One of my earliest memories is of my dad playing in the Black Knights in the early to mid-1950s. They were marching in a parade somewhere – maybe in Kewanee but possibly in some other town nearby. I have a separate memory of returning from a parade in another town, sitting in the backseat of our car looking out the two-pane back window – no car seat in those days to hold me down!
Recently I found an old recording of the Black Knights performing in the American Legion Nationals in Miami in 1960. They played 13 minutes of songs such as Whatever Lola Wants (from Damn Yankees), Everything’s Coming Up Roses (from Gypsy), Taps, and Frankie and Johnnie, among others.
I then found a number of photos and other art from both 1960 and before, some of which I’d not seen. I combined the art and the sound to make this video.
Putting it together brought back pleasant memories of days gone by. If you ever saw the Black Knights, I hope the video brings a tingle to your bones. If you never saw them, it’s a chance to perhaps understand why Kewanee was so terribly proud of them and why they’re on a Kewanee mural. Enjoy!
