Stardust History - Our Origins & Pictures of Members Over the Years

If you are interested in having the Stardust Big Band play for you or your event and you live in Arkansas, the group is listed with Arkansas Arts on Tour. You may be eligible to have up to 40% of the cost of the Stardust Big Band paid. You can download an application HERE.

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History

Our Origins & Pictures of Members Over the Years

For Booking Information Contact
Bill Halbrook
(870) 403-7718
E-mail

The STARDUST BIG BAND got its start in 1982 when a group of high school band directors and some former professional musicians, all from the Hot Springs area, realized a need to perpetuate the classic sound of swing and jazz music.

Their priority was to play good, solid arrangements of traditional sounding tunes and to play them with finesse and proper musicianship. They set weekly rehearsals as a prerequisite, realizing all the while this would require extensive travel for some members from as near as Hot Springs Village and from as far as Benton, Malvern, Little Rock and even Fayetteville. Harvey Haley, an accomplished trombonist and a secondary public school band director highly regarded in his field, was persuaded to accept directorship of the band, and with his zeal for perfection the band reached a pinnacle of power and consistency in performance standards.

Over the years, the band has accumulated a portfolio of over 200 arrangements that include big band swing and jazz from such greats as Miller, Dorsey, Goodman, Ellington, Basie, Shaw and Herman. They also play a variety of Dixieland, Country, Blues, Latin, Pops, and Soft Rock.

Former Stardust leader Harvey Haley and wife Pam at the 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Conrad Wilson being honored as a founding member of Stardust with Shirley Chauvin and leader Bill Halbrook




Play the game that's taking the jazz world by storm: "CAN YOU FIND CLARK" in every picture?	Put the cursor on the picture for the correct answer, like you needed any hints.