Happy Birthday, Jimmy Pankow!

Connor McCauley and James Moore perform a piece from Chicago’s *Ballet for a Girl from Buc(k)hannon* Suite.

Shirley Lewis surprises John Waltz and Buckhannon Community Theatre with a $1,000 check toward the organization’s pledge of $25,000 for the Jim Knorr Lobby, part of the Colonial Theatre renovation project. Photo Credit: Katie Kuba, MyBuckhannon

Bryson Van Nostrand shared ART26201 fortunes with the crowd.
The message read, “*Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become*.”
We hope Mayor McCauley’s dream for Jimmy Pankow to come to Buckhannon will come true!

An ART26201 “fortune” handed out at the event.

Mayor McCauley hyped the new Pankow Cove during the event and read an official proclamation (below).

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, the Hall of Fame rock & roll band, Chicago, is internationally renowned, having sold more than 125 million, records & musical units worldwide, Chicago being ranked by Billboard as the #9 artist in the history of music; and,

WHEREAS, one of Chicago’s founding members is trombonist, James Carter “Jimmy” Pankow, whose seven-track, musical suite, “Ballet for a Girl in Buc[k]hannon” was released in January of 1970 as part of Chicago’s second album, the work being dedicated to his lost love & fiancee, Terri Heisler, who departed Chicago to attend school at West Virginia Wesleyan College here in Buckhannon; and,

WHEREAS, the “Buc[k]hannon” in Jimmy Pankow’s “Ballet” is our own Buckhannon & during the nearly 50 years since the rock opus’s release “Ballet” remains one of Chicago’s most legendary productions, & the 13 minutes of musical awe also includes the instrumental classic, “West Virginia Fantasies,” all being a part of our Buckhannon folklore; and,

WHEREAS, our City of Buckhannon appreciates the Jimmy Pankow creation of positive notoriety for our community during the past half century, Buckhannon exhibiting a long history of embracing the arts, & particularly our affinity for the musical arts; and,

WHEREAS, Buckhannon wishes to acknowledge the tribute paid to our wonderful community in the Pankow “Ballet,” by honoring Jimmy Pankow now & henceforth upon his birthday of August 20; and,

WHEREAS, our City of Buckhannon now further desires to establish a permanent tribute to the musical legend, Jimmy Pankow, by installation of a sign explaining the Chicago connection to Buckhannon, a statue of Jimmy Pankow playing his slide trombone, a Chic[K]ago bench in our Jawbone Park, & a public art tribute to the trombone instrument.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID W. McCAULEY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BUCKHANNON, pursuant to the authority duly vested in me, do hereby proclaim that our City formerly known as Buckhannon shall be renamed & known on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 as “Buchannon!” I urge all residents of Buchannon to join me, our City Council & all City employees, in expressing their fondest 72nd birthday wishes to Jimmy Pankow while extending to him our heartfelt appreciation & thanks for all that he has accomplished during his long & illustrious, musical career.

Given under my hand & the official seal of

“Buchannon,” WV this 20th day of August, 2019

David W. McCauley, Mayor

Pankow-Birthday-Program-8-20-19 Download