AEDC Services hosts Tops in Blue June 16 at Motlow College

  • Published
  • By Tanya Bryan
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Tops in Blue is one of the oldest and most widely traveled entertainment groups of its kind and Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Services Office is proud to host the group at Motlow State Community College gymnasium for a 7 p.m. show on June 16.

As always, the show is free and open to the public with open seating. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. The show is sponsored in part by the Arnold Community Council, Walgreens and Coca Cola. No federal endorsement of sponsors is intended.

Composed of 35 to 40 of the most talented vocalists, musicians, dancers and technicians anywhere, their primary purpose is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. However, the enormous popularity of the group has also made them America's goodwill ambassadors around the globe.

"Freedom's Song" is the theme of the 2015 Tops in Blue World Tour. It's a celebration of the freedom we enjoy as Americans and the hope we have that, someday, the entire world will know what it's like to be free.

This year's tour features the exciting musical sounds of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Megan Trainor, and others. It also showcases great country music of artists like Carrie Underwood, Andy Grammer, Randy Howser and the Eli Young Band. Of course, no Tops in Blue show would be complete without the great patriotic music that honors our nation and its heroes. Add the high energy precision choreography and dazzling visual impact Tops in Blue is known for and every member of the audience will be singing along and dancing in their seats.

This year's tour will take Tops in Blue throughout the United States and to more than 20 countries, with 75 performances over a seven-month period. 

Each year, Air Force personnel stationed worldwide compete in a multilevel competition for the right to be selected as a member of this elite organization. The Tops in Blue team is an all active duty U.S. Air Force special unit made up of talented performers selected for their entertainment abilities. Each team begins their tour with an intense 60-day training period at the home of Tops in Blue, Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. This training consists of a highly accelerated educational process to prepare them to succeed as world-class entertainers and distinguished Air Force Ambassadors during the seven-month tour. The performers must master the instrumental, vocal, choreography, and staging requirements of the show. In addition, they also must become highly accomplished in the intricate technical skills needed to support the tour. They are, in essence, their own road crew. Under the guidance of five technical personnel, the performing team is responsible for setting up more than 60,000 pounds of staging, lighting, audio, video and special effects equipment required for each performance.

Tops in Blue has a distinctive history, spanning over 60 years. Since its first world tour in 1953, the group has also performed on film, produced albums, and appeared on national television with such legends as Ed Sullivan, Bob Hope, Alabama, Barbara Mandrel, BOYZ II MEN, Lee Greenwood and many others. They performed the entire half-time shows for the 1981 Garden State 40 Bowl and Super Bowl XIX, and in 2011, they performed with Lea Michele of "Glee" at Super Bowl XLV. Tops in Blue has performed for heads of state and dignitaries throughout the world. They have toured throughout Western, Central and Eastern Europe, the Far East, Middle East, Central America, Southwest Asia, Canada, and all 50 of the United States. Countries such as Taiwan, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Iceland, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Albania, Vietnam, Cuba, Africa and Iraq have all experienced the extraordinary entertainment of Tops in Blue.

For more information, contact AEDC Services Marketing at 454-3128 or visit www.topsinblue.com.