John Moore:
CLASS OF 1964
Morgantown High SchoolClass of 1964
Morgantown, WV
West Virginia University - JournalismClass of 1968
Morgantown, WV
John's Story
Life
Hello all.
Hope life has treated you fairly. I have been a fortunate one.
Went on to WVU. Married in my junior year in college to Susan K. Chipps (MHS '66). We've built quite a life together, with three great children and six grand children (at last count!). I graduated with a journalism degree in 1968. Was ROTC commander there so went directly into the military where I stayed for 5 1/2 years of service...spending time in SAC and even in the Pentagon.
Moved on from the Air Force to a 3 1/2 decade career in advertising. Owned and operated a communications corporation that included an international ad agency and entertainment company among our holdings. Walked away from the corporate life in 2002, and now split our time between our home on Grand Island, NY and an island a little further south...Key West, Fl.
Along the way I dabbled in politics and a whole range of "community" things, but never lost my passion for music...old time rock and roll. As you guys may remember played in a few bands around Morgantown with guys like Kurt Milam, Larry Shreve, Terry Morgan, Duane Stiles and others.
Reunited with the Rivieras for a few reunion shows and launched a third career in the music business with a duo/trio/four piece act that tracks the roots of rock and roll from the 1930s through the 1960s. I call it BluesRoot. It started in July, 2005 and we recorded a live CD entitled "Live. Real. In the moment" which has now been released internationally.
That lead to a cool new project called "Papa and Mama Root" which is just that Papa (me) and Mama (Susan) with help from a few bass guitar playing friends. Leading to lots of fundraising gigs, amusement parks, baseball parks and much more. New CD to be released in the spring of 2009. Check us out at papaandmamaroot.
What a hoot! Playing in baseball parks, theme parks, on a cruise and some other cool events this summer...maybe they don't realize how old I am!
Anyway...managed to keep in touch with a few MHS folks over the years, but not many. I hope to change that now.
Occasionally play some music in MoTown. Nothing booked at the moment. Try to stop by and reintroduce yourself. I'll be the guy on stage singing, playing guitar and harmonica, and trying to look cool!
It's not all music though. Still act as a mentor, coach, and consultant to small businesses in all things "branding." Have a small office. All the hassle I need today.
Hey that's my life in less than 750 words. Amazing.
Peace. Love. ...Expand for more
Health
John D. Moore
School
High school was great. I understand it when people say that there are some pieces of your life where time seems to stand still. I guess that's the way I feel about high school. The classes, the dances, the sports, and most of all the friends I thought I'd be close to forever. Hopefully this service will allow me to reconnect. Part adult...part kid...high school will always be a part of me.
College
WVU really had a positive impact. I will always be a Mountaineer. Haven't lived in Morgantown since...with the exception of a few months when I separated from the Air Force in 1973...but it still ties me to our great hometown.
Majored in journalism. Minored in political science and history. Won a scholarship. Was editor of the newspaper. Was news director at WAJR while in school. And, worked my way up to cadet corps commander in Air Force ROTC. I guess somewhere between high school graduation and my sophomore year at WVU I got real, real, serious about things. That was good...at the time.
Enjoyed football games and the basketball "events". Found myself sitting in the stands at MHS a couple times watching a game.
Funny how grown up Morgantown and WVU have become since those days in the '60's!
Workplace
Been through the whole career progression thing. Worked for years for an international ad agency based in NYC. Moved on to a small Buffalo NY agency with big plans. Became a partner...saw the company explode with growth. Resigned and started one from scratch with a colleague. Tough. But rewarding. Saw it become more than I could have dreamed with several companies developing from it and all that went with it. The communications company not only allowed me to work with great people to brand their companies, but do cool things like run music events in cities and towns across the country. Sold it off. Shut down the rest in 2002. Now life is actually sweeter...working with small businesses who need a bigger outlook. And, of course it gives me the time to be a musician again! And that's the best workplace of all!
Military
I often said when I was on active duty that four years of ROTC taught me how to put on a uniform...the rest you had to learn on the job.
Got the assignment I wanted out of school...SAC. Served as info officer, intell officer and a very, very young squadron commander. Nothing like the roar of a B-52 at dawn!
Even got to help with the early days of the volunteer force concept. Once again, a lucky guy.
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