Tommy Walker
Encyclopedia
Thomas Luttgen Walker was an American
producer of live entertainment events who was director of entertainment at Disneyland during its first twelve years of operation, and later produced spectacular events at celebrations including three Olympic Games
and the centennial of the Statue of Liberty
.
. His father, Vesey Walker, was "a band director who, according to a Disneyland press release from 1967, organized more than 50 college, military, school and youth bands. His local American Legion
from Wisconsin won an international competition in 1934, with 11-year-old Tommy as a member."
As "Tommy the Toe", the University of Southern California
Trojan marching band
's drum major
, Walker would tear off his uniform jacket, throw his baton to the ground and rush from the stands onto the field to kick conversions
for the cardinal and gold. The fans adored Walker, as did the media. To one sportswriter, Walker was "The Caliph of Conversion."
In 1947, a picture of Walker wearing a tall white shako as he booted a football
appeared in LIFE magazine and was widely published elsewhere.
, Walker returned to USC as a junior in the fall of 1946 and found the football team in need of a lift. He wrote a six-note fanfare
for the trumpet section: "Da da da DUT da DUH!" Trojan rooters then screamed, "Charge!"
In the decades since, the origin of the fanfare has been obscured. At times it seemed that those six notes—Da da da DUT da DUH—might have resounded through the primordial mist and propelled ancient Olympians and Roman charioteers to great feats. It is hard to imagine a modern college football game—or, for that matter, almost any other US sporting contest—being played without that familiar fanfare in the background.
Walker once told the Los Angeles Herald Examiner that he introduced the trumpet call at a band practice. "I played a few notes on the trumpet -- Da-da-da-DAH-da-DAH -- and the band yelled, 'Trojan warriors, charge!'" he said. "It seemed kind of effective, so we decided to try it that Saturday."
Somewhere between band practice and the game, someone decided to drop the "Trojan warriors" and simply yell "Charge!" The band introduced Charge on a third-and-one, and the Trojans responded by gaining the first down. "It was an immediate hit," Walker said.
In 1958 that Charge exploded. That year the Brooklyn Dodgers
moved to Los Angeles. Yes, the Dodger management owes much to that clarion cry. In the spring of 1959 the Dodgers put on sale, at $1.50 apiece, 20,000 toy trumpets, all of which played one tune: "Da da da DUT da DUH." The song really took off after NBC's broadcasts of Games 3, 4 and 5 of the 1959 World Series
, between the Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox
.
After the '59 Series that famous trumpet call was appropriated by nearly every team in the country that had a fan with willing lips and a bugle. It is easy to forget the special relationship Charge has with Los Angeles.
"It's part of our tradition," says Art Bartner, the current band director at USC. "We always play it when there's a third-down situation."
for a tryout as the placekicker. Cravath gave the O.K., and in 1947 Walker broke the Pacific Coast Conference
record for conversions in a season. He made 19 of 29 attempts to bury the 16-year-old record of 14.
Walker didn't abandon the band, however. He wore no pads under his football uniform, and at halftime, because he was not needed in the locker room, he would slip on his drum major's uniform and a shako and lead the band. On November 8, 1947, Walker's 25th birthday, Cravath allowed the Toe to lead the band during its pregame show. That day the Trojans played Stanford
at the Coliseum
. After leading the band in "Fight On
", Walker kicked two PATs in a 14-0 victory. He relinquished his band duties for the Rose Bowl
game against Michigan
and stood idly on the sidelines as the Wolverines defeated the Trojans 49-0.
owner George Preston Marshall
offered him a tryout, but Walker chose instead to become the assistant band director at his alma mater. Eventually he became the director of the USC band, which was hailed as "The Toast of the Coast." In 1955 Walt Disney
saw USC's halftime show at the Rose Bowl and invited Walker to create the opening ceremony for Disneyland.
