Dec. 31, 2001 Plans for the memorial for longtime Husky Marching Band director Bill Bissell have been finalized. "A Musical Tribute to Bill Bissell" will take place Sat., Jan. 5, at Bank of America Arena. The tribute will feature current and former members of the Husky Band, among other activities. The ceremony gets underway at 3:00 p.m. Bissell, who was largely responsible for building the reputation and tradition of the UW Band, died in his sleep Dec. 19 at the age of 70. He is credited, along with former yell leader Robb Weller, with introducing "The Wave" to college football in 1981. Washington's marching band had a colorful flair under Bissell's direction, making "Louie, Louie", "Tequila" and "Hey Baby" synonymous with Husky athletics, while directing halftime routines that included the band recreating the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. He is survived by his wife Shirlee and two children, Bruce and Sherry. |
