A memorial service to celebrate the life of long-time CEMB faculty member Dr. Timmy Tappan will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, March 9 at Ocean Way Studios (1200 17th Ave South). As Timmy’s good friends and family discussed the service, they decided that suits and ties would not be appropriate since Timmy almost never wore them. At the request of his family and friends, we will wear Hawaiian shirts for the service. Those of you who know Timmy know that Hawaiian shirts were one of his favorite things to wear. We hope you will join us for this celebration of the life of a special colleague.
In honor of Timmy’s life and commitment to his students, a memorial fund has been set up in his name. Memorial gifts can be made to the:
Timmy Tappan Memorial Fund at Belmont University
Office of Development, Fidelity Hall 105
Belmont University
1900 Belmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212
Or online at www.belmont.edu/give
It is with great sorrow that Timmy passed on Sunday from the effects of a heart attack. It is an unexpected and unfortunate loss to his family and to all of our Belmont community. Timmy began teaching in the Music Business program in the early 1990’s as an adjunct instructor and joined the fulltime faculty in 1998 as an assistant professor.
Prior to his career at Belmont he had a long and successful musical career where he worked for Bobby Goldsboro as his musical director and producer; wrote songs recorded by Mac Davis, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Mickey Gilley, Faith Hill, Tricia Yearwood, John Denver, Kathie Lee Gifford, Mike Love and the Beach Boys and Michael Martin Murphy. Timmy was musical director of the TV shows Marty Robbins “Spotlight”, “Nashville on the Road” and “The Bobby Goldsboro Show.” He wrote and produced advertising music for KFC, Hawaiian Tropic, Toyota, Coca Cola, Hanes, Minute Maid, the Arbor Day Foundation and Build-a-Bear; and arranged TV music for Kenny Rogers, B.J. Thomas, Dolly Parton, Dave Loggins, Bobbi Gentry, Glen Campbell, and Henry Mancini. Timmy earned two Gold Records and a number one country award for his song “Fool’s Gold” recorded by artist Lee Greenwood.
In addition to music, he wrote two fiction novels, “Heat of the Moon” and “Frozen Assets” and a non-fiction book, “Techno-Ethics”.
Timmy earned his B.S. in Education from Ball State University, his M.Ed. from Belmont University and his Ed.D. at Trevecca Nazarene University.
He is survived by wife Tama; brother Tom Tappan; step-son Ned Robertson; and step-daughter Kristen House and grandchildren, Holden, Shephard, and Harper House; and daughters Kerri Tappan Egbert; Kim Tappan McClain; Kristan Tappan Mashburn; and grandchildren Kristen Brewer, Samantha Novachek, Shelby and Alli Mashburn; Caroline, Mary Kate and Jake McClain; John Gray and Nicholas Egbert; and two great-grand children Emma and Aerie Belt.
Please keep the Tappan family in your thoughts and prayers.