, balloons, pigeons and flags." Certainly these were four key elements in the extravaganzas Walker was known for. Walker's father, Vesey (honored as a Disney Legend in 2005), formed the original Disneyland Band.
s and two presidential inaugurations (including Ronald Reagan
's in 1981). He directed the halftimes at three Super Bowl
s, 11 Pro Bowls, and World's Fair
s in four cities. At California's Anaheim Stadium he produced several "Fourth of July Spectaculars" in the 1960s and 70s, as well as opening ceremonies for the stadium, the Anaheim Convention Center
, and the Ontario Motor Speedway
. In 1968 he produced "Teen Time USA," a youth-oriented event at the Anaheim Convention Center featuring popular performers like The Doors
. He also directed the fireworks that highlighted the Statue of Liberty's centennial celebration on the Fourth of July 1986. In an obituary, the New York Times reported that "One of his last outdoor productions was Harvard University
's 350th anniversary celebration in September [of that year]. His company, Tommy Walker Productions, was recently bought by Radio City Music Hall
Productions, which is based in Manhattan. At his death, Mr. Walker was executive producer for special events for Radio City Music Hall Productions." Along with Robert (Bob) Jani
and Andrea Elizabeth Michaels
, he is considered an event industry pioneer.
, where he was undergoing his third round of open heart surgery in ten years. "He was an absolute dynamo of a man," wife Lucille Walker said. (She continued for a period with Radio City Music Hall Productions and produced the Pre-Liturgy for the Papal visit of Pope John Paul II
at Dodger Stadium on September 16, 1987.) Funeral services for Walker were held on October 25, 1986 at the Crystal Cathedral
in Garden Grove, California
, with Rev. Robert A. Schuller
presiding and solos by Etta James
. His remains are interred at Pacific View Memorial Park in nearby Newport Beach.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
producer of live entertainment events who was director of entertainment at Disneyland during its first twelve years of operation, and later produced spectacular events at celebrations including three Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and the centennial of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
.
Life and times
Tommy Walker was born in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. His father, Vesey Walker, was "a band director who, according to a Disneyland press release from 1967, organized more than 50 college, military, school and youth bands. His local American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
from Wisconsin won an international competition in 1934, with 11-year-old Tommy as a member."
As "Tommy the Toe", the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Trojan marching band
Spirit of Troy
The Spirit of Troy, also known as the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band , self-described as "The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe," represents USC at various collegiate sports, broadcast, popular music recording, and national public appearance functions.The...
's drum major
Drum Major
A drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major, who is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps, is responsible for providing commands to the ensemble regarding...
, Walker would tear off his uniform jacket, throw his baton to the ground and rush from the stands onto the field to kick conversions
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the cardinal and gold. The fans adored Walker, as did the media. To one sportswriter, Walker was "The Caliph of Conversion."
In 1947, a picture of Walker wearing a tall white shako as he booted a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
appeared in LIFE magazine and was widely published elsewhere.
The "Charge"
A decorated veteran of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Walker returned to USC as a junior in the fall of 1946 and found the football team in need of a lift. He wrote a six-note fanfare
Charge (fanfare)
"Charge" is a short fanfare frequently played at sporting events.-History:"Charge" was written by Tommy Walker while a junior at the University of Southern California in the fall of 1946...
for the trumpet section: "Da da da DUT da DUH!" Trojan rooters then screamed, "Charge!"
In the decades since, the origin of the fanfare has been obscured. At times it seemed that those six notes—Da da da DUT da DUH—might have resounded through the primordial mist and propelled ancient Olympians and Roman charioteers to great feats. It is hard to imagine a modern college football game—or, for that matter, almost any other US sporting contest—being played without that familiar fanfare in the background.
Walker once told the Los Angeles Herald Examiner that he introduced the trumpet call at a band practice. "I played a few notes on the trumpet -- Da-da-da-DAH-da-DAH -- and the band yelled, 'Trojan warriors, charge!'" he said. "It seemed kind of effective, so we decided to try it that Saturday."
Somewhere between band practice and the game, someone decided to drop the "Trojan warriors" and simply yell "Charge!" The band introduced Charge on a third-and-one, and the Trojans responded by gaining the first down. "It was an immediate hit," Walker said.
In 1958 that Charge exploded. That year the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
moved to Los Angeles. Yes, the Dodger management owes much to that clarion cry. In the spring of 1959 the Dodgers put on sale, at $1.50 apiece, 20,000 toy trumpets, all of which played one tune: "Da da da DUT da DUH." The song really took off after NBC's broadcasts of Games 3, 4 and 5 of the 1959 World Series
1959 World Series
The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
, between the Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
After the '59 Series that famous trumpet call was appropriated by nearly every team in the country that had a fan with willing lips and a bugle. It is easy to forget the special relationship Charge has with Los Angeles.
"It's part of our tradition," says Art Bartner, the current band director at USC. "We always play it when there's a third-down situation."
