A large rehearsal room in Armstrong Hall filled with cheers and applause when a smiling Charles “Charlie” Swank ’60 played two songs at once. His former classmates roared with laughter as Swank lightheartedly concluded, “My right hand went south, and my left hand went north.”
Carl Harris ’59, Swank’s classmate and director of the Dayton Alumni Choir, introduced his friend a few songs into the performance. Harris reminded the audience at the Dayton Alumni Reunion’s “Dayton’s Got Talent” event that Swank is a very capable organist and was the accompanist for The Troubadours in the 1950s. “Dayton’s Got Talent” was held in April and allowed alumni to both relive their college days and perform for old friends.
Swank, who is legally blind and doesn’t use modern technology designed for visually impaired pianists, was inducted into the Dayton Alumni Hall of Fame for his rare talent and rich career. Swank has accompanied a variety of famous artists including David Allan Coe, Lynn Anderson, The Judds and The Statler Brothers. He also spent a decade with the Churchmen Quartet gospel group before leaving in the early 1970s.
“Playing in a band with Charlie was quite an experience,” said Swank’s former classmate Presley R. “Pete” Phillips ’61. “He knew and played every style of music and song there was.” Phillips’s word was put to the test when Harris challenged Swank to play short sections of Beethoven, Bach and music from the opera “Aida.” As expected, Swank was excited for the challenge and let his hands do the talking. He was at peace sitting on the piano bench, and if it weren’t for the other acts performing in the showcase, it appeared he would have kept playing for the entertained crowd.
Swank’s perfect pitch was well-known during his student days, Harris recalled. “I’ll give you an example: A piano is tuned a certain way. We would walk into a church, or wherever we were playing, and Charlie would say, ‘Oh this piano is at 437, not quite up to 440.’ He would check all of the pianos and tell us if the whole thing was out of tune.”
Swank continues to perform as a church musician and volunteers his musical talents at nursing homes, senior centers and various radio stations. WMRA (97.5 FM) radio station in Harrisonburg, Virginia, recognized Swank for his volunteer work from 1984 through 1988. Today, Swank resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his beloved wife, Helen.
Swank’s CDs are available from the Office of Alumni Affairs, with all sale proceeds benefiting the Dayton Alumni Scholarship Fund. Contact Jessi Savoie at jsavoie@su.edu or (540) 665-5574 to purchase a CD..
For More Alumni News Visit The November 2015 E-News.
Rebecca A. Merriner ’01, president of the Alumni Board of Directors, presents alumnus Charlie Swank ’60 with a certificate honoring his 55th year since graduating from Shenandoah.
Contributed by Mary Katherine Francisco ’17