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Charlie Bill Greene Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Charlie Bill Greene Music Scholarship Fund, was established by Greene’s family as a memorial to the longtime music educator whose teaching career ranged from 1959 to 1994. Greene’s wife Rosalee and daughters, Ginger Tyree and Kandy Hines, set the criteria for future music scholarship awards.
To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must be a graduating senior from a Scioto County, Ohio or Greenup County, Kentucky high school who wishes to pursue a college degree in music education or music performance. Recipients may reapply for the scholarship for their following collegiate years, but may only receive it once a year for four years.
To continue to be eligible, recipients must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average in non-major classes and at least a 3.0 grade point average in major classes. A recipient should be a full-time college student and must submit a recommendation from the head of the music department at the college or university concerning the student’s professional abilities.
Mrs. Greene and her daughters originated the scholarship fund “to keep her husband’s influence going and to encourage young people to go on and fulfill their goals in music. He appreciated the students that continued their musical education and became professionals or the students that used their musical training as enjoyment,” she said.
“Charlie Bill came from a family who encouraged him to do what he wanted to do,” she continued, “but didn’t have the means to completely finance his college years. He taught half-time at Olive Hill while going to Morehead State University where he earned a B.A. degree in Music Education and a M.A. degree in Secondary Education.”
Born in Westwood, Kentucky, Greene attended Westwood Elementary School and then attended Ashland High School, now called Paul Blazer High School.
While at Morehead State, Greene took a year off to become an assistant band director for the Ironton City Schools. He also served in the National Guard for 13 years.
After graduating from Morehead State, Greene became an instructor of instrumental music at Raceland-Worthington School System from 1963 – 1969 before coming to Portsmouth to teach at Grant and McKinley Junior High Schools and to assist with the Portsmouth High School Marching Band until he retired in 1994.
During the summers of his college years, Greene gained experience in music performance working at the Culvermere Resort in New Jersey, 50 or 60 miles from New York City. A Marietta musician started the band, pulling members from the southern Ohio and Columbus area to entertain at the resort. Fred Waring also hired Greene for his band, but Charlie Bill didn’t stay with him long because he didn’t like the musician’s life on the road, according Mrs. Greene.
Greene also performed in back-up bands with Bobby Vinton, the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots, Larry Elgart and Lionel Hampton. He played with the McCoy-Waddell Orchestra, and many groups here and in the tri-state area, including his own band, Nostalia, and the Tom Phillips Combo.
“Charlie Bill loved his music and said you can take it all the way through your life. His real love, besides playing, was arranging.” said his wife.
He arranged music for marching bands at Portsmouth, Portsmouth East, West and Northwest High Schools, as well as for Marion-Harding, New Philadelphia and Carroll High Schools in Ohio, and Greenup County, Russell, Paul Blazer and Maysville High Schools in Kentucky. He also arranged for several Florida high school bands.
Scholarship Criteria:
- A graduate from a Greenup Co. (KY) or Scioto Co.(OH) high school
- Pursuing a Music degree
- Submittal of a music audition is required
- Must attend an accredited college or university
Scholarships associated with Charlie Bill Greene Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Charlie Bill Greene Memorial Scholarship Fund
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