Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
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| Location | Concord, CA |
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| Division | World Class |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Director | Justin Heimbecker |
| Senior Executive Advisor | David Gibbs |
| Corps Director | Patrick Seidling |
| Championship titles | 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 World Music Contest 2005 |
| Uniform | (2016) Blue jacket w/black & white front panels, 3 silver buttons, layered decorative left sleeve, blue fade to black right sleeve, aqua tie Black sash Black gloves Black pants w/white stripes down right leg Black shoes & socks Black shako w/white stripe down the right side, square silver badge, white plume with long blue feathers in the middle |
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (also known as "BD" and "Devs") is a World Class (formerly Division I) competitive junior . Based in Concord, California. BD is a member of Drum Corps International (DCI) and is a seventeen-time DCI World Champion. Since 1975, the corps has placed outside of the top three only seven times, never finishing lower than fifth.
In 1957, Tony and Ann Odello and the Concord VFW post assumed control of the Martinettes, a defunct and drill team. They reorganized the unit as The Blue Devils, taking the name from the V.F.W.'s color (blue) and a local landmark, Mt. Diablo (devil). Initially, the group of fewer than 50 young people, performed as an all-boy drum corps with an all-girl drill team. In 1958, the Blue Devils added glockenspiels, becoming a drum and bell corps, while the girls became a separate baton twirling troupe, the Majorettes. The two units continued to perform together with much success, winning numerous state and local competitions between 1957 and 1970. In 1961, the Blue Devils added a flag section to the unit that was then competing in the state's Junior division. Jerry Seawright succeeded Tony Odello as corps manager in 1964. In 1968, the drum and bell corps moved into Senior Division competition, and a new "B" Junior corps was begun. All units of the Blue Devils organization were enjoying such success that the decision was made to transform the "A" drum and bell corps into a drum and bugle corps (D&B).
In 1970, a group of ten buglers was added to the Blue Devils drums and flags, and the corps entered its first competition as the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. By 1972, the unit, now with over seventy members, advanced from Class B competition to Class A and traveled on tour outside California for the first time, making appearances in the Pacific Northwest. The summer of 1973 marked the Blue Devils first national tour and its first appearance at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Finishing 24th of 48 corps, the corps earned Associate membership in DCI. Also in 1973, the Junior drum and bell corps became the Blue Devils B D&B Corps and the younger Blue Devils C D&B Corps was formed. In 1974, the Blue Devils finished in 9th place at the DCI Championships; in 1975 advanced to 3rd place; and in 1976, won the first of the corps' record 17 DCI World Championship titles. After Seawright's retirement in 1984, Mike Moxley became director, and since 1991, the corps has been under the direction of David Gibbs, a former marching member and drum major.
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