Daniel Harris Havely, band director, music arranger, and studio musician, died on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. Dan, the middle child of three siblings, was born in 1944 to parents Ernest and Jenny Havely in Morristown, TN. His father was a salesman and small business owner, and his mother taught piano in the basement of their home. A musical prodigy, Dan discovered the cornet at age five and soloed “A Trumpeter’s Lullaby” while still in elementary school.
In the 1960s, Dan attended the University of North Alabama, then known as Florence State, leading the marching band as drum major, performing on stage with the Mark V, a rock-n-roll band touring college campuses and officers’ clubs, and playing recording sessions at the legendary Fame Studios during the height of the Muscle Shoals sound era. While he enjoyed performing, teaching was his vocation, and through teaching he would influence thousands of students’ lives and shape the artistic identity of a community.
Mr. Havely taught marching, concert, and jazz bands at Athens High School in Athens, AL, from 1966-2000. In the classroom he was fanatical about fundamentals; it was not uncommon for him to spend over half the class period tuning and playing scales to achieve his signature sound. On the field he sought perfection, wielding a megaphone and clipboard at Camp Alpine during the summer and by year’s end gaining national recognition at marching competitions, including the Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange Bowls. Known for his discipline and tenacity, he nonetheless attracted a loyal following of students, his band at one point two hundred members strong out of a school enrollment of only eight hundred students. For his dedication and influence, he earned Alabama Teacher of the Year honors and was inducted into the Alabama Band Directors Hall of Fame.
After retirement Dan remained on the podium, founding the Athens State University Community Band in 2003 and leading that ensemble for thirteen years. He also cherished teaching his grandchildren, both of whom are All-State musicians. In 2023, Mr. Havely gave his last performance, guest conducting a former student’s band at the renowned Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago. The music selection that day was another former student’s arrangement of “Down the Field,” a fight song synonymous with the legendary band leader.
Mr. Havely is survived by his daughter Sally Havely Girard (Robert “Jody”); son Sam Havely (Amanda); sister Bess Ann Havely; and grandchildren Elizabeth and Lydia Girard. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister Judy Cafiero.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at Limestone Chapel, at 3:00pm with visitation beginning at 1:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to either Athens State Community Band or Athens High School Band.
