UAB fight song

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The UAB fight song is played by the UAB Blazer Band during UAB Blazers sporting events. A contest was held in the Fall of 1978 to solicit original compositions, with a $150 prize for the winning entry. A selection committee was made up of students, faculty and staff, and chaired by band director Everett Lawler. More than twenty entries were received.

The winning song was composed by Joel Hearn, who had played in the University of Alabama's Million Dollar Band as an undergraduate and gone on to earn an M.D. at the UAB School of Dentistry in 1972. After a few years practicing in Tampa, Florida, he had returned to UAB as a graduate researcher in endodontics. At the prize ceremony, an arrangement of Hearn's composition was performed by the school's band.

The song made its debut during the 1978-1979 UAB Blazers men's basketball season.

At UAB in Birmingham
All hail our players bold
They are the mighty Blazers
Who wear the green and gold.

Tonight let's fire their golden blaze
The flame of victory
Go Blazers! Go Blazers!
Win for UAB!

Among UAB's Homecoming traditions is a "Fight Song Competition", which originated as a contest between sorority groups to perform the most inspiring medley of pop anthems, but later was opened to all campus groups and was centered around original arrangements of the official UAB fight song.

UAB also has a "Blazer Victory" song which was sometimes used in lieu of an "Alma Mater" anthem until an official UAB Alma Mater was recognized in 2003. The short piece, composed in a 19th century style, was created in 1994 by Danny Doyle, who later took up the baton as UAB Marching Band director.

All hail alma mater
We sing this song for thee
Raise up the banner for Blazer victory.
(Fight! Fight! Fight!)
All hail alma mater
We pledge to always be
Ever faithful, ever loyal
To dear old UAB!

References