'Fly Eagle Fly' do-over: Challenger the eagle will join James Rogers for special event at Finley

photo James Rogers has worked with Challenger, the only eagle trained to fly into stadiums, for many years during his singing career in the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge area. Rogers will perform his song "Fly Eagle Fly" on Saturday at Finley Stadium and Challenger will fly in.

If you go* What: UTC Mocs vs. Wofford; James Rogers will perform at halftime.* When: 1 p.m. Saturday.* Where: Finley Stadium.* Admission: $10-$30, military personal and family free with ID.

When James Rogers walks on the Finley Stadium field at halftime Saturday to sing his song "Fly Eagle Fly," it will represent one of the biggest do-overs in his life.

One of the most popular acts in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for three decades, the now-retired Rogers sang the same song at Chamberlain Field in 1976 as part of both the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's homecoming festivities and the country's bicentennial celebration. It didn't quite go as he planned.

"I got laryngitis and bronchitis three days before," Rogers says. "It has always stuck in my craw. I mean, what are you going to do? Ask everybody to come back later when I feel better?"

So, for the past 38 years, he's regretted his less-than-perfect performance.

"Everyone else thought he did just fine, but it's bothered James all of these years," says friend Dennis Haskins.

It was Haskins who got Rogers the original gig, and it was Haskins who spearheaded this Saturday's event, taking place at the game between UTC and Wofford.

Haskins, who played Mr. Belding on "Saved by the Bell," and Rogers have remained close friends over the years -- Rogers served as best man at Haskins' wedding -- and they get together every Christmas. This past year, they started talking about the theatrical adage "The show must go on" and that led to the topic of do-overs and bucket-list items. When Rogers mentioned his 1976 performance of "Fly Eagle Fly," Haskins called Anne Wehunt in the UTC Sports Information Department and asked what could be done.

"At first everyone didn't quite get it, but once they started looking up James and the song, they said, 'I think we can make this work,'" Wehunt says.

The Mocs had already planned to honor veteransand their families with free admission on Saturday, he says, so the Rogers visit fit.

Back in the early '70s, Rogers did a two-year stint in the National Guard, then attended UTC, graduating in 1974. By 1976, he was one of the more popular singing waiters at The Station House in the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Around the same time, he wrote "Fly Eagle Fly" to honor his fellow soldiers in the National Guard. In 1976, governing bodies around the country were adopting various songs to celebrate the country's bicentennial and Haskins, UTC's entertainment chairman for students at the time, thought "Fly Eagle Fly" would be a good fit for the school because of Rogers' connection to it -- and because "it's just a great song," he says.

He pitched the idea to school officials and they signed on. Then he approached Bruce Storey, director of the University Center, and pitched the idea of Rogers joining the UTC band and Moc Singers performing the song at homecoming in 1976.

Then came Rogers' laryngitis and bronchitis.

"Everyone was nice and said the performance was good, but I've always said before I die I'd like to go back and do it over," Rogers says.

His do-over will feature a special addition -- a fly-in appearance by Challenger, the celebrated eagle who flew into Yankee Stadium just after 9/11.

"It means so much to me that Challenger will fly in," Rogers says. "I'm so thankful that the American Eagle Foundation is making this work."

Rogers has worked closely with the foundation over the years, and many of his shows in Gatlinburg have featured an eagle fly-in.

After Saturday's show, Challenger will fly into NRG Stadium in Philadelphia on Monday prior to the NFL game between the Eagles and the Carolina Panthers.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

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