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PARKER: School honors Bailey; he returns the favor

By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 18, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Carrie Underwood and Medal of Honor recipient George Day

Photo by AEG Live

Carrie Underwood and Medal of Honor recipient George Day

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Earth Wind & Fire is on tour (including a Tuesday show at Red Rocks), but that didn't stop Denver native and East High grad Philip Bailey from flying in today to be honored by his alma mater in its Alumni Heritage Hall.

The school's music program was (and is) so good that Bailey feels he wouldn't have had the massive EWF success if he hadn't gotten such a good start at East.

"We had a conservatory. I'm telling you, the only way I can describe it is we had a conservatory," Bailey (Class of '69) said. Marion Padboy, who is now deceased, and Vincent Tagliavore took the music program to a high standard that continues today.

"Miss Padboy, our choir teacher and Mr. Tagliavore, our band teacher, they exposed us to a higher end of learning," Bailey said. "My son, who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, didn't even get close to the stuff we were exposed to. . . . In high school, before college, we were exposed to madrigals; we were exposed to all different styles of music. Quartet ensembles, right there in our face, right now. . . . Man, we had orchestras, we had different string ensembles, woodwind ensembles, brass ensembles that would come to the school and perform."

The teachers were direct and hands-on, he told Rocky music critic Mark Brown.

" 'This is this. That is that. OK, how do you sing? How do you breathe?' So much stuff. It's quite impressive, man."

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell "was first clarinet in our high school band. I was percussion. I didn't really know Bill played guitar like that until after I made a name for myself. 'Bill Frisell? I know a Bill Frisell. The same Bill Frisell from Denver? Oh my God!' " Bailey recalled.

East alumni include everyone from actor Don Cheadle ('82) to singer Judy Collins ('57) to Pam Grier ('67). Current Flobots rapper-singer Jonny 5 (James Laurie) has coordinated a peer- tutoring program at the school.

East created a bond that lasted his whole life, Bailey said.

"I ran into Mr. Tagliavore some place in an airport some years ago, and we hugged and kissed like he was my grandfather or something," he said. Bailey and others, including Marilyn Van Derbur Alter, will be inducted at an assembly at the school at 9 a.m. Friday.

HONORED: Country crooners Randy Travis and Carrie (American Idol) Underwood mingled among Medal of Honor recipients prior to a Pepsi Center concert to honor them on Tuesday. Underwood, dressed in gold short shorts and a blue satin top, moved slowly through the crowd while her mug was snapped a gazillion times.

"I spend a lot of time in Colorado," she told me. "I have a friend with a house in Breckenridge, so I get out here a lot."

Also seen at the soiree: Phil Anschutz with wife Nancy and son Christian, along with family friend Olympic skater and nearly a DU grad (international studies) Michelle Kwan; former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton; former state Rep. Scott McInnis; and former Olympian and NFL free agent Jeremy Bloom.

EAVESDROPPING on a daughter to her mother: "What they need is a combination breath-o-lizer and caller ID, so if a drunk friend calls I know they're drunk and don't answer the phone."