Family, friends mourning loss of beloved educator, well-known Texas musician

BEAUMONT, Texas — Household and mates of a beloved longtime band director at Texas faculties are mourning his latest passing.

Gerald Stewart died on Thursday in Houston. He was 84 years outdated.

Stewart leaves behind one sibling, a brother named Cecil Brent. Brent described his brother as a quiet however well-known musician in Texas, who received his begin in music in Silsbee.

“I’m going to overlook him so very a lot,” Brent stated. “He and I had been the one two boys of my mom. Simply the 2 of us.”

Brent stated he and Stewart graduated from a Silsbee highschool, and their mom was a principal for the Silsbee Unbiased Faculty District. Nevertheless, the household lived in Beaumont.

Brent stated everybody knew his brother from music. Stewart performed with former Lamar Univeristy president Dr. Jimmy Simmons on a number of events.

Stewart graduated with a bachelors and grasp’s in music from Prairie View A&M College. Afterward, he graduated with a grasp’s diploma from the VanderCook School of Music in Chicago, Illinois.

Stewart was part of a band named Starship, and Brent stated he was the band’s stage and street supervisor. Starship members which are nonetheless alive are Wilford Mayes, Oliver Lacy, A. C. Guillory, Willie Dougas, Lynn Simon and Cecil Brent.

Brent stated the band performed on the Beaumont Metropolis Auditorium with Betty Wright within the Nineteen Seventies. Additionally they performed on the Truthful Park Coliseum in Dallas.

Brent stated the band was the warm-up band for quite a lot of main live shows across the Southeast Texas and Houston areas. 

Stewarts love of music went past the band. He additionally taught it to others.

Stewart’s first job was on the Liberty Coaching Heart. After leaving there, he turned the band director on the Charlton-Pollard Excessive Faculty.

Brent stated his brother and the Charlton-Pollard Excessive Faculty Stage Band toured Europe. He stated they had been the primary Black highschool band to play for the Queen in 1975.

After the Charlton-Pollard Excessive Faculty shut down and the Beaumont Charlton-Pollard Excessive Faculty was opened, Stewart turned the band director there.

As soon as he left Beaumont Charlton Pollard, he turned the band director at M. B. Smiley Excessive Faculty in Houston. He retired from the Houston faculty.

The mascot for the M.B. Smiley Excessive Faculty is the eagles. Brent stated his brother is now, “hovering to a greater place in music.”

Brent stated his brother’s former college students had been shocked to be taught of his passing. They advised Brent that Stewart was, “gone however not forgotten.” Many shall be on the funeral.

Lynn Simon shall be in cost the music on the funeral. Simon and Stewart performed collectively for years.

The funeral and viewing are open to public. “The maestro is gone,” shall be on Stewart’s gravestone and program on the funeral.

Funeral companies for Stewart shall be held on Saturday, April 30 at 10 a.m. on the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. The church is positioned on 1175 Isle Road.

A viewing shall be held from midday to five p.m. on Friday on the Mercy Funeral residence. The funeral house is positioned on 1395 Gladys Road.