SOUNDS HISTORY...
AN IDEA:
In mid 1988, Barbara Salloum attended a free recital at Mississippi Music
in Biloxi that featured the piano duo of Sue Tillman and Bob Moody.
Barbara thought is was a wonderful event and just knew people would gladly
pay to hear this beautiful music. At the next meeting of the Board of
Directors of the Gulf Coast Alzheimer’s Association, she asked if the
association would consider sponsoring a fund-raiser concert, and they
agreed to do so.
THE FIRST SHOW:
Along with fellow chairmen of the event Jeff Bennett and Wallace Long,
Barbara approached her friends, Bob Moody and Sue Tillman, and asked them
to do participate in the proposed fund-raiser. Local Coast
performers Karen Abernathy and David Delk were also invited to
participate. Sounds of the Holidays, as it was named, when it was
presented at the Saenger Theatre in Biloxi, debuted in early December
1988. The one-night performance had 150 people in attendance and raised
about $300.
THE SHOW RETURNS:
Due to many requests during the year, Barbara asked Bob to return with
the show and he accepted. As the new director of the production, Bob
invited the original cast back and included other Coast performers such as
Terese Gargiulo, Rose Wallace and Keith Ballard. The Sounds of the
Holidays returned in 1989 to a bigger audience and more sponsors. It
raised almost $2,000.
A NEW DIRECTOR:
Bob Moody continued to direct the highly popular show for the next
seven years and in 1998, he approached David Delk to assume the
responsibilities of the production.
Unfortunately, when David contacted the Alzheimer’s Association to begin production, but they felt
they did not have the time to commit to the production and wished to
permanently cancel the show.
A NEW SPONSOR:
Barbara Salloum contacted the American Heart Association and they
eagerly jumped at the opportunity to sponsor the show. The production was
being organized, but it was removed from the Saenger Theatre’s calendar
for that year because the show had a new sponsor.
OUR LUCKY DAY:
After talking to Barbara Salloum about the situation, Becky Ginn of the local
American Heart Association office contacted Grand Casino Biloxi and
requested their help. The casino graciously offered its state-of-the-art
Biloxi Grand Theatre and rehearsals began for a new era of Sounds of
the Holidays with David Delk as director.
A NEW BEGINNING:
In 1999, the NEW Sounds of the Holidays premiered at the Biloxi
Grand Theatre under a new director, David Delk, to almost 800 people and raised $20,000. The Sounds of
the Holidays has continued to be presented at the Biloxi Grand Theatre
and with the continued support of Grand Casino, Gatlin's Dress Shop, the
city of Biloxi, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and a cast and crew of
almost 100, it has grown to become the Coast's favorite holiday show.
KATRINA:
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina destroyed our venue, The Grand Theatre, but
the Director, staff and cast were determined to perform the show so we
returned to the Saenger Theatre, which luckily, was spared by the storm.
Our 2005 show sold out weeks in advance.
CONTINUING:
After the 2006 show, David Delk took a leave of absence and Twyla Moore
assumed the director responsibilities for three successful years (2007,
2008, 2009).
David Delk will return as Director in 2010 as the show moves to the IP
Casino/Resort.
AWARDS:
Our Director, David Delk, receives the
American Heart Association
Southeast Affiliate Volunteer of the Year Award
2002 - 2003
DIRECTORS:
Bob Moody 1988 - 1998
David Delk 1999 - 2006
Twyla Moore 2007 - 2009
David Delk 2010 -