Trumpeter Bob White

Trumpeter Bob White, a founding member and driving force of the Hyperion Outfall Serenaders, died on December 26th.  The Dixieland-oriented group became a permanent part of civic life in Manhattan Beach, California. Born in St. Louis on St. Patrick’s Day in 1927, White served in the U.S. Navy at the close of World War II, studied engineering at Iowa State University on the GI Bill, and worked for decades in industrial sales after relocating to Manhattan Beach in 1958.

White co-founded the Hyperion Outfall Serenaders in 1969, naming the band after the Hyperion sewage outfall offshore, and helped establish it as a regular presence at the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, the Manhattan Beach 10K, the Doo Dah Parade, charity walks, and community celebrations. The band was formally declared the Official Band of Manhattan Beach in 1975 and was commended by the city in March 2025 for more than fifty years of service. White continued to perform on trumpet with the group into his nineties and remained closely identified with its activities throughout its history. Murals and photographs at local establishments, including Ercole’s and the Shellback Tavern, document both the band’s longevity and White’s role as its most visible ambassador.