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Chip Curley | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> NASHVILLE BLUE LITES tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

NASHVILLE BLUE LITES

The Original
BLUE LITES
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Rock Band formed by members of the Nashville Metroplitan Police Department that visited schools and community events in the 1960's and 1970's. Members: John Pennington on drums, Terry Thomas on lead guitar, Ricky Willis on rhythm guitar and Jimmy Rogers, Jack Merlin, Ronnie Savage, Steve Hutchinson and others.

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Ingram 19-Apr-2016 21:15
The Blue Lites played at my school, Hattie Cotton Elementary, for at least two years after I started there in 1984. Chief Casey was a very honorable guy. Knew him both from church and his sometimes larger-than-life persona as Nashville Police Chief.
Ricky Willis 16-Aug-2013 19:41
I was one of the original members of The Blue Lites, and I just surprisingly happened upon this website that provided me quite an enjoyable trip down memory lane. In 1971 I was a rookie with the NMPD when one night I was partnered with a veteran officer named Jack Merlin. During our shift we discovered we both played guitars, and so we made plans to soon get together when off duty and do some picking.

Merlin invited Officer Terry Thomas, who also played a guitar, to join our little jam session introducing us and the three of us went on to have an enjoyable time that evening playing our instruments and singing together. We parted that night with plans to get together again soon, with Thomas stating he knew a police officer who played the drums and he'll contact him and see if he would care to join us.

So Officer John "Jethro" Pennington, with his drum set in tow, joined our next jam session, and it was on that occasion that the NMPD's THE BLUE LITES BAND was born. And so my friends you now know ... the rest of the story.
Kevin Minchey 30-Jun-2012 16:01
The Blue Lights came to Chadwell Elementary in Madison during the late 1970s. I had just started taking guitar lessons and so I was a budding guitarist who went wild anytime I heard good live music. At 11 years old, I didn't get to go to any rock concerts so it was a real treat! The Blue Lights were great musicians, Terry Thomas was the lead guitar player at that show if I remember correctly. I remember them playing Stagger Lee among other oldies. Great memories!
Robert Kinsall 27-Feb-2011 18:27
Great to see the Blue Lights History, I had the pleasure of working with Jack & David Merlin & Ronnie Savage in the County Line Band and have been working with Ronnie for the last 18 years in the City Limit Band. I also know Blue Lights Drummer Chuck Head & Guitarist Bret Stewart! The Blue Lights Rocked!
John Pennington (Jr.) 25-Jan-2011 05:11
This is so wonderful and brings back a lot of great memories. Actually, my first tornado experience was at a Blue Lights concert... cannot tell you the year or my age, but it happened! Thank you.
john pennington 23-Jan-2011 04:58
The Blue Lights Police Band was formed for one reason: for the community and the school students to have a better understanding that police officers are human, just like everyone else. This was one of the best Public Relations a police department can have for the public. Chip Curley has created magic in his compilation of The Blue Lights Band and its members. I should not expected anything else from Chip Curley. Chip loves the old rock and roll music and the bands that played it. Hats off to you, Chip my friend. Most of the band members are now deceased. We played for most of the schools in Davidson County, as well as those that surrounded it. We also played for private funcitons and many community parties. All of the glory of The Police Blue Lights band goes to Chief Joe Casey. He was respected by all that knew him. He knew our community needed a different type of community relations and so he backed the formation of The Blue Lights Band and supported it for many years, until he retired. Chief Joe Casey was a true friend of the police officers under him. A well-respected leader. Again, my thanks to Chip Curley for all the time and effort he has volunteered, in order to make The Nashville Metro Police Blue Lights Band, a shrine for the rest of the world to see. Thanks Chip, my friend. Retired Officer John Pennington, drummer, The Nashville Blue Lights Band.
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