BETHLEHEM, Pa — It was not the day music died. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
Although Don McLean said he doesn't recall belting out the lines to his song "American Pie" at the first Musikfest festival, many of his co-headliners said they do.
The famed singer was among the acts of the inaugural celebration in August 1984.
- Rob Stoneback and Bill George recall performing at the first Musikfest in 1984
- The multi-day celebration is now in its 40th year
- In the 1980s, the festival was known to feature polka and big bands
McLean was joined at that first Musikfest by 1960s and '70s hit pop group The Letterman.
"The Lettermen wish to congratulate Bethlehem on the 40th Anniversary of Musikfest," the group said in a statement. "What a wonderful accomplishment and testament to the power music has to build community.
"We've been honored to participate in a few of the events in the past and hope to see you again in the future."
Homegrown headliners
The real pioneers of Musikfest were the local musicians and actors who took part in the 10-day festival.
The list included the Letterman, the Louis Armstrong players and Valley favorites such as Rob Stoneback Big Band, Touchstone Theatre, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Allentown Band, John Gorka, Dave Fry and the Happy Boombadears.
The debut festival drew a crowd of about 180,000.
Compared to today's 11-day spread, the event began as a free, nine-day extravaganza with an emphasis on highlighting homegrown talent.
"Everyone chipped in, who I knew, in terms of the artists, be it the Rob Stoneback Big Band or the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, everything was centered around local artists," Bill George, of Touchstone Theatre, said.
George, who co-founded Touchstone in 1976 (the theatre changed its name in 1981), said the fest came at a time when local arts needed a boost.
"Before Musikfest, there was another arts festival in the '70s, but the arts community had really been struggling to organize," he said.
"It was right before the creation of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council or around the same time and that was interesting. The key thing between that effort and [Musikfest] was that [founder] Jeff Parks made an effort to get small businesses and the city involved."
According to George, several of the Musikfest's freshman class performed at Godfrey Daniels, a South Side hotspot.
Dave Fry, Mary Faith Rhodes and John Gorka, were among the top contenders.
Big bands
From polka to jazz, the early days of Musikfest also reflected what was heard in the Valley.
"You had the German bands, the [Lehigh Valley] Happy Boombadears," George said. "There was so much of our own artists. It was like we saw ourselves for the first time. We saw all of us up there.
"It changed the way Bethlehem and even the Lehigh Valley thought about itself and it changed the way we thought about ourselves."Bill George, Touchstone Theatre
"We did this? We can do this for 10 days? It changed the way Bethlehem and even the Lehigh Valley thought about itself and it changed the way we thought about ourselves."
Jazz artist Rob Stoneback agreed.
"What was great about it was that you would see different kinds of music," Stoneback said. "That's the first time I saw Peruvian musicians playing the pan flute. There was a lot of diversity."
In the '80s, Stoneback and his group were regulars at Musikfest's main stage, known then as the Community Arts Pavilion and located on the north side of the city.
"We'd have 2,000 to 3,000 people in front of us giving us a standing ovation," he said. "You could really feel the energy of the audience. We never knew what the turnout would be, but we were happy."
Stoneback, who is part of Johnny Mathis' orchestra, said he often was asked to perform as a backup player for groups such as The Temptations, Al Martino and Jay and the Americans.
Making lifelong connections
Stoneback said that one rainy Saturday in the '90s, he ran into members of the German group Algunder Bohmische when they sought shelter onstage during his performance.
They stayed for the set.
"About a year later, they asked me and my wife to come stay for 11 days as honorary guests in the Italian Alps," he said. "I ended up rehearsing, conducting and was featured as a soloist. That trip was fantastic."
He said he since has kept in touch with the group has traveled to Europe many times.
"The amount of respect I get there is amazing," he said. "Talk about being spoiled. There are dinners in my honor. I feel like a king."
The end of it all
Touchstone's George said he remembers working non-stop for 10 days straight in the hot August sun during Musikfest.
"We performed everything in our rep[ertoire] — from mime work to children’s theater — sometimes 16 or 17 different times," he said.
In the end, it was worth it, he said.
"I remember the last day, Dave Fry and I were sitting on a curb," he said. "We both looked at each other like we soldiers who had gone through a war. We were exhausted.
"But Musikfest was a great thing. It built the community and the artists. It strengthened the community."
