Friends of LBJCB

July 2010 (Inaugural) Alumnus of the Month – Walt White

Walt joined LBJCB in 1960 as a snare drummer. In 1962 he succeeded Jim Keeler as the head drummer, then became one of the band's most revered drum majors, and finally served as assistant director under Marvin until 1976.

Walt enjoyed being a bit of a rebel and didn't have very high aspirations for himself within the band until then-Executive Board President Gordon Wright took him to the Golden Lantern restaurant, which Walt affectionately calls the "Golden Latrine," and suggested he consider becoming drum major when Roy Queen left the band and Long Beach for the Army.

Walt followed Wright's advice and attended drum major camp at the University of Redlands along with his good friend Jack Marinello, who was training to become drum major at Long Beach's Millikan High School.

Walt's first outing as LBJCB's drum major was at the Camarillo Christmas parade, where he achieved a perfect score of 100 points and took first place among all the drum majors in attendance.

While Walt was still drum major, Marvin appointed him assistant director. When he took on this new position, he passed his mace to Jim Thompson. Walt enjoyed serving as assistant director but knew the band still had still a gap to be filled: "I could blow a whistle, I could lead the band, but Marvin needed a musical assistant."

He even remembers some of his friends in the band laughing good-naturedly at his stiff posture when he, following Marvin's instructions, would take the podium to conduct one song, usually a march, at each sit-down concert. Nevertheless, he served diligently until 1976.

Outside Concert Band, Walt played linebacker at Millikan under Coach Burneker and dreamed of attending West Point and playing football there. His life took an unexpected turn though – during his senior year at Millikan, Walt's beloved father passed away. He credits his Lord for using Marvin and the band to keep him on track and providing him with mentors and support following the loss of his father.

After high school, Walt spent a couple of what he describes as "lost years" working at Disneyland as the character Goofy and as special event coordinator helping produce the Christmas parades, for the Los Angeles Rams under Tommy Walker helping produce the pre-game and halftime shows, and as a telephone repairman, including one incident when he fell from a pole, and then entered Christian ministry and never looked back.

Today, Walt lives in Colorado, where he is "single and available." Asked about his esteemed reputation with LBJCB, he says growing up the son of a US Army Officer instilled in him an undying desire for discipline and regimentation. Additionally, Walt says  he "Just loved Marvin and LBJCB and wanted with all his heart to serve them. After all", he continues, "God gave me the ability to motivate and exhort along with a loud voice and a loud whistle."