Alumni are the strength of this school and we have many that have taken paths to become educators, doctors, politicians, lawyers, construction workers, attendants, secretaries, and the likes. Saxons are everywhere and we want to hear your story.
Each September ASB gears up for Homecoming and we have a long standing tradition that the teachers do a lip sync in the Gym for the students before the big game. This has become quite a showstopper and we have acts that his every genre of music from Latin Rock to Rap.
As
we look over Loara's rich History there are some really big musicians that have
stamped their mark on the broader stage. This blog post is to them ... those that have rocked, keep rocking and will rock. I apologize in advance if anyone is forgotten in this list, we will update as information is given. Any additions please email to me here.
The Tim & Jeff Buckley Legacy
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| Jeff Buckley - Grace |
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| Tim Buckley |
Jeff's father
Tim Buckley made a name for himself in folk
music and was also a Saxon for a short time.
In 1965 during French class at Loara High School, Buckley met Mary Guibert, one grade his junior and his soon to be wife. Other Saxons he collaborated with Larry Beckett and Jim Fielder. Early on in all of their careers.
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| Jim Fielder |
Jim Fielder had a role with several major 1960s Californian rock acts before settling into the one which brought him the most recognition, as the bass player for
Blood, Sweat & Tears during their most popular years. In the mid-'60s,
Fielder was bass player in
the Bohemians, whose lead singer was
Tim Buckley. As a result of
Fielder meeting
Mothers of Invention drummer
Jimmy Carl Black,
the Bohemians were introduced to
Mothers' manager
Herbie Cohen, who also took on
the Bohemians.
the Bohemians made demos that attracted the interest of
Jac Holzman at Elektra Records, but Elektra wanted
Buckley as a solo artist, not with
the Bohemians. There were no hard feelings, and in fact,
Fielder plays some of the bass on
Buckley's first pair of Elektra LPs,
Tim Buckley and
Goodbye and Hello. (
http://www.allmusic.com)
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| Larry Beckett |
Although he did not actually play on
Tim Buckley's records,
Larry Beckett was one of the cult singer/songwriter's most important creative colleagues, co-writing much of
Buckley's best material.
Buckley and
Beckett started writing together in the mid-'60s, when both were teenagers in the Southern Californian group
the Bohemians, in which
Beckett played drums.
the Bohemians also included bassist
Jim Fielder (later to play on records by
Buckley and
Buffalo Springfield, and as a full member of
Blood, Sweat & Tears), and got as far as making a demo that was instrumental in catching the attention of Elektra Records. Elektra, however, was interested in working with
Tim Buckley as a solo artist, and not with
the Bohemians as a band.
Beckett, nonetheless, was closely involved with the making of
Buckley's first couple of LPs, both as frequent songwriting collaborator and as an associate whose input into arrangements and recording was accepted in the studio. (
http://www.allmusic.com)
The Stefani's
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| No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom |
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| Gwen Stefani |
When it comes to commercial success,
No Doubt and
Gwen Stefani take the title.
With the return of the punks in the mid-'90s came a resurgence of their slightly more commercial rivals, new wave bands.
No Doubt found a niche as a new wave/ska band, on the strength of vocalist
Gwen Stefani's persona -- alternately an embrace of little-girl-lost innocence and riot grrrl feminism -- exemplified on the band's breakout single, "Just a Girl."
Formed in early 1987 as a ska band inspired by
Madness, the lineup of
No Doubt initially comprised
John Spence,
Gwen Stefani, and her brother
Eric. While playing the party-band circuit around Anaheim, the trio picked up bassist
Tony Kanal, born in India but raised in Great Britain and the U.S. Hardened by the suicide of
Spence in December 1987,
No Doubt nevertheless continued;
Gwen became the lone vocalist and the group added guitarist
Tom Dumont and drummer
Adrian Young (Katella Graduate). (
http://www.allmusic.com)
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| Eric Stefani |
Their Tragic Kingdom album brought them off Mells Lane in Anaheim and landed them a career that has made them all household names. When the band began
Gwen Stefani started off as the back up singer, and through it's History moved to center stance.
Eric Stefani with other original members began the band while attending Loara High School.
Following Tragic Kingdom, Eric pulled himself out of the band and moved on to other artistic endeavors, he has drawn for
The Simpsons, written children books, plays his accordion and lives here in Southern California. You can see his art at
http://ericstefanimusic.blogspot.com/
Save Ferris & Starpool
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| Save Ferris |
Following in the footsteps of No Doubt they took a spin in the limelight.
Save Ferris was originally formed as a ska-punk band named Los Pantelones. After the group broke up in 1995, guitarist
Brian Mashburn and saxophone player
Eric Zamora began writing songs, together with former bandmates
Bill Uechi (bass) and José Castellaños (trumpeter). The quartet from Loara later recruited drummer Mark Harismendy, vocalist
Monique Powell and trombone player
T-Bone Willy.
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| Starpool |
Save Ferris's popularity dwindled when they turned from Ska and moved more mainstream. They have once again resurrected themselves into the current ska band
Starpool which combines former lead singer of No Doubt and the band of Save Ferris.
The Others
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| David Diggs |
David Diggs (70) received distinction when "Billboard" rated him one of the top three New Jazz Artists in 1985.
Excellence in music in the district began in the early 1920's when Joshua Williams came to Anaheim High School. During the 30 years at that school he gave free lessons to his high school students as to make a complete orchestra, then he encouraged the elementary schools to develop music programs. The next important champion in Anaheim was William (Bill) Cook, who came to Anaheim High School while he was still a senior at Redlands College. With the retirement of Williams in 1950, Bill Cook spearheaded the development of music throughout the new schools that were being built in the district.
The Band and Pageantry Spectacular was never intended to be a competition, but rather a "show." The basic rationale of the "show" was to show off the excellence of the Anaheim Union High School District music program and to help the progression of young musicians from the junior high school programs through the high school band programs.
