The Blue Lites
Also credited as The Blue LIghts, they were a Rock Band formed by members of the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department that visited schools and community events in the 70's and 80s. Of note, Jerry Reed once performed with the group.
History[edit | edit source]
The band was founded in 1972 and hit its popular peak in the early '80s, when demand for concerts was so high, the members were transferred to the Court Appearances section to allow for flexible work schedules. It also was praised as an outreach program: In 1974, then-Assistant Chief of Police Donald Barton said the band had "improved the relationship between young people and the Police Department more than any other one thing we've done." The group turned in their rock n roll credentials in 1989.
Dave Paulson reported for The Tennessean in 2018: If you attended school in Nashville in the '70s and '80s, there's a good chance you caught a gig from the Blue Lites. "There's probably not a school in Nashville that we didn't perform at," band member Rick Willis recalls. At a typical show, once students had taken their seats, the auditorium curtain would open to reveal four uniformed officers with electric guitars, bass and drums. "You'd see the kids out there, especially the high school kids, with these long faces. But we'd break out 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Freebird,' and they were acting like they were at a concert at the auditorium."
Ricky Willis remembers: 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.
John Pennington tells his side: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.
Members[edit | edit source]
John Pennington - drums
Terry Thomas - lead guitar
Ricky Willis - rhythm guitar
Jimmy Rogers
Jack Merlin - bass
Ronnie Savage
Steve Hutchinson - guitar
Britt Thomas - guitar
Charles 'Chuck' Head - drums
John Smith - bass
Fred Goble - guitar, bass
Joe Bryan - guitar
Billy Reese - guitar
Ronald Shaw - guitar
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