Legendary former Kingfisher High School band director Joe Wayne Harper will be inducted into the Kingfisher High School Hall of Fame during the 2022 commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday at the football field.

Unfortunately, family members report that Harper will still be under quarantine for a positive COVID-19 test and unable to attend the ceremony in person.

During his 1975-1984 tenure at KHS, the Pride of Kingfisher band swelled to 116 members and was selected as the grand champion marching band at the Oklahoma State Fair parade. The band also won the outstanding band in Class 3A at the Superior Marching Contest at Lawton and was awarded the Class 3A Sweepstakes Award at the Tri-State Music Festival.

In 1976, Harper started the All-Area Honor Band, which continues to recognize outstanding band students all over Central Oklahoma.

He also directed three Broadway musicals at KHS, directed the Kingfisher Community Theater’s performance of “No, No, Nanette,” and in 1978 was Co-director of the Oklahoma Lions All-Star Marching Band that performed in Chicago and Phoenix.

Harper received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from West Texas University in Canyon, Texas. Throughout his career his bands received superior ratings in marching, concert and sightreading.

At Cordell, his band was selected as the OMEA Honor Band, awarded the coveted Oklahoma sweepstakes award for six years and was founder of the Cordell Elementary Concert Band Festival. In 1973, Harper was selected as teacher of the year for Washita County.

At Colorado City, Texas, while teaching junior high band, his bands received six Texas sweepstakes awards and one was selected as the Outstanding Junior High Concert Band in Class 3A at the Sandy Lake Band Festival in Dallas in 1997.

He a lso was inducted into the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame.

Harp er and his wife Ruby have two sons, Wesley Harper, wife Stephanie and daughter River, and Patrick Harper, wife Ginna and children Kayla and Greyson.

Harp er and his wife retired to Hideaway, Texas, where he’s been the director of “The Get Happy Singers,” a 55-member community choir which performs to sold-out audiences and has raised over $65,000 for local charities.