By Don Rutledge
FPS Associate Editor
December 8, 2009
 A well known local dance band has observed 50 years of music.
Merle Devitt’s “Accents” celebrated the band’s 50th anniversary while playing for a dance Saturday night, Nov. 14, at Bayard Grange. The event included an anniversary cake served during intermission.
Devitt, who plays saxophone in the band, said the “Accents” was organized during the 1959-1960 season and got its name from a musical term “Accent”.
Original members were Devitt, Jay Becker, who has been playing accordion since 1960; Lee Haynam, guitar and caller, and Bill Blatt, fiddle and drums.
Current band members are Devitt, Becker, Richard Sutton, who plays fiddle and guitar; Gary Brotherton, 5-string banjo and base guitar, and Jeff Haynam, guitar and caller.
Other band members throughout the years included Harry Lippincott of East Rochester, who is now deceased; Joe Day of Canton and Roger Paxton of Louisville.
Devitt says he became interested in music in 4th grade at Carrollton school during the 1943-44 school year when he started taking saxophone lessons from Herbert Jones, who was the band director at the time.
After graduation from Carrollton High School in 1952, Devitt said he was drafted into the US Army in 1956 and played in the 324th Army band at Aberdeen and two service club bands during his 4 1/2-year military stint.
“We played several parades in Washington, D. C., Philadelphia and Baltimore during that time,” he recalled.
Upon returning home in 1958, Devitt decided to start his own band and that’s when the Accents came about.
Besides playing regular scheduled dances on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at Bayard Grange, Devitt’s band is available for parties and dances by calling 330-627-3180. Dances at Bayard Grange are held from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. The Grange hall is located on US Rt. 30, just east of Minerva.
“The band has also played for various charities and fundraisers over the years,” Devitt added.
The band has quite a following of dancers, traveling from Akron, Cambridge and Burgettstown, PA., to “swing and sway” with the Accents.
Devitt recalled a gentleman he met from Burgettstown, Pa. who told Devitt he thought their fathers attended school to together in Pennsylvania. Sure enough, the man produced a photo of the two fathers and gave it to Devitt.
Among the long time dancers of The Accents are Gene and Judy Campbell of Carrollton who have been dancing together since 1961.
Other followers include George and Gladys Grove of North Georgetown, who have been dancing together for 63 years, and Karl and Alfreda Humphrey of New Garden. |
