The Bellamy Brothers’ 2014 World Tour will take them to places such as Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Australia.
But before that, they’ll stop in Dade City.
(Courtesy of Becky Taylor)
On April 11, the group — who has performed for more than 40 years and has topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts — will take the stage to benefit Pasco High School as part of the school’s annual Reunion of Decades. Because organizers are expecting a large crowd, the event will be at Pasco High’s W.F. Edwards Stadium.
“We’ve been busy, busy, busy. The Bellamy Brothers are a big draw,” event coordinator Becky Taylor said. “We’re hoping to branch out to the communities in the surrounding areas. Hopefully it won’t be just Pasco alumni. Hopefully it’s going to be the whole community coming together for the Bellamy Brothers.”
Organizers already have received more than $50,000 in sponsorships, Taylor said, and attendance could reach 2,500.
If it seems unusual that a musical duo known around the world would perform a show to benefit a local school, it’s because they’re local products themselves. David and Howard Bellamy both attended Pasco High.
And while it’s not the first benefit show they’ve done for their alma mater, pairing it with the annual reunion event could make it the biggest.
Taylor said her husband Chet came up with the idea to combine the reunion event and the concert. The Taylors, who are friends with the artists, helped get the ball rolling.
Reunions are traditional events for high schools, but Pasco’s Reunion of Decades incorporates several classes into one annual gathering. Each year, the class celebrating its 30th reunion (the Class of 1984 this year) is inducted into the event, which is sponsored by the group celebrating its 40th reunion (Class of 1974). In addition to any separate reunions they might have, all classes 30 years and older also get to take part in the Reunion of Decades each year.
The event will raise money for the athletic department at Pasco High. For Taylor, helping the school is important to her family: She was a cheerleader during her high school days, and her husband played football there. Three of her four children are now students at Pasco High.
While she had praise for the school system, Taylor acknowledges that it’s always an issue to fully fund areas of need.
“The district does the best they can, but we always try to fundraise to do extra,” she said. “There are so many camps that our kids could be attending, referees on the field, it’s just an endless thing. Fundraising is always needed.”
The event also will benefit the Reunion of the Decades scholarship fund, which provides a scholarship in the name of Frances Bellamy, known affectionately as “Ma Bellamy” in the country music community before her passing in 2009. She was an active member of the area’s school system for decades, driving a Pasco County school bus and serving as assistant manager of Pasco High’s cafeteria for 24 years.
Taylor hopes music fans will come out not only to reunite with former classmates or see a top music act, but also to help a community school and the students it serves. “These kids that are graduating from our high schools, they’re going to be in our communities working one day,” Taylor said. “Whether our kids are college-bound or whether they’re going to a vocation-type field, I think it’s important for us to support these high schools.”
The concert will begin at the stadium at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission seating or $25 for reserved seating.
Reunion tickets are $45, and include a barbecue social and dinner before the concert, as well as reserved seating. Special VIP table reservations also are available.
Tickets can be purchased at Pasco High School at 36850 State Road 52, Dade City Animal Clinic at 13117 U.S. 301, or Olga’s Bakery at 14117 Seventh St.
For information, call (352) 524-5508.
Published March 19, 2014
