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There's a singing group named after Dan Blocker
Dan Blocker told the group," If the name would help you in any way, please use it."
The Dan Blocker Singers has a nice ring to it, right? Well, that's because it's the name of an actual group that honored Bonanza's Dan Blocker.
Everyone knows the actor as Hoss "Gentle Giant" Cartwright on the legendary Western series, tackling social issues that viewers loved. Sometimes actors are only adored for their roles, but Blocker was loved on and off camera. He was described as a good-hearted individual and even taught for a little while.
An article written in The Valley Times in 1967 tells the story about a group of Odessa College students in Texas, where the actor also studied, that had the honor of using Blocker's name with his blessing.
The mastermind idea started with a 21-year-old named Dixon Bowles when he first formed the group in 1964. A college radio program director, he already had experience with music. The group started with 50 members and would rehearse three times a week before their first public performance at a local place in Odessa.
They were The W.D. Singers at the time, and more than three thousand people, including Dan Blocker, showed up. A former drama teacher invited Blocker to do a reading at the school, and he was impressed with the group who shared their admiration for the actor. However, the name change took time.
For two years, they went through changes. The group decreased in size and tried to succeed in Hollywood, but everyone knows how hard it is to live the Hollywood dream. The group eventually reached out to The Dan Blocker Foundation for its help and gladly received it.
To take things a step further in their career, the group asked Blocker if they could use his name, and of course, he said yes.
The article states that Blocker told the group, "If the name would help you in any way, please use it." So, he became associated with them, but only by name, and he was not involved in any of their music or creative processes.
Now known as The Dan Blocker Singers, they were able to get things moving. They were featured on a TV show and performed at The Hollywood Bowl, The Beverly Hilton Hotel Ballroom, and more.
They were able to reach new success all because of Dan Blocker's good heart.
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