If you tailgated at Penn State football games in the ’80s — those golden home games that led to not just one but two national championships, in 1982 and 1986 — you remember the whirlwind energy of the hours before game time, filled with chanting, cheers, and songs. One group in particular made that scene even more iconic: the Tailgate Troubadours, a ragtag group of Central Pennsylvania guys who turned each pre-game into an unexpected stage, harmonizing in the grass on the east side of the stadium and making memories that would last a lifetime.
To hear George Birse tell it, one of the reasons the group came together was because of his “Scottish stinginess.”
Birse was born on the North Sea coast of Scotland in Arbroath, where, he says, “Half of the town fished for a living; the other half worked in steel mills. We were in the steel mill half.” He studied engineering and then immigrated to Canada to find a job that combined his knowledge of both steel and engineering. His job eventually led him to Standard Steel in Lewistown, Pennsylvania — a place where the mountains reminded him of home.
“I started out right away as a project engineer in the office, mostly in machine tool areas,” he says. “From there, I went on to buy utilities for the plant, nitrogen, oxygen, and fuel. I got everything cheaper — it’s a Scottish thing, I guess — and one of the first years in that position, I saved Standard Steel $1 million.”
At a gas convention, Birse met two local utility reps, Bill Torchia and Joe Martin, who loved to strum ukuleles. “They particularly liked my singing because of my funny accent. … When I sing ‘Danny Boy’ with my Scottish brogue, it’s alluring, OK?” he says with a laugh.
Management at Standard Steel handed the trio Penn State football tickets — and they took their ukuleles along with them to pass the time before kickoff. “We started off visiting Bill’s customers, who were at various spots outside the stadium, and it slowly spread. After a few games, we could see that more fans were expecting us and asking us to go to more locations.”
Soon, they started going to the Penn Hi-Boy restaurant (located across from Hills Plaza on South Atherton Street, where Sheetz is now) before and after each game to perform.
From there, the Tailgate Troubadours group was born, eventually growing with the addition of Bob Huff and Dave Knox. Their setlist: a mix of classics and originals, led by that signature “Danny Boy,” which Birse would ultimately sing for 30 seasons at Penn State.
What began as a little bit of tailgate fun soon turned into something far bigger. The Troubadours found themselves invited to parades and pep rallies, and were featured in a halftime interview with legendary ABC announcer Keith Jackson. They also appeared in documentaries chronicling the iconic Paterno era — cementing their place in PSU folklore.
Their music crossed boundaries — they sang for a Democrat gathering at Penn State, and then at a Republican event soon after. They were featured in a March of Dimes telethon, weddings, and parades, and talked Penn State’s then-president, Joab Thomas, into playing ukulele with them at an event in the Keller Conference Center.
“We even picked up groupies from visiting team fans,” Birse remembers. “When big teams like Alabama and Nebraska came, we would welcome them with our singing. When we went to Alabama for an away game, some of those fans met us there.”
A Daily Collegian article published in 1990 featured a Troubadours interview where Joe Martin summed up their experiences: “We were just thrilled to death. We had one heck of a good time.”
They always started their set with their iconic theme song, singing: “We are happy when we play Paterno football every day. We are the Nittany Lions.”
As the years rolled by, the group slowed down and ultimately disbanded. Today Birse is the last surviving member of the group. His personalized Traveling Troubadours jacket still hangs in the closet beside his front door — ready at a moment’s notice. And he still sings “Danny Boy” whenever he gets the chance, now at events in his retirement village at Valley View Retirement Community.
“I like to ‘sing, sing, sing.’ … You inflate your lungs and breathe out easy,” he says. “Your brain has to remember all the words. It’s healthy for you. You make people happy.”
In 1985, the Tailgate Troubadors sang on TV during halftime at the Notre Dame game. Watch the video. T&G
Cara Aungst is a freelance writer living in Belleville, also known as the “back way” to drive home from the game. Don’t forget to buy some whoopie pies when you are driving through!
