Mr. Jewell Tilson
tradition ERA CATEGORY (RETIRED 25-49 years for induction)
Jewell Tilson retired in 1986 after 38 years in education, with 18 of those with Kingsport City Schools. He served as the band director at Dobyns-Bennett High School and Sevier Middle School, with other musical director positions in Chattanooga, Elizabethton, and at Washington College Academy. Mr. Tilson’s bands were recognized for their outstanding concert and marching performance abilities. Under his leadership, the D-B Band become one of the first in Tennessee to travel internationally, including trips to Austria, Spain, and Europe. In 1972, D-B received the Minister of Education Award for Musical Performance at the International Band Festival in Vienna, Austria. He served as a long-time clinician and judge as musical competitions through the south, and received numerous honors during his tenure, including serving as President of the Tennessee Bandmasters Association and held membership in the East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, National Band Association, and Music Educators National Conference. Mr. Tilson was a member of Phi Beta Mu, and was inducted into the Tennessee Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 2006. Mr. Tilson was posthumously elected to the KCS Hall of Fame in the Tradition Era category (Retired 25 - 49 years from induction).