Long-time UNC band director passes away

Posted Dec 11, 2005

He came from the Air Force and built a national powerhouse at Chapel Hill. Millions of sports fans watched the maestro on TV. No, not Dean Smith. John Yesulaitis, the former UNC-Chapel Hill band director known affectionately, because of his military rank, as "Major Y." Yesulaitis, who expanded a football marching band into a spark plug for basketball, soccer, volleyball and other Tar Heel sports, died Wednesday at UNC Hospitals. He was 89. (Raleigh News & Observer)

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