Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame
sponsored by
Alpha
Chapter, Phi Beta Mu
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Charles E. Forque was born in Cedar Bayou, Texas, on June 26, 1930, to Asa and Lillian Forque. His mother Lillian, a pianist, died when Charles was six months old. Charles' grandparents, Seymore and Martha Forque, took the six children to raise. After Charles' father remarried and came for his children, Martha Forque asked that Charles be left with her.
Charles was introduced to music at a Baptist church in Port Arthur, Texas. He started band in the sixth grade, and from that moment, all he ever wanted to be was a musician. From junior high in Channelview, Charles went to Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas. It was during those high school years that he knew he wanted to be a band director. Charles was first chair trumpet and President of the Lee band his senior year.
Following graduation from high school in 1948, Charles entered Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, on a music scholarship. Charles played cornet in the Bearkat concert band under Elmer Hinkle and later Ed Boyd. He played trumpet in the Houstonians, a dance band under Charles Lee Hill. For two years, he played string bass in the symphony orchestra. Charles was active in Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in January of 1952. Later, he received his Master of Arts degree in May of 1970.
Charles' first teaching experience was at Willis High School during his senior year in college. Upon graduation, teaching positions in Crosby and Crockett, Texas were separated by two years of military service where Charles was selected as "Soldier of the Month" from over 5000 troops at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
In the spring of 1952, Charles married Ednajo McKinnon. They have one daughter, Cheryl Forque Melton, and two grandchildren, Patrick and Colleen Melton. Ednajo retired after 32 years as a history teacher. Charles and Ednajo now live in McKinney, Texas, in a home overlooking the Stonebridge Ranch Golf Course.
Charles spent twenty-one years as Director of Bands at his former high school, Robert E. Lee in Baytown, Texas. During that time, he was also Supervisor of Instrumental Music for Baytown schools. After twelve years as Director of Bands at Plano Senior High School, a heart attack forced Charles' retirement. Over the years Charles' bands received thirty-four Sweepstakes awards in thirty-six years of Texas UIL competition. Other honors include nineteen Superior ratings at music festivals around the country, four Best in Class awards, and the Classic Championship award at the Dixie Classic Music Festival in San Antonio, Texas in 1990. The Plano band won the Grand Champion trophy at Sam Houston State's Music Bowl Marching contest in 1987, 1988, and 1989.
Over the years, Charles' bands performed at the opening of national and state conventions, and presented the grand concerts at two Northwest Band Clinics in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1977 and in 1981. They also performed at the
opening baseball series at the Houston Astrodome, presented the half-time show at the first professional football game played in the city of Houston, and appeared at numerous Houston Oilers football games.
In 1966, Charles met ‘Doc’ Severinsen at the Texas Bandmasters Association's annual convention. As their friendship grew through the years, ‘Doc’ performed forty-three concerts with Charles' bands. Allen Vizzutti, who performed concerts with Charles in 1987 and 1988, wrote four major works for ‘Doc’ and the Baytown and Plano bands. Altogether, 43 commissions were written for ‘Doc’ Severinsen as featured soloist with Charles' bands. Some of the composers included John Barnes Chance, Michael Davis, Vaclav Nehlybel, Claude T. Smith, Fisher Tull, Jeff Tyzik, and Floyd Werle.
Charles has directed honor bands in Texas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Kansas as well as having served as a conductor for band camps at numerous universities across the country. He was also selected as a marching clinician at the Texas Bandmasters Association's annual convention in 1977.
Joining with authors Bruce Pearson and Gerald Anderson, Charles served as co-author for the Best In Class and Encore for Band instruction series. In 1994, Charles and James Thornton developed Harmonized Rhythms for concert band and orchestra, a progressive melodic rhythm study (Neil A. Kjos, publisher).
After retiring from public schools in 1990, Charles conducted the Plano Community band for ten years. Professional memberships include TBA, TMEA, Phi Beta Mu, and TSTA.
Charles has distinguished himself as an outstanding music educator, and has touched the lives of thousands of students. He has shared with students the joy of music and the rewards that come from hard work and dedication. Charles' first love will always be band directing, and there would be no greater honor than to be inducted into the Texas Bandmaster's Hall of Fame.