Noel Alexander Gilbert, 82, whose musical career stretched from the stages of the old Palace and Orpheum theaters in the 1920s to radio in the 1930s to teaching at Memphis State University in the 1970s, died at Methodist Hospital Tuesday after a short illness. Gilbert, who came to Memphis from Scotts Hill, Tenn., in 1925 to study violin, was at MSU 26 years, including some as a student. He retired as a teacher in 1974. While at MSU he was violinist for the MSU string quartet. He later was conductor of the Germantown Symphony Orchestra. He was founder of the Memphis Civic Orchestra in the mid-1980s. Gilbert was involved in recording background music with such artists as Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Carla Thomas, B. J. Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. He was founder and conductor of the Memphis Concert Orchestra, which performed summer concerts at the Overton Park shell for more than 30 years. In the late 1930s he was staff violinist at WREC radio and in the 1940s led WMC radio's staff orchestra. He also spent three seasons directing the Evening Serenade on WMC-TV. He began teaching and in the summers played at the shell with the Memphis Open Air Theatre. Shortly after World War II, he was conductor of The Peabody Hotel Orchestra. He was a member of the Memphis Sinfonietta, which became the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. He was assistant concert-master in the 1970s. "He had a lot of drive, constantly putting together performing groups," said a son, Michael Gilbert, a member of the New York Philharmonic. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel with burial in Memorial Park. The widower of Flora Eason Gilbert, he also leaves a daughter, Ms. Joan Gilbert of Memphis, coordinator of the keyboard division at Memphis State University; another son, Robert Gilbert of Memphis, director of Brass Menagerie, a brass quintet; a sister, Mrs. Margie LaScala of St. Louis, and four grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to Memphis Civic Orchestra. (By Lloyd Holbeck, published in The Commercial Appeal on June 12, 1991)
Click HERE for memorials of other Memphis musicians.
Click HERE for memorials of other Memphis musicians.
Noel Alexander Gilbert, 82, whose musical career stretched from the stages of the old Palace and Orpheum theaters in the 1920s to radio in the 1930s to teaching at Memphis State University in the 1970s, died at Methodist Hospital Tuesday after a short illness. Gilbert, who came to Memphis from Scotts Hill, Tenn., in 1925 to study violin, was at MSU 26 years, including some as a student. He retired as a teacher in 1974. While at MSU he was violinist for the MSU string quartet. He later was conductor of the Germantown Symphony Orchestra. He was founder of the Memphis Civic Orchestra in the mid-1980s. Gilbert was involved in recording background music with such artists as Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Carla Thomas, B. J. Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. He was founder and conductor of the Memphis Concert Orchestra, which performed summer concerts at the Overton Park shell for more than 30 years. In the late 1930s he was staff violinist at WREC radio and in the 1940s led WMC radio's staff orchestra. He also spent three seasons directing the Evening Serenade on WMC-TV. He began teaching and in the summers played at the shell with the Memphis Open Air Theatre. Shortly after World War II, he was conductor of The Peabody Hotel Orchestra. He was a member of the Memphis Sinfonietta, which became the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. He was assistant concert-master in the 1970s. "He had a lot of drive, constantly putting together performing groups," said a son, Michael Gilbert, a member of the New York Philharmonic. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel with burial in Memorial Park. The widower of Flora Eason Gilbert, he also leaves a daughter, Ms. Joan Gilbert of Memphis, coordinator of the keyboard division at Memphis State University; another son, Robert Gilbert of Memphis, director of Brass Menagerie, a brass quintet; a sister, Mrs. Margie LaScala of St. Louis, and four grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to Memphis Civic Orchestra. (By Lloyd Holbeck, published in The Commercial Appeal on June 12, 1991)
Click HERE for memorials of other Memphis musicians.
Click HERE for memorials of other Memphis musicians.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
