Tributes

Starlight Band pays tribute to Bill Viseur, clarinetist

Bill was an original member of Starlight Band and was one of only two charter members still playing with Starlight. Bill passed away in 2008. His faithful presence will be missed in the clarinet section and the entire organization.

Starlight Remembers Longtime Emcee

The Starlight Board of Directors and the bands’ musicians lost a wonderful friend and colleague with the passing of Vic Bastien in 2006. Vic was a long-time supporter of Starlight and he served on the Board of Directors as well as his more visible role as “the voice of Starlight” for many years. Vic not only announced the band’s selections, but spent hours researching the composers and stories behind the music and always found ways to entertain and enlighten Starlight’s audiences. Unfortunately, Vic lost a battle with cancer in September of 2006 at the age of 76. Starlight will dedicate the first two concerts of the 2007 to Vic’s honor. He will be sorely missed.

Tulsa People remembered Vic as one of the influential Tulsans who passed in 2006 in its January, 2007 column “Lives Well Lived.” To read the article, click here, or you can go to tulsapeoplemagazine and in the January 2007 edition do a search for “vic bastien”.

Starlight Remembers George Brite

Starlight marked the passing of George Brite in 2006. George was the band director at Sapulpa High School for 34 years and for 15 summers he conducted the Tulsa Starlight Band.

A member of the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, he was also a well-respected trombonist, band clinician, and music adjudicator throughout Oklahoma. Oklahoma school bands have had no greater friend than George Brite. George passed away in May, after suffering a stroke.