Class song still special for WCHS Class of '82

Sep. 30—WILLIAMSBURG — Whitley County High School's Class of 1982 still feels a special connection through the 40 years that have passed since they graduated.

With the class celebrating their 40th reunion this Saturday, class member Cathy Goguen — who co-hosts a podcast called "Backstory Sessions" with Matt Rifenburg — has found a unique way to mark the occasion as well as honor her classmates' choice of song.

Original contenders for the Class Song included "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie, "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang, "The Best of Times" by Styx, and "Keep on Loving You" by REO Speedwagon. The class of nearly 250 students ultimately chose "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers.

Fast forward to 2022, and Goguen reached out to "Through the Years" songwriter Steve Dorff in hopes that he'd agree to be featured on a "Backstory Sessions" episode devoted to her class reunion.

"I couldn't believe it when he responded," said Goguen, who was surprised yet delighted that Dorff responded. "He (said) he would be a guest and tell us the backstory of the song that's meant so much to us for 40 years. (It's) an amazing gift to us to have a songwriter of the magnitude of Steve Dorff make time to just tell us the backstory of our class song."

The song was a crossover hit for Rogers and Dorff, reaching the top of the Adult Contemporary Chart and peaking at No. 5 on the Country Chart.

Dorff's illustrious career spans five decades and includes twenty Top 10 hits, 40 BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) awards as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards and five Emmy Awards. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

Angie Douglas, one of the Class of '82 graduates who will be attending the reunion, said, "'Through the Years' was the perfect song for our class. We were a tight-knit group in high school and there for each other. We are still there for each other. We have a class Facebook page that allows us to keep in touch and do things like prayer requests."

Classmate Nat Hyde reflected, "Back when I was young, I didn't have any idea that this was a love song. Now that I'm older, the song still isn't really a love song to me. It means dependability."

Several members of the Class of '82 all agreed that the song is still special to them regardless of whether it is a love song or not. Although for some, it still holds that meaning.

"The song reminded me of slow dancing at prom with my high school sweetheart. It's one of those songs that reaches in and touches your heart. For me, I can say this has been true in having five wonderful children, which I love and will love through the years," said Jim Wilson, who still resides in Williamsburg.

The special Backstory Sessions podcast is set to air on October 2 at 9 p.m., a day after the Whitley County Class of '82's 40th high school reunion at Cumberland Falls. As well as having Dorff on the show to reflect on the meaning of the song and why he wrote it, Goguen and Rifenburg will be speaking with Douglas, Hyde, Wilson and several other 1982 graduates including: Gary Bryant, Judith Sherman, Tami Cox Mason, Angie Wilson, and Teresa Rountree.