Music and Oil in Beaumont: A History of the Magnolia Petroleum Band
Date
2019-01
Authors
Proksch, Bryan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Center for Texas Music History
Abstract
The 1920s were a turbulent time for bands in the
United States. The ensembles dominated American
popular music from the late nineteenth century through
World War I, more or less coinciding with the famed
careers of P.S. Gilmore and John Philip Sousa. In the
immediate post-war period, however, bands faced
numerous challenges to their preeminence. On the
one hand there was no heir apparent to Sousa, who
was already in his mid-sixties and faced constant
speculation that he would retire. Indeed, Sousa’s
force of personality would never permit retirement,
but the Sousa Band’s tours gradually shortened year by year through the 1920s as his audiences and profitability declined.
Description
Keywords
Beaumont, Oil, Magnolia Petroleum Band
Citation
Proksch, B. (2019). Music and oil in Beaumont: A history of the Magnolia Petroleum Band. <i>Journal of Texas Music History, 19</i>(1), pp. 8-19.