A few years ago I found out that my previous research based on David Blakely and the Bancroft and Sousa connections had become a part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign archives. To be more specific, several of my Tribune columns and articles have been a part of the Sousa Center for American Music Archives since 2004.

The connection between my research on Blakely and the University of Illinois archives is based on a man named Paul Bierley of Westerville, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus). Bierley is considered to be the nation’s and world’s foremost expert on the life of John Philip Sousa, his compositions and his famous band.

On several occasions through the years I have visited with Bierley by phone and corresponded with him by mail. He helped me to find the two dates Sousa’s Band presented concerts in Albert Lea. I sent the resulting articles, plus old news clippings and information about Blakely’s earlier life in the Midwest to Bierley. These items, plus all the other material Bierley acquired during the years is what was donated by him to the University of Illinois in 2004.

My original research on Blakley’s life was done in 1996. This revival and update on the man who is credited with the creation of Sousa’s Band in 1892 was inspired by the recently issued microfilm of his Bancroft Pioneer weekly newspaper. Those three rare 1858 copies were in the archives of the Minnesota Historical Society and acquired by the Freeborn County Historical Museum on the new microfilm.

As mentioned in last week’s column, Sousa was the director of the U.S. Marine Band in Washington, D.C., for 12 years (1880-1892). During a large portion of those same years, Blakely was the manager and promoter of the nation’s leading concert group, Patrick Gilmore’s Band. He also helped to arrange several concert tours for the Marine Band and thus became well acquainted with Sousa. As a result, he persuaded the man who would become known as the “march king” to start his own band. Blakely also financed the creation of Sousa’s Band.

Sousa resigned from the Marine Corps, organized his own band, and presented the first public concert on Sept. 26, 1892. And just a few days earlier, in a rather sad sequence of events for Blakely, Patrick Gilmore died in St. Louis, Mo.

The first season for Sousa’s Band was a money loser. However, before his death on Nov. 4, 1896, in New York City, Blakely lived long enough to see his judgment of Sousa was justified and the new band (which lasted until 1933) continued on to become an even greater musical and financial success.

Now, just what’s the connection between David Blakely and Sousa’s most famous march?

Sousa was on vacation in Europe during December 1896 when he received news of Blakely’s death. (News in that era traveled rather slowly.) Sousa decided to return to the U.S. on the next available ocean liner.

Here’s what Sousa wrote in his 1928 autobiography, “Marching Along.”

“As the vessel steamed out of the harbor, I was pacing the deck, absorbed in thoughts of my manager’s death and the many duties and decisions which awaited me in New York. Suddenly, I began to sense the rhythmic beat of a band playing within my brain. It kept on ceaselessly playing, playing, playing.

“Throughout the whole tense voyage, that imaginary band continued to unfold the same themes, echoing and reechoing the most distinct melody. I did not transfer a note of that music to paper while I was on the steamer, but when we reached shore, I set down the measures that my brain-band had been playing for me, and not a note of it has ever been changed. The composition is known the world over as ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever,’ and is probably my most popular march.”

On Dec. 11, 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed a special act from Congress which made “The Stars and Stripes Forever” our official National March.

Ed Shannon’s column has been appearing in the Tribune every Friday since December 1984.