UW-Madison Badger Band director, Mike Leckrone, said goodbye after one last spring concert hoorah. Nearly 30,000 people attended the concert to offer him well wishes as he retired after 50 years of working with the band. In other words, he sold out the Kohl Center for THREE NIGHTS! His energy is still as vibrant as his personality, and you can tell that he loved his job for all of those years. Plus - have you SEEN the Badger Band? They bring the party.
During his final spring concert, Mike directed the band in playing songs from "Jersey Boys," Lionel Richie, Ozzy Osbourne and, of course, House of Pain's "Jump Around."
The event drew many band alumni and fans in general. Mike even sang a little bit: "Funny How Time Slips Away." He joked about the fact that the band has auditions now, and when he started at Madison in 1969, "If you knew which end to blow in, you were in."
The concert will air at 7PM on May 4th on Wisconsin Public Television.