High School Band Plays At Bob Hope Performance

Unknown Newspaper
24 February 1966

It was a high school band member’s dream come true… one of those things that “just can’t happen” to the music makers from a small town school. But it did!

The Forney high school band played a “command” performance Wednesday for the monarch of the theater… Bob Hope. And the youngsters are still walking several feet above the level of the good solid earth.

Johnny Milnor, director of the Forney group, led his band in a 30-minute concert in front of the Palace Theater in downtown Dallas, where Hope and his group of Hollywood entertainers were booked. That is, Milnor directed the band except during the time his baton was taken over by the famed comedian.

The local band was the only one invited to attend and play for the occasion by the Air Force band. That group had played in Forney four years ago, and had, in turn, been serenaded by the Forney youngsters. The leader of the AF band did not forget the performance of Milnor’s charges, and early this week the invitation came.

Hope was in Dallas for the premier of his “Bob Hope Viet Nam Christmas Tour.” He also received an award from The Dallas Times Herald for his work in entertaining the nation’s armed forces.

In addition to the Forney band, Hope was greeted on his arrival at the theater by a delegation of Air Force ROTC cadets, which provided an honor guard for the honored guest.

The Forney musicians were guests of the Palace theater after their 30-minute serenade on the sidewalks of Dallas.

Milnor said that Hope not only took over his baton to direct some of the pieces played by the band, but he clowned around with the students, and endeared himself to them by the casual manner in which he talked with them.

Adults who went with the band were Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Tanton, Mrs. W.E. Wilson, and Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Milnor.

Forney Band plays with Bob Hope