Grady High School
Class Of 1961
BURTON BEERMAN
| Residing In: | bowling green, OH |
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| Spouse/Partner: | celesta haraszti beerman |
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| Homepage: |
burtonbeerman.com |
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| Occupation: | Distinguished Professor of the Arts/music |
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| Children: | brent beerman, born 1962 son Brent is a teacher, playwright and director in the Los Angeles area. grandchildren Justin More… |
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BURTON's Latest Interactions
Stanley and I first met some time before high school in Owen Seitz’s band. Seitz was a mean trombone player and a meaner person. It is fitting that our first contact was with music. Stanley’s father (I believe his name was Sam) as a great trombone player, and we were told invested much of his younger years touring with bands as a trombonist. He was very quiet and looked older than his years; but, put a trombone in his hand then he was dynamic. Stanley, Murray, I and Stanley’s father were engaged to play for a party at a synagogue in Dalton, Georgia. We were young and it was fun. As the evening progressed Stanley’s father would get drinks for us and place them on the bandstand at our feet. We would take a drink then knock them over and Sam would refill them. As the evening warmed up Stanley, particularly, got very sick (remember, we were young) and the hosts were very mad at Sam. He said nothing. I felt so sorry for him; but all we could see was this quiet, old before his years man who turned into this musical dynamo with an instrument in his hand. This Stanley’s genetic heritage. It was in his blood. As we were packing up to leave the next day a Sunday school teacher looked at this ragtag gaggle of young musicians and a now withdrawn old man and said, “See these people. They are great musicians.” That was the first time that Stanley and I shared public praise, and , for too young people, it felt good. Stanley played the trombone, maybe out of homage to his father.
In High School (more like junior high, today) my father brought home tv dinners from his warehouse, which were new for the time and probably stuffed with salt. Stanley and I sat up most of the night each eating several of them and talking religion, politics, music, and everything else all night. From the beginning he was one of the few people I could talk to about anything, and those conversations shaped from the beginning how I think and feel about most everything today. We were on opposite sides of the present political spectrum, but this do not stop our conversations. At times we each were curmudgeons. Outliers in our special way; but Stanley was more than a friend and more like a brother. I miss him. Life is now a little less complete.
Stanley, Murray, and I formed a jazz trio to participate in a contest sponsored by a local radio station. We argued as to whose name to use as the leader: Stanley Yerlow? Burton Beerman? Murray Solomon? No agreement there. So we finally agreed to make up a name: The Bill Vincent Trio. Of course, there was no such leader. At least, not for us. As luck would have it we won the contest and prize (the contest was broadcast live over the sponsoring radio station). They wanted Bill Vincent to come forward and claim the prize (it was cash, I am sure). I don’t remember what happened; but I do know that panic set in.
Posted on: Sep 18, 2022 at 11:29 AM
Murray and I were good friends in high school but lost contact after high school, as I left the atlanta area only to return to visit on occasion. We did run into Murray and his wife in Miami some years later and it was as if we had never left Atlanta, but again separated and never communicated again (it really wasn't a time for the internet and I am not a social network person even today). I do regret not being in contact with him more.
stanley yerlow, murray and I had a little musical trio in high school. we won some kind of silly little award from a local radio station dj ( he was "the thing" in his day but I can't even remember his name, now (I bet stanley remembers his name). Murray wanted the name of the group to be the murray solomon trio, I wanted it to be the burton beerman trio and stanley wanted it to be the stanley yerlow trio. we couldn't agree, so we evented the name Bill Vincent as the leader. We gave the name of the group to the dj at an interview and of course he wanted to meet the leader of the group and interview him. we quickly improvsed some excuse why he couldn't come.
definitely wished I had kept up wth murray over the years. stanley did and I learned about murray from stanley. stanley and I have kept up with each other over the years. we have even played concerts and recorded together. that reminds me. I owe him a phone call.
None of us should look back anymore in regret because we hadn't contacted a friend who is now gone. I do not have the best of memories of high school that I do not understand and I am sure is all my fault but Murray Solomon was a very good memory.
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