it’s one of the band’s most requested songs. The News Sentinel said Director Dr. W.J. Julian didn’t especially like the song, but assistant director and arranger Barry Macdonald changed his mind.
The magazine, “Wide Open Country,” writes:”
When Felice and Boudleaux Bryant co-wrote "Rocky Top," a bluegrass tune best known now as the University of Tennessee's fight song, they did so in Room 388 of the historic Gatlinburg Inn. The song took 10 minutes to write.
The song's 1967 creation came during downtime at the downtown Gatlinburg hotel, where the Bryants stayed while writing songs for comedian Archie Campbell's album The Golden Years. After breaking the monotony of their Great Smoky Mountains getaway, Boudleax reportedly looked at Felice and asked, "Can we get back to work now?"
“Rocky Top” was recorded by Sonny and Bobby the Osborne Brothers in 1967. Billboard Historian Joel Whitburn says that Decca Records released “Rocky Top” by the Osborne Brothers as a single in early 1968. The Bryants penned other songs recorded by country musicians.
How did the song get into the hands of UC-UTC band director Barry Jones? One possibility; New UTC head football coach Harold Wilkes was close friends with Bill Nash, the WDOD General Manager. (They are both Alabama natives and enjoyed talking about their home state. Coach Wilkes was from Valley Head and Mr. Nash from Oneonta)
WDOD was the flagship station for the UTC Mocs and Nash did the play by play. I cannot determine the exact date but there was a meeting with Coach Wilkes and Nash in Nash’s office. Coach Wilkes apparently wanted something different as he took over his new job.
Nash told someone in the office, “Go back to the back room and get that AP box of duplicate 45’s.” Nash started rummaging through the singles looking at song titles and came across “Rocky Top.” He pulled the Decca 45 rpm record out of the box and told Coach Wilkes, “This ought to do it.”
After the meeting, Nash called me into his office and told me to take the box of records back to where they came from in the back room. I had no idea what Nash was doing with the box of duplicate singles. I was not in the meeting but remember shaking Coach Wilkes hand.
Coach Wilkes is believed to have taken the record back to the university and given it to someone in the band, perhaps director Jones.
Just what happened next is very unclear. UTC graduate and basketball star David Bryan remembers Chamberlain Field half time shows with the UTC band playing “Rocky Top.”
Retired Chattanooga Police Detective Napoleon “Donut” Williams said he worked security for a lot of UTC football and basketball games and the band always played “Rocky Top.” Williams said it was one of his favorites and the band brought the crowd to their feet.
Ralph Miller was a member of the UC-UTC band during this time period. Miller wrote:
“I don’t recall it being anything outstanding and think it was used more with the pep band than with the marching band. I do remember Ron Shumate and Darryl Patterson taking about Rocky Top regarding the basketball championship.”
Miller said. “McDonald was a primary arranger for Dr. Julian at Tennessee Tech and then at UT Knoxville writing the vast majority of his special arrangements. McDonald was assistant band director from 1961-1968 before moving to Nashville to be Johnny Cash’s musical arranger.”
“Brained High graduate Warren Hill updated the original McDonald arrangement and Ed Gaston did the edit that is currently used according to UT graduate and retired Ooltewah High Band director Joel Denton,” said Miller.
Miller went on, “Denton said in 1986 then UTC director Tony D’Andrea gave him a copy of the UTC version and then later he got a copy of the UT Knoxville version which he used at Ooltewah for the rest of his career there.”
Greg Goodman (a big UTC fan) said UTC basketball coach Ron Shumate used “Rocky Top” in the 1976 runner up year and the 1977 national championship for the Mocs. “I heard Coach Shumate use the term “Rocky Top many times,” said Goodman.
One fan even said after someone at UTK gave the directive to stop using “Rocky Top,” Coach Shumate continued to do so.
Darrell Patterson, who is retired from WTVC TV Ch. 9, wrote and we are quoting: “Ron Shumate’s basketball Mocs finished in the 1976 NCAA division 2 national tournament… he had all 5 starters coming back and talked to Nasty (Bill Nash’s nickname) about finding “some kind of hook” to get fans involved. Nasty brought up Rocky Top then had to get Shumate to listen… coach had no idea what Bill was talking about. Shumate finally came around… he got the record to Barry Jones, UTC band director… on the 1976-77 season basketball media day, coach Shumate told the gathering about how “we started up the mountain last year, came up a little short… this season we’re going all the way to the top of Rocky Top” then pulled out a cassette player and played the Osborne brothers song. Students and fans loved it… the team returned to the national tournament - this time in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball, where they did climb all the way to the top… appropriately, coach Shumate invited Nasty to sit beside him on the bench during the championship game as the Mocs beat Randolph-Macon 71-62. That was in March 1977… don’t have the exact handy. To my knowledge Harold Wilkes was not involved in any of this… it was Nash & Shumate. As for how the fight song got to Knoxville, I have no idea… I do know when the Vols came to town to help the Mocs open McKenzie Arena, that was quite the battle of the bands the both pep bands pretty much alternated playing Rocky Top during times out. UTC dropped Rocky Top during the 1977 basketball season, adopting a new logo and preferring to be called The Chattanooga Mocs, instead of a plethora of versions of UTC/UT-Chattanooga/Tennessee-Chattanooga, etc. That turned out to be the season the Mocs made their first and only run to the NCAA Division 1 tournament’s Sweet 16. That’s what I know and remember.”
