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Tops In Blue, is an all-active duty US Air Force special unit made up of talented amateur performers selected for their entertainment abilities.
Each year, thousands compete in base talent contests and the most talented move on to higher levels of competition. The result is an elite group composed of 35 of the most talented vocalists, musicians, dancers, comedians, magicians, and dramatists worldwide. Known as the Air Forces’ Expeditionary Entertainers; the group’s main mission is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. The enormous popularity of the group has also made them America’s goodwill ambassadors around the globe.
Each team begins their tour with an intense 45 day training period
at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, “Home of Tops In Blue”.
This training consists of a highly accelerated educational process to prepare them
to succeed as world-class entertainers and distinguished Air Force Ambassadors
during their nine month tour. The performers must not only master the instrumental,
vocal, choreography, but also the intricate responsibilities of being their own
technical staff. The performing team is responsible for setting up over 80,000 pounds
of staging, lighting, audio, and special effects equipment required for each
performance. They must also become a complete self-contained operational unit
with each member being responsible for logistical responsibilities such as ground
transportation, airlift, lodging, dining, wardrobe, palletizing, etc. throughout the tour.
Tops In Blue has performed with such legends as Ed Sullivan, Bob Hope, Alabama, Barbara Mandrell, BOYZ II MEN, and many others. They performed the entire halftime shows for the 1981 Garden State Bowl and Super Bowl XIX in 1985. They have performed for heads of state and dignitaries throughout the world. They have toured throughout Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Far East, Middle East, Central America, Canada, and all 50 of the United States. Countries such as Taiwan, Bulgaria, Iceland, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Vietnam, and Cuba have all experienced the extraordinary entertainment of Tops In Blue.
Since 1996, their mission led them through hostile locations to build morale for our nation’s joint military services supporting Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina and contingency bases in Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Turkey. In 2002, Tops in Blue continued their expeditionary mission by being among the first entertainment groups to travel into the most forward location in Afghanistan, Uzebikstan, Pakistan, Qatar, and Kyrgyzstan.
If the first 50 years are any indication of what is to come, the next 50 years will exceed all expectations as Tops In Blue continues to bring a touch of home, a touch of America, and above all, the pride of the Air Force to all their audiences.
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• Has performed at six
World Fairs!
• Has performed for over 100
State Fairs and Festivals!
• Has produced five movies and
two albums!
• Has performed before a single
audience of 420,000!
• Had their TV debut in 1954 on
Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of
the Town!”
• Has performed in six
Bob Hope Specials!
• Has performed before a live
and broadcast audience of 110
million at Super Bowl XIX!
• Has performed before a live
audience of over 250,000
people at the 2002 Daytona 500!
• Unloads and sets up over
80,000 pounds of equipment
per performance!
• Features special effects lighting
equivalent to 556 lights!
• Uses a stage and truss which
are built to fit on six pallets or
one truck trailer!
• Uses over two miles of cable
during each performance!
• Has featured over 1,700 airmen
in their shows during the past
50 years!
• Has performed over 7,000
shows since 1953!
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