A Friend Of The Princess And Of Harriman Has Passed - C. Vaughn Leslie

Leslie, C. Vaughn, Jr., age 71, of Dandridge, TN, departed this life on Monday, October 10, 2016, at his home.

 

Mr. Leslie and his band "Boys' Night Out" played the Princess stage in 2013 and 2014 to a packed house.  He and his band had both audiences on their feet and dancing on both occasions.  "Boys Night Out", an R&B/Beach band, never failed to draw an audience, wherever they played, but Roane County always knew the name and came in droves to "dance to the music"!

Music was always a part of his life, beginning with 4-H contests in elementary school, then drum major at Easley High School, and part of a traveling choir at Brevard College in NC.  He started his own band at ETSU, C. Vaughn Leslie & the Sleepless Nights, as well as a youth night club, The Burning Giraffe.  After a few years of only promoting bands and R&B artists, he was encouraged to join with other 60’s R&B lovers to create the band “Boys' Night Out”, which has been very popular in the East Tennessee area for over 30 years.

Boys' Night Out (BNO) was organized in 1983 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with the goal of recreating the authentic performances of the rhythm and blues (R&B) music that had been extremely popular with teenagers in the south during the late 1960s.  Boys' Night Out's first public performance was at the Oak Ridge Azalea Festival on May 5, 1984, and they have played a busy schedule ever since.

Between 1984 and 1987, several band members came and went until a stable configuration of personalities and artistic focus could be established.

Clifford Curry, C. Vaughn Leslie, and Archie Bell

As life would have it, Mr. Leslie sat with his long time friend, Clifford Curry, as he passed away just over a month ago (Clifford died on September 7)!  We should all have such a friend.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret (Perry) Leslie; sons, Matthew V. Leslie, and Barrett A. Leslie.

The family will receive friends from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at Rose Mortuary Broadway Chapel.

I post these remaining photos in remembrance of the good times he brought to the Princess Theatre.

 

C. Vaughn Leslie will be missed!