Several fans said someone on the hill (UT Knoxville) told UT Chattanooga to stop using the song. One fan said then UTC Chancellor Dr. Jim Drinnon strongly defended using “Rocky Top” but was unsuccessful.
Another fan said somehow in the early 70’s the song ended up in the hands of the Vol network’s John Ward. The play by play announcer is said to have given it to the UT Pride of the Southland Band Director, Dr. Julian, who came to the university in 1961.
For 51 seconds in 1972 the band played “Rocky Top” during half time at the UT- Bama game. The Knoxville newspaper said it was tacked on to the circle drill and Maryville, Tn. native Bill Connell led “Rocky Top” the very first time.
The Knoxville News Sentinel quoted arranger MacDonald as saying, “The crowd loved it and it soon became a staple at every UT event.”
MacDonald said the UT band couldn’t go anywhere without playing, “Rocky Top.”
The Orlando Sentinel reported in Feb. 1989:
“NASHVILLE, TENN. — BARRY L. MCDONALD SR., 55, music arranger who worked with Johnny Cash and the Pride of the Southland Band at the University of Tennessee, died Tuesday of a heart attack. McDonald was assistant music director for Cash's network TV show in the early 1970s. He was the university's assistant band director from 1961 to 1968.”
Chart Record company owner Slim Williamson took advantage of the song’s popularity and recorded up and coming artist Lynn Anderson singing “Rocky Top” in 1970. Radio programmers loved it and the song reached number 17 on the country charts. Miss Anderson sang “Rocky Top” on ABC’s TV’s Lawrence Welk show adding to its popularity.
“Rocky Top” also got a lot of air play on the American Forces Network, Europe in the early 70’s. The U.S. troops loved it: It was one of the most requested songs on the daily show “Town and Country.”
The Tennessee Legislature adopted “Rocky Top” in 1982 as the volunteer state’s 5th state song.
The Knox News Sentinel story said to celebrate its 50 years as the soundtrack of the University of Tennessee, many Pride of the Southland Band Alumni came back to Knoxville to perform at halftime during the Tennessee – Alabama game.
Band director Michael Stewart, who has held the position for 16 years, said he doesn’t ever get tired of hearing the song: “it fires up the crowd.”
How did the Woo start? The Knoxville paper said:
“One thing is still a mystery: when the "Woo!" in the middle of the chorus sneaked its way into the song.
"I've asked several people about this, and as far as I know, the band is not necessarily the creator of the 'Woo!,'" Stewart said. "I don't know that anyone truly knows. You hear stories here and there of how that started, whether it was the fans, whether it was the band."
"I think over the years it just kind of evolved and stuck, and now you can't go anywhere and hear the song and not hear the 'Woo!' Whether it's at a wedding or in the car, there's always a 'Woo!' there now," Stewart said.”
In later years I saw Bill Nash while calling on a sponsor and asked him about “Rocky Top.” Nash remembered a meeting with Coach Wilkes in his office but couldn’t recall the date. As I remember, Nash said Rocky Top was our song and Knoxville took it from us, Rocky Top took us to the top (in the mid 70’s) when my good friend Ron Shumate was coach. Nash said something like; “Earl, you know I love the song Rocky Top but I’ve slept a lot since those days. I still get a thrill hearing the UT band play my song.”
Chattanooga used "Rocky Top" first and just how UTK picked it up isn't real clear. Arranger MacDonald went to work for singer Cash in the early 70's but maintained contact with Dr. Julian and, according to the News-Sentinel, convinced the director to use the song in 1972.
Dr. Julian (UT), Jones (UTC) and arranger MacDonald were all buddies and their friends say they often got together over coffee. MacDonald may have come up with an arrangement for Jones that was used at UTC in the late 60’s.
Who in Knoxville stopped UTC from using “Rocky Top,” we don’t know for sure but the late Bill Nash should be given the credit for “Rocky Top” becoming a fight song.
Little did Nash know after his meeting with Coach Wilkes “Rocky Top” would create controversy in the University of Tennessee system between UTC and UTK but end up being one of the “Pride of the Southland Bands” most popular songs.
Listening to the UT band play “Rocky Top” during the historic win over Alabama, reminds us how it all apparently started at WDOD radio, Chattanooga with the conversation between broadcaster Bill Nash and Coach Harold Wilkes.
“Rest In Peace” Bill Nash.