Strike up the band

The Royal Guardsmen, undated image [fb.com/TheRoyalGuardsmenBand]

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Posted June 17, 2026 | By Susan Smiley-Height, [email protected]

There are many of us locals who fondly recall the catchy hit songs “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron” and “Return of the Red Baron” by The Royal Guardsmen rock band out of Ocala.

According to the band’s site on IMDb, the band formed in 1966 with Bill Balough, John Burdette, Tom Richards, Billy Taylor, Barry Winslow and Chris Nunley. Originally called The Posmen, the band played at functions such as proms and dances throughout the area and were featured at a teen hangout called Johnson’s Beat.

A record producer approached them about recording a song he had written that capitalized on the popularity of the character Snoopy in Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip “Peanuts,” who imagined turning his doghouse into a Sopwith Camel airplane and fighting the German World War I ace fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, aka “The Red Baron.” The band gathered at Richards’ house with a two-track recorder to lay down the track. The producer loved it, so they re-recorded the song at a professional studio and he made a deal with New York’s Laurie Records to release “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron,” according to IMDb. It shot to #2 on US pop charts and #8 on UK charts, selling more than 3 million copies. They followed up with “The Return of the Red Baron,” at #15 on US charts. The group wanted to be taken seriously as a rock act and released a string of non-“Snoopy” singles. Unable to break out of the “novelty act” label, they broke up in 1969, IMDb states.

For those who loved them then and want to relive some of that glory now, you can now check out The Royal Guardsmen exhibit inside Ocala Main Street’s Heart of the Park venue in Tuscawilla Park. And members of the band will be on hand June 28 for the kickoff of Ocala Main Street’s series of events related to America 250.

The America 250 Week of Celebration will begin on June 28, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Heart of the Park with the grand opening of the American Independence Exhibit & Education Center, an educational and interpretive exhibit space designed to preserve and share the story of America’s founding and enduring legacy.

Community members are invited to explore the exhibit, connect with local leaders and partners, and help launch this exciting new addition to Heart of the Park as part of Marion County’s official America 250 celebration, a news release noted.

Courtland Richards, a board member of Ocala Main Street, is the brother of the late band member Tom Richards. Courtland posted on social media that “original members of The Royal Guardsmen that have committed to attend this great event are Bill Balogh, John Burdett, Chris Nunley and Billy Taylor! Patrick Waddell has also agreed to attend! After the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 1:30PM, the band members will be available to sign a few autographs, discuss their exhibit and share fun memories from their careers!”

LINEUP OF EVENTS

The Heart of the Park, headquarters for the nonprofit Ocala Main Street, is in the former American Legion building at 516 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala. The community hub continues to evolve, as does Ocala Main Street, which has a new executive director, Sara Lambert.

“I am beyond excited to be stepping into this role during our America 250 Celebration Week. It’s allowed me to see how incredibly Ocala Main Street collaborates with other local partners and the reach and respect this organization has in our community. All of my work experience has involved serving this community and I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue doing so in this capacity,” Lambert said. 

Ocala Main Street, in partnership with Marion County and the city of Ocala, will host the America 250 Week of Celebration from June 28 through July 3, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Following the June 28 grand opening event, the celebration continues July 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the Legacy of Literature Luncheon, also known as Martha Washington’s Summer Social, presented in partnership with the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“This gathering will feature guest speaker J. Lenora Bresler, who will present ‘Our Legacy of Literature: America 250 Insights into the Voices That Shaped American Thought and Culture.’ Guests will enjoy an engaging exploration of the authors, ideas and literary voices that helped shape the American experience. Admission is $10 per person and advance RSVP is required,” the release stated.

On July 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Heart of the Park will host Living History Day, presented in partnership with the city of Ocala, Fort King Heritage Foundation and Silver River Museum.

“This immersive, family-friendly experience will bring history to life through living history exhibits, demonstrations and interactive educational experiences for all ages. At 11:30 a.m., nationally recognized historian Roger Smith will present ‘The 14th Colony: The American Revolution’s Best Kept Secret,’ offering a fascinating look into a lesser-known chapter of Revolutionary War history. Smith holds a Ph.D. in Early American History and Atlantic World Studies from the University of Florida and has served as a consultant for AMC’s TURN, appeared in PBS historical documentaries and earned national recognition for his work in Revolutionary War education,” the release offered.

The programming continues that evening at 5:30 p.m. at the Marion Theatre in downtown Ocala, with a free showing of “The Crossing.” Starring Jeff Daniels as George Washington, the film recounts the pivotal crossing of the Delaware River and offers a cinematic portrayal of one of the most defining moments of the American Revolution.

The week concludes on July 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Heart of the Park with a Picnic in the Park patriotic celebration that will include food trucks, vendors, live music, lawn games, family-friendly activities and a time capsule dedication.

Featured guest speaker Marc Pellicano, a respected antique phonograph collector and preservationist, will present talks at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., titled “The Phonograph and Its Effect on Society.” Through his decades of work restoring and preserving historic phonographs, Pellicano brings a unique perspective on how innovation transformed communication, entertainment and daily American life, according to the release.

BUILDING THE EXHIBITS

In December of 2025, the “Gazette” offered a feature article about Ocala Main Street’s ongoing efforts with the Heart of the Park and its plan for expanding the exhibits featured there. At the time, there were displays related to when Theodore Roosevelt made a stop in Ocala in 1898 on his way to Cuba with the Rough Riders to fight in the Spanish American War, a bronze plaque cast from the USS Maine, three large wooden phonographs and some radios, and exhibits featuring William Jennings Bryan, James Melton, Newt Perry and Lamont “Monty” Pharmer.

The key volunteer behind many of the exhibits is Adam Sines.

The “Gazette” caught up with Sines recently to learn about things that have happened since our feature ran (Community connectivity | Ocala Gazette).

“It has been quite the process because not only have we been planning our celebrations for America 250, we’ve also been working on developing the museum exhibits with our partner museums, so now we’ve got pretty much every exhibit completed, which is exciting to see it all come together and finally be open to the public,” Sines noted.

“We now have a display with Fort King and some of the artifacts that have been excavated from the site. We have a satellite exhibit from the Black History Museum of Marion County. We have a completed exhibit for the Silver River Museum that covers the history of Silver Springs and goes into the attractions there and some of the archaeological excavations, things that have taken place on the Silver River in that area. We have artifacts on display from Native American history. We have fossils and other artifacts with that exhibit,” he continued.

“We also have some community collections exhibits. We have one on The Royal Guardsmen now, which takes up a nice big piece of real estate as they have a lot of cool memorabilia. They were generous enough to loan us a couple of their gold records; some of their albums,” he added.

Sines said there is a big temporary exhibit for America 250, which takes up one part of the building.

“In that collection, there are different components. We didn’t want to just focus on 1776. We do have some original battlefield artifacts recovered by one of the most renowned archaeologists in the country. He is doing a presentation later in July for us,” Sines shared.

“We also have an exhibit called ‘Face to Face with Washington,’ with a replica plastic cast of George Washington’s face, that was done in 1785. We have a part that covers great Americans, so we have people who have had an impact on the fabric of our society over the past 250 years. People like Dolly Madison, Booker T. Washington, Ida Wells, it even goes to Danny Thomas, who founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It’s a variety. We wanted to cover as much as we could,” he said.

Sines said organizers are very excited about all of the events, but especially the grand opening on June 28.

Advance registration is encouraged for ticketed or RSVP-based events. Full event details, schedules and registration information can be found at heartoftheparkocala.com