BAND AWARD
2000 Derrick Louis Simpson	2004 Bridgette Jaggers	2008          Carrie Costello
2001 Natalie Lillard	2005 Holly Wilson	2009 Cara Beth Florence
2002 Devin Simpson	2006 Derek Conley	2010
2003 Gloria "Jenny" Cox	2007 John Sanders	2011

     The John Philip Sousa Band Award was created in 1954 with the cooperation of Helen Sousa Albert and Priscilla Sousa, daughters of John Philip Sousa.  This award is the highest award that is given to an individual student at the high school level.  The Sousa Award recognizes outstanding dedication and superior musicianship and is awarded to only one student at Edmonson County High School each year.  Who exactly is John Philip Sousa and why is this prestigious award named after him?

      John Philip Sousa was born on November 6, 1854 and died on March 6, 1932.  During his 77 year lifespan, he accomplished many things.  He was a hall-of-fame trap shooter, conductor of the United States Marine Band for 12 years, composed more than 600 musical compositions, wrote 5 novels and a full-length autobiography, and formed his own world-renowned concert band.  It was for this concert band that he requested J. W. Pepper to develop a tuba that would send sound upward and over the band with a full, warm tone.  This type of tuba is called a sousaphone, which is named after John Philip Sousa.  Of his musical compositions, his marches were so moving that he became known as the “March King”.  By an act of Congress, his march “Stars and Stripes Forever” became the National March of the United States of America.  His many honors include being decorated by King Edward VII with the Victorian Order, awarded the Palms of the Academy and Officer of Public Instruction in France, and given the Grand Diploma of Honor, Academy of Hainaut, in Belgium.  He also has 4 public schools, a bridge in Washington, a World War II liberty ship, and a stage in the concert hall of John F. Kennedy Center named after him, just to name a few of the things and places bearing his name.  There is also a John Philip Sousa Foundation to promote international understanding through band music.  Without John Philip Sousa, the concept of the “marching band” probably would not exist today.