Roger Dresden, a longtime Howell community booster who died Saturday following a battle with cancer, is being remembered for his many contributions to the community, including conducting the musical events of the Livingston Arts Council.
“He was a driving force behind our musical programming, never compromising on the quality of the entertainment that we provided to Livingston County through Acoustic Cafe, Concerts at the Courthouse, and our many comedy events and Holiday concerts,” said Blythe Patterson, president of the Livingston Arts Council.
Dresden approached his work with the LAC based on these three pillars, Patterson said: To present quality performances to the community. Second; to promote awareness of the LAC mission and its mission to restore the Opera House; and, third, make sure the programs were cost-effective for the LAC.
“He had an acerbic wit, which I loved, and he was not afraid to state his mind, something I also appreciated,” Patterson said. “You always knew where you stood with Roger.”
A talented, self-taught musician who played rock ’n’ roll for over 50 years, Dresden was part of the family owned Scully-Monroe Insurance Agency in Howell, which celebrated being in business 100 years in 2019.
Dresden originally joined the Howell Area Arts Council in 1998, in part to work on preserving the Historic Howell Theater as a movie-house. During a community festival, he saw a band perform at the courthouse.
“I thought, why can’t we (the Howell Area Arts Council) do that?” he said.
And so it was that Dresden proposed Concerts at the Courthouse to the Howell Area Arts Council, and the popular summer event was born. It celebrated two decades of providing quality musical entertainment in 2018. You can read our interview with Dresden on the anniversary by clicking here.
Eight years later, in 2006, the HAAC merged with the Livingston Arts Council, and Concerts at the Courthouse became a program of the Livingston Arts Council, with Dresden continuing to conduct the free, family- and pet-friendly series.
“Roger’s passions, including the performing arts and education, made Howell and Livingston County a better place to live, work and prosper,” said Brent Earl, who worked with Dresden on the LAC. “He will be missed by so many.”
