Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • April 2014
3
Never having witnessed a marching contest (even
as a spectator), Dan took his first band to contest in
Odessa and marched between J. R. McEntyre’s Bonham
Jr. High Band and Bill Dean’s Bowie Jr. High Band.
Dan’s band ended their marching show with a minstrel
turn toward the pressbox playing the trio to “Rifle
Rangers” march…not knowing that “Rifle Rangers”
was Bowie’s fight song. After hearing
the Monahans band play their fight
song, the Bowie band came down
the field playing “King Size March”.
Dan says they were marching about
180 beats a minute, and they were
blowing the grass out of the ground.
Bill has thanked Dan many times
over the years for inspiring his Bowie
band. And, by the way, the Monahans
band did make a first division.
During that time, Dan and Shirley’s
son Tony was born in December of
1958, and daughter Angie was born December 1960.
After three years at the junior high, Dan became the
high school band director where he had an exciting
21-year career.
Some of the highlights of Dan’s career include
being named TMEA Honor Band in 1972 and 1976
as well as performing at the Music Educators National
Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Tommy
Fry conducting the premier performance of “Triptych”.
His bands appeared many times on national television
during Dallas Cowboys halftimes. A special memory
is when the Monahans “Big Green Band” performed
the first Dallas Cowboys halftime in Texas Stadium in
October 1971 with President Lyndon Johnson, Lady
Bird, and Mamie Eisenhower in attendance.
Dan as been privileged to serve as a clinician, guest
conductor, and judge throughout the United States,
including Alaska. He is a long time member of TBA,
TMEA, Phi Beta Mu, and the Rotary Club. He is
currently serving as minister of music at the First Baptist
Church of Monahans and sings in the
Singing Men of
Texas
. In 2009, the new Monahans High School band
hall was named the “Dan M. Gibbs
Band Hall”.
One of Dan’s all-time great
memories is being a guest conductor
on his son Tony’s 1999 TMEA Honor
Band concert with his Monahans
Band. Dan and Tony are the only
father/son to ever win TMEA Honor
Band at the same school.
During his illustrious career,
many outstanding individuals have
influence Dan. Most notable are Roger
Winslow, Eddie Fowler, Maurice
McAdow, Wesley May, J.R. McEntyre, Bill Dean, Gene
Smith, Dean Killion, Sam Robertson, Francis McBeth,
G.T. Gilligan, Tommy Fry, Jerry Finnel, Ronnie Smith,
and Ronnie Vaughn.
When asked of his greatest accomplishment, Dan
says “my greatest accomplishment is being married to
Shirley for sixty years and having two fantastic kids,
the “world’s finest” son-in-law and daughter-in-law,
five “state-of-the-art grandchildren, and a two-year old
great-granddaughter. They are my heroes!
Dan is extremely grateful that God has blessed
him beyond his wildest dreams, and he considers it
a sincere privilege and honor to be selected as TBA’s
BANDMASTER OF THE YEAR FOR 2014.
TBA Bandmaster of the Year 2014
TBA Bandmaster
of the Year 2014
Dan Gibbs wi l l be
honored at the
TBA Business
Luncheon on
Tuesday, July 29