Who was the biggest celebrity who you saw visit Illinois State University when you were a student? Depending on your era, it could have been Ronald Reagan, Sean Hayes, Iggy Azalea, or even Leonard Nimoy.
Every year, our campus welcomes big-name entertainers and other celebrities for special events and performances.
With some help from the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives, the STATEside crew gathered some of our favorite “celebrities at ISU” photos through the years. (Want to see more photos specifically from 1970s concerts at Illinois State? Check out this STATEside post from 2013.)
Ryan Denham can be reached at rmdenha@IllinoisState.edu.
Fall of 82 we had the pleasure of seein a young John Mellencamp open for Heart. later we saw 38 Special with Starship. Also Phil Collins appeared on campus twice with in a year. As a solo act in January of 1983 and then with Genesis to lead off their World Tour in the Spring on 1984.
Remember standing in line for hours to get Elton John tickets. Great performer. What year was that?
I saw Larry Bud Melman in the Watterson cafeteria around 1985. He was a little guy, was mobbed by a bunch of girls. I couldn’t see him after he was mobbed, could only hear his unique laugh. Awesome.
Two presentations stand out for me: Truman Capote (post “In Cold Blood”) and William Shatner (post “Star Trek”), both around 1974. And, Yes and Jethro Tull rocked out around the same time.