Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

Memphis, TN - This time next week the Band Reunion will be over and you might find yourself saying "I can't believe I forgot about that." Well put it on you calendar. I've had several responses from readers who will be there. Sue and I will be getting in on Saturday and headed back to Memphis after lunch at Mullin's on Sunday.

Please include your class year with your e-mails.

T. Tommy

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Fun Places to Eat

by Tommy Towery

Class of '64

This morning was spent as many of my Saturday mornings are spent - drinking coffee with Sue while we read the local paper. One of the things I like in the Memphis Commercial Appeal is that they do one of those "This day in history" articles where they print things that were printed in the paper 25, 50, 75, and 100 years ago. This morning I noticed that 25 years ago, the final four Shakey's Pizza Parlors were closed in Memphis.

Now I really don't remember eating at Shakey's in Huntsville when I was growing up, but I do remember them in Memphis while I was in college. I especially liked the honkey-tonk piano that constantly filled my ears with old time music. I remember the sing-alongs that went with them. I don't remember if the pizza was good or not, but for the Shakey's outing, it really didn't have to be, because I wasn't really there for pizza. I was there for the fun of being there with friends.

When I started pilot training in the Air Force I was surprised at a party one night when one of the other pilot trainees sat down at the piano and started rattling off all the old time songs. It turned out that he had worked his way through college at a Shakey's.

From their website I found "Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson loved ragtime music. He dreamed about having a place where his family and friends could get together, share some pizza and beer while listening - and often singing along – to favorite ragtime standards. So back in 1954 he scraped together his savings and opened the first Shakey’s Pizza Parlor & Ye Public House® at the corner of 57th and J Street in Sacramento CA. There was nothing like it. People came from all over to enjoy the original thin crust pizza, ice cold beer on tap and most of all, the fun, family friendly atmosphere."

Since I left Huntsville in June of 1964 I really can't remember if there was a Shakey's there or not. So, I'm opening this up to you readers. Do any of you remember a Shakey's in Huntsville. And while I am at it, do you have any fond memories of any Shakey's to share with the rest of us? Here's a 1970's commercial.

New Lee High School moves

a step closer to reality

Posted by Steve Doyle

August 19, 2009 9:37 AM

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The proposed design of a new Lee High School won a thumbs-up this morning from a city subdivision board.

Despite concerns about a railroad track near the school, board members liked the overall layout of the 50-acre campus off Meridian Street.

The Huntsville Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed design at 5 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, 308 Fountain Circle.

City school board member Jennie Robinson, an ex-officio member of the subdivision panel, said she still has "huge concerns" about the railroad. Classrooms will be on one side of the tracks and athletic fields on the other.

Students will have to use a pedestrian bridge to get across the tracks.

Robinson applauded architects Frank Nola and Robert Van Peursem for making the best of a challenging school site, putting the classroom wing as far from the tracks as possible to limit noise.

"I feel a whole lot better about it than I did," she said.

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Subject:In response to Eddie Burton - The Reflections

Michael Griffith

Class of ‘66

Eddie, I do remember our short-lived band. Also, I remember that you and Charlie Freeman (Lee ’66) were the only real talent, on the guitars. Phil McDonald (Lee ’66) was good on the drums, but as it turns out, my only musical talent primarily involves using the “shuffle” feature on my iPod. The name of this brief venture was “The Reflections,” which we decided upon in during Mechanical Drawing Class. We were trying to think of a name for the group and, as luck would have it, the lesson that day was reflection views … and the rest is short history.

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Subject:Unknown Band

Eddie Burton

Class of 66

Tommy, I'm sorry, after several extensive emails back and forth with Jeff and chatting with George Vail about it, I still have no memory of that band at all. Jeff told me the band was put together for an event a UAH and when the show came I didn't make it. They got another guitar player. That's not like me. Don't you think I'd remember a band even if we never played a gig who was in the paper with pictures and everything? I remeber the band with Mike Griffith. It was me, Mike, Phil McDonald and Charlie Freeman. I remember the practices, the couple of birthday parties we played, working up new songs, what we wore and our epuipment but for the life of me that band with Jeff, Frank, Donnie and me has been deleted from my hard drive.

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