Hello I am looking for anyone who might have known Roger Allen who played trumpet with the Blue Devils in the 70's probably somwhere between 1972-1979 I would appreciate any help you can give me.

He didn't play trumpet.....he played soprano (yeah....it's picky, bt let's be accurate here).

Aside from that....don't know, as he was before my time. Where's JR or Trooper??

Sorry about the faux paux about the trumpet err I mean Soprano thingy but then I am not a member of the band just married to a man named Roger Allen who says that he at one time played with the Blue Devils, I came to this website and found that they sell cd's and dvd's of past competitions and would like to get one for my husband for Christmas but don't know for sure what year he was with the Blue Devils maybe he is just pulling my leg and never was with them I don't know that is why I have posted something here maybe someone will read this and let me know. I haven't asked him too much about it because I wanted it to be a surprise for Christmas. If anyone out there reads this and knows anything it would greatly be appreciated. Thanks, Jo

http://www.bluedevils.org/tty/index.php?ye...D=1&page=roster

just click on a year, and see if you can find his name.

There is no Roger Allen listed in the roster.

But just in case you better buy up a bunch of CD's and DVD's.

Trust me, he'll love 'em!

Yeah....but sometimes the roster's incorrect. I forgot who it was, but there WAS a guy who marched in 84 who was not listed (he may have been added....I think it was John Smeltzer)

Also, some of the instruments are wrong...the 84 listing shows Stan Cochrell and Steve Strom in the soprano line....but Stan was on either bari or euph and Steve was a French horn....and Jeff Voorhees is listed as a MARCHING tympani!!

Best way to confirm would be either an actual yearbook or someone who DID march the corps remembering him....

as far as the roster im pretty sure that you are only added if you add yourself.. i might be wrong.. cause i know a few people who arent listed.

Hey thanks for the suggestion about the roster but he isn't listed anywhere. This is the information I have come up with so far. My husband Roger Allen played for 5 years somewhere between the time of 1972-1980 He graduated from High School in 1977 from Modesto High here in Modesto Ca. He was with a group called Valley Fever (does anyone know anything about this group???) and for 1 year played with the Blue Devils but I don't know what year and I don't know how else to find any information. I would love to buy all of the CD's and DVD's offered but would really like to find one that would have him playing on it, so it would be special. Thanks for all the help so far.

why not just ask him what year he marched blue devils.. most likely that would have been his last (age out) year.. then you can assume that he marched valley fever the 5 years prior to that

wouldn't he have aged out at 21? weren't the age out rules the same back then? so, whatever year he would have aged out... graduating in 77 he probably aged out in 80, so id guess somewhere close to there

IF he marched in Valley Fever, their first year of competition was in 1980. I don't believe anybody went from Blue Devils to Valley Fever, so.....If he marched four years in Valley Fever, that would put him at best in the 1984 Blue Devils (I don't recall the name).

I think you're looking for mid-80's Blue Devils

its possible he marched BDB and not BDA!

I doubt it Rob (not mid 80s). She says he graduated high school in '77, and I'm assuming she knows that year is correct, so he would have had to of aged out by '80.

However, Rob is right. Something doesn't add up. If your husband graduated in '77 he could not have possibly marched 4 years with Valley Fever (they didn't exist until later as Rob points out) then one with BD. Perhaps he is just exaggerating his drum corps history. It happens - .

If you really want to do this I think you are just going to have to ask him when he marched with the Blue Devils specifically. Tell him you saw someone in the mall (or wherever) with a BD t-shirt on and you asked him when he marched and it made you wonder...

btw - if he didn't actually march with BD he will still LOVE your idea for a gift. Anyone who is willing to fib about marching (not saying that is the case here), is certainly someone who wishes they did and would love some CDs and/or DVDs.

You might check out the "Through the Years" series on this site.

Through the Years - 70s

Through the Years - 80s

yup, a lot of people do that.

yup a lot do.. except japs.. he really did march until he was 23 or 24!

hello again I don't really have any more information though I did ask him when Valley Fever started and he said it started in 1978 don't know when their first competition was, maybe he did exaggerate about how many years but we did get an invitation for a reunion for Valley Fever this past summer so I know he was in that corps and I really can't think he would have made up being in the Blue Devils he always talks about traveling to different states and competing but doesn't distinguish which corps he was with at the time, I know I could just ask him but I really wanted it to be a suprise. I just came across a couple of pictures with a banner in the background that says "1980 Drum corps International Championship" also the stands in the background have some unusual letters like JIMATT the A could be an O the people on the field are in the colors Black and red and look like little soldiers and another group is in yellow and black and the yellow looks like rain coats and another group is in red and yellow with flags that have red and yellow stripes and streamers on them with some funny looking hats with I think feathers in them does any of this ring a bell with anyone, my son and I were laughing so hard-trying to explain the details- I could barely type this out!! now whether he was with Valley Fever or Blue Devils I don't know. He did mention going to Ann Arbor Michigan and somewhere in Alabama. I know this isn't very helpful but maybe someone out there knows something. Thanks again to everyone you have been very welcoming to someone new.

He probably aged out with the Blue Devils in Birmingham Alabama in 1980 as a World Champion no less!

According to CorpsReps, it was 1980.



All right....we need the 1980 alums to step up here.

As far as making things up....you;d be amazed how many times I come across people who say they marched 84 Blue Devils "A" and I know for a fact they did not...one guy even claimed he was in the opening trio in La Fiesta...and I KNOW who those guys were...

Not saying your husband's lying....but just a word to the wise.

That would be a reference to Jim Ott, legendary brass arranger for the Stockton Commodores, Blue Devils, and Spirit of Atlanta. Tragically, Jim died on a car wreck while on tour with Spirit in 80...which is where that signage comes in. The high bass trohpy was named in his honor.