Friday, September 06, 2002 - 5:06 PM
Curt:My old friends in the Royals told me that like us they had to deal with major drug problems in the late 1960's. Their problem, unlike ours became unsolvable and drove Sie to the brink.
When he finally found out about how pervasive the problem had become in the corps and that some of the old trusted guys were not only part of the problem but were dealing the drugs as well he pulled the plug and the Royal folded after 1969.
It was a shame too because Sie deserved a better fate from those guys, to whom, like Don Warren for us, gave some much of his time and treasure to help. They had that priceless drum corps experience because of him, and let him down in repayment, and let him down big time.
What's tragicaly funny is that these same guys are still around and seem to have no memory of the role they played in destroying one of the great corps of the period and the heartbreak they caused Sie Lurie, a guy who would give you the shirt of his back, and did for a lot of people.
In his own way he was a grand larger than life guy who you came to love because he was so much bluster but all heart underneath.
He deserved that Hall of Fame distinction they gave him at DCI a few weeks ago.
That was the fate of the Royals as I know it.
The Cavaliers were a more competitive Corps becuase we had the Royals to face every weekend.
Splooie
Ken
