Search News

Cannon News

Tops in Blue performs

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Elliott Sprehe
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Live from Marshall Auditorium in downtown Clovis, the Air Force's premiere entertainment showcase Tops in Blue performed Feb. 18 for an audience of about 1,000 people from Cannon as well as Clovis and Portales community members. 

The free event provided two hours of music, dance, and, of course, good old-fashioned fun. 

The theme of the show was a tribute to the Air Force's 60th anniversary by doing a musical set for each decade from 1947 to 2007. 

No genre of music was left untouched as they sang songs from artists including The Temptations, Tom Jones, The Beach Boys, and more. 

During the performance, if people were lucky - or unlucky - enough to be sitting in the first few rows, they might have found themselves being serenaded to or asked to dance in the aisles with the performers. 

Col. Timothy Leahy, 27th Special Operations Wing commander, was one of the few who found himself thrust into the spotlight as he was grabbed by one of the performers to show off his dancing skills for all to see. 

"It was great fun and the fact that this show is put on entirely by active-duty Airmen demonstrates diversity of skills and flexibility that exists in our Air Force," said Colonel Leahy. 

Before the show, Colonel Leahy presented a plaque to the performers for their first performance in front of Cannon Airmen and the Clovis/Portales communities since the base's transition to the 27 SOW. 

Aside from a musical tribute to each decade and lots of crowd interaction, there were a number of somber moments, one of which was an ode to the American flag. 

The flag's history was read in the form of a poem while four costumed Airmen brought out a different flag, representing periods in U.S. history from the Revolutionary War to World War I. This part of the performance resulted in a standing ovation from the crowd. 

That was one of the best parts, said Mary Keith. The show as a whole was very well done. 

The performers then closed their set by singing songs dedicated to Airmen, their families, and more. 

Tops in Blue consists of 20 performers and a behind-the scenes crew who are all active-duty Airmen group. Cannon was one of the last stops of their 2007 World Tour of over 100.

Press Releases