Michigan
53 years ago, the University of Michigan marching band performed at the Super Bowl
ANN ARBOR, MI — This was a different sort of audience in another famous stadium for a familiar group of performers.
The University of Michigan Marching Band made its Super Bowl debut Jan. 14, 1973, when the Miami Dolphins played the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The stadium was full and morale was high for Miami fans as the score was 14-0 by the halftime show. Then, the band appeared on the field and formed a big smiley face.
The theme for the show was “Happiness Is.” Musician Woody Herman and singer Andy Williams joined the Michigan Marching Band on the field.
The band marched into various words and figures, including forming the initials “NFL” and an outline of the continental United States.
The setlist included “Put on a Happy Face,” “Woodchopper’s Ball,” “La Virgen de la Macarena,” “This Land Is Your Land,” “Marmalade, Molasses & Honey” and “People.”
Near the end, white doves and red balloons were released into the sky with the Michigan Marching Band forming the word “LOVE.”
To learn more about that day, Joseph Dobos, historian for the Michigan Marching Band, shared the memoir of former band member Richard Alder, who died in 2023.
Alder wrote about his experiences in Los Angeles leading up and during the Super Bowl.
“We headed off to the Coliseum for a morning rehearsal to finalize details, and meet up with participants that we still hadn’t seen,” Alder wrote. “The routine with Woody Herman was rehearsed, though we had nothing like our Andy Williams interaction with him. He came out, did his thing and was back in the afternoon.”
He remembered sitting at field level during the game and thinking about the halftime performance.
“I don’t recall really paying much attention to the first half of the game during which the Dolphins apparently dominated,” Alder wrote. “The audience was promised a big finale, one that couldn’t be practiced, and it seemed to work.”
The undefeated Dolphins won 14-7.
He also wrote about the halftime show finale, specifically the release of the red balloons, which “worked successfully,” he wrote. Alder recalled not attending classes the following Monday “as we were in no condition to stay awake.”
Leading up to the show in Los Angeles, Alder remembered flying to California on Jan. 11, 1973, and living in a dormitory hall at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“So, with kickoff for Super Bowl VII approaching in about 72 hours, we took the field to start figuring out our formation charts, marching through those and adding music (except for the finale) for the rest of the afternoon and after dinner,” Alder wrote.
He remembered rumors that the Michigan Marching Band would perform at Super Bowl VII when the band went home for winter break in 1972.
“On December 22, it became official — the offer had been made and the necessary permission to participate was received from the university,” Alder wrote. He added that the National Football League would pay for the band’s trip but only for 140 out of 214 members.
“The letter instructed band members to respond immediately via air mail of interest in being selected so it could be determined who would go,” Alder wrote. “Rehearsals would start a few days before the beginning of winter semester, on Jan. 4, just ten days before the Super Bowl.”
A video on Facebook from the Michigan Marching Band shows the 1973 halftime show performance.
The Michigan Marching Band also performed in the pregame performance for the 1982 Super Bowl.
Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page.
Michigan
Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
Michigan
SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
Michigan
Yes, you can play curling in West Michigan
ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The spirit of curling is one of friendship.
While memory of the Winter Olympics may have long melted away in the minds of many Americans, there some whose curiousness for the sport of curling has extended all the way into the springtime.
“Everybody’s having fun,” said Paul Curran, league manager for the Grand Rapids Curling Club. “It’s a really weird sport in that it’s really friendly.”
The club, which plays at the Cedar Rock Sportsplex in Algoma Township, has seen a recent spike in interest in its beginners leagues and learn to curl classes.
“We’re all here to curl and learn,” said beginner Aaron Schwieterman. “Everyone’s making mistakes, but still having a great time learning the sport and trying to mimic what the professionals do at the Olympics.”
“I recommend it to anybody who wants to try something different,” said beginner Margaret Steketee. “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
For a period of time on the ice, these newcomers to the sport turn into competitors. Then, at the conclusions of their games, they revert to being friends.
“Largely, what you’ll find with curlers is that when they’re done curling, they want to be friendly and hang out,” Curran said. “Which is what our league is doing right now.”
As long as people are interested, Curran says the club will continue to put on beginners leagues and lessons.
“The more people we get out here curling, the better,” he said.
For more information on ways to play and learn how to curl in West Michigan, visit the Grand Rapids Curling Club’s website.
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