Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Sounds Of Motown Planned To Fill Air In Gurdon

Fans of the Marching Gurdon Go-Devil Band will be in for a treat this season.

Alan Wimberly returns to the helm to lead the band after a two-year hiatus in Queen City, Texas. The theme for the 1997-98 Devil band will be "G-Town Plays Motown."

The Marching Go-Devils will perform such classic Motown hits as "Celebration," "I'll Be There," "Heard It Through the Grapevine," and "My Girl," during halftimes of Gurdon Go-Devil football games.

This year's drum major will be Andrea Morrison, Wimberly said.

"I'm excited to be able to work with Bruce Burson (who has led the band the past two years) again," Wimberly said. "I've had a taste of the big time and don't need that kind of stress.

"Another reason for my return to Gurdon is the community and students are so supportive of the program and are great to work with."

Wimberly and his wife, Bonnie, also wanted to raise their nine-month-old son, Garrison Tyler, in Gurdon as well. "We wanted to be closer to our families," he said. Our priorities in life have changed with the child. We wanted our son to be closer to his grandparents (who live in Malvern and North Little Rock). We came to Gurdon because we loved it here when we were here before."

When the job as band director for the GHS band came open again, Wimberly applied and was rehired. His wife will be taking over the running of the district's Alternative Learning Environment program.

"We've had a lot of success with the band program in the past," he said. "Burson, myself and the students are determined to be successful once again. Burson and I work well together. I'm looking forward to working with the faculty, staff, administration and band boosters again.

"But it will take all of us and the entire community to have a successful band program," he continued.

When asked why the Motown sound will be this year's theme, Wimberly said he wanted to do something he hasn't done before which would broaden the horizon of the students. "The students find it exciting and challenging," he said. "This is a very challenging show."

The Marching Devils will have Brandi Prince in charge of the five-member flag line, while there will also be four majorettes marching with the band.

Summer rehearsal, he said, has been going well, with the students showing with good attitudes and working hard.

"It's great to be a Go-Devil in the beautiful timberlands of Gurdon, Arkansas," he said.