Placekicking drum major
Walker concluded that leading the band and finishing his studies weren't going to keep him busy enough. To fill his schedule, he asked Trojan football coach Jeff CravathJeff Cravath
Newell "Jeff" Cravath was an American football coach best known as the head coach of the USC Trojans football team from 1942-1950. He compiled a 54-28-8 record while coaching at USC, and is known to have introduced the T formation to the USC program. Jeff was a nickname given to him when he was...
for a tryout as the placekicker. Cravath gave the O.K., and in 1947 Walker broke the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
record for conversions in a season. He made 19 of 29 attempts to bury the 16-year-old record of 14.
Walker didn't abandon the band, however. He wore no pads under his football uniform, and at halftime, because he was not needed in the locker room, he would slip on his drum major's uniform and a shako and lead the band. On November 8, 1947, Walker's 25th birthday, Cravath allowed the Toe to lead the band during its pregame show. That day the Trojans played Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
at the Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
. After leading the band in "Fight On
Fight On
"Fight On" is the fight song of the University of Southern California. It was composed in 1922 by USC dental student Milo Sweet, with lyrics by Sweet and Glen Grant, for a student spirit competition...
", Walker kicked two PATs in a 14-0 victory. He relinquished his band duties for the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
game against Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and stood idly on the sidelines as the Wolverines defeated the Trojans 49-0.
USC band director
After he graduated, in the spring of 1948 Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
owner George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall was the owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League from 1932 until his death in 1969.-Contributions:...
offered him a tryout, but Walker chose instead to become the assistant band director at his alma mater. Eventually he became the director of the USC band, which was hailed as "The Toast of the Coast." In 1955 Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
saw USC's halftime show at the Rose Bowl and invited Walker to create the opening ceremony for Disneyland.
Disney Director of Entertainment
Walker left USC and became the Magic Kingdom's first director of entertainment and customer relations. Disney used to tease Walker, "Everything you do is fireworksFireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
, balloons, pigeons and flags." Certainly these were four key elements in the extravaganzas Walker was known for. Walker's father, Vesey (honored as a Disney Legend in 2005), formed the original Disneyland Band.
Private business
In 1966 Walker left Disneyland and began a production company to put on the same kind of spectaculars he had created for Disney. He directed the opening and closing ceremonies for three Olympics and had a hand in the festivities for five World's FairWorld's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
s and two presidential inaugurations (including Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's in 1981). He directed the halftimes at three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, 11 Pro Bowls, and World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
s in four cities. At California's Anaheim Stadium he produced several "Fourth of July Spectaculars" in the 1960s and 70s, as well as opening ceremonies for the stadium, the Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim Convention Center
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...
, and the Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario Motor Speedway
The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
. In 1968 he produced "Teen Time USA," a youth-oriented event at the Anaheim Convention Center featuring popular performers like The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
. He also directed the fireworks that highlighted the Statue of Liberty's centennial celebration on the Fourth of July 1986. In an obituary, the New York Times reported that "One of his last outdoor productions was Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's 350th anniversary celebration in September [of that year]. His company, Tommy Walker Productions, was recently bought by Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
Productions, which is based in Manhattan. At his death, Mr. Walker was executive producer for special events for Radio City Music Hall Productions." Along with Robert (Bob) Jani
Robert (Bob) Jani
Robert Jani was an American event producer who specialized in spectaculars. He is most recognized for his affiliation with the Walt Disney Company and some of its most famous entertainment events. He is also credited with producing the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial Celebration in New York Harbor and the...
and Andrea Elizabeth Michaels
Andrea Elizabeth Michaels
Andrea Elizabeth Michaels is an American meeting and event producer, author and speaker. As founder of an international event production company, Extraordinary Events, Michaels and her company produce large corporate events...
, he is considered an event industry pioneer.
Death
In October 1986, Walker died on an operating table in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, where he was undergoing his third round of open heart surgery in ten years. "He was an absolute dynamo of a man," wife Lucille Walker said. (She continued for a period with Radio City Music Hall Productions and produced the Pre-Liturgy for the Papal visit of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
at Dodger Stadium on September 16, 1987.) Funeral services for Walker were held on October 25, 1986 at the Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
in Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, with Rev. Robert A. Schuller
Robert A. Schuller
Robert Anthony Schuller is an American televangelist, author, and television executive. He was formerly a minister on the Hour of Power weekly television program broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California, where he was named senior pastor in 2006...
presiding and solos by Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
. His remains are interred at Pacific View Memorial Park in nearby Newport Beach.