Golden Years Meet Golden Band: Retiree Joins LSU as Freshman Tiger Band Member

When most people think about retirement, they imagine slowing down. But for 66-year-old Kent Broussard, retirement became the perfect chance to chase a dream he had carried with him for decades—marching down Victory Hill as a member of the Golden Band from Tigerland.

— Video by Callie Boyd

Born in Lafayette, La., and raised in LaPlace, Broussard built a long and successful career in accounting, parish government, and eventually as a global executive in the alcoholic beverage industry. But throughout his life, he held onto one vivid memory—standing near the LSU Tiger Band as a young fan in Tiger Stadium.

“I just loved the sound,” Broussard said. “I actually bought a recording that the Tiger Band with Director Bill Swor did back in 1976. It was an LP, and I listened to it so many times that it is probably not listenable anymore. But it stuck with me all those years.”

That love for the Tiger Band never left. As he approached retirement, Broussard started asking himself how he wanted to spend the next chapter of his life.

“As you get older, you start thinking about the future,” he said. “My wife calls it the fourth quarter of life. I didn’t want to just sit at home and watch Netflix. I needed to do something I always wanted to do, and what kept coming back to me was LSU and Tiger Band.”

Back to School

Broussard wasn’t just joining the band. To wear the uniform, he had to enroll at LSU, go through the admissions process, and become a student again—transcripts, class schedules, homework, studying, tests, and all.

“I’m just going to be a student,” Broussard said. “I’m going to go to class, scratch my head when the professor says something I have no idea about, and deal with tests like everybody else.”

He also had to prepare musically. Broussard hadn’t played an instrument in 45 years, but with the help of LSU graduate assistant Matthew Thompson, he relearned how to read music and trained on the sousaphone—the instrument that always drew him in.

“I practiced every day, sometimes until midnight,” Broussard said. “I hadn’t played since my 20s, but it started coming back. And my family, they were 100 percent behind me.”

That support mattered. From his wife, who jokingly calls herself a “school widow,” to his daughters and grandson, Broussard’s journey became a family effort. His niece, an LSU alum, even ordered two sets of cookies before auditions—one decorated with “Congratulations” and the other with “Sorry.” 

“I ate both sets of cookies.”

A Team Like No Other

When the final Tiger Band roster was posted, Broussard’s name was there.

“The instant I saw it, several of the returning members saw it too, and they started hollering and screaming,” he said. “The percussion group next door came in, and about 30 people were jumping up and down. It was just a great moment.”

That moment marked more than just a personal milestone. It placed Broussard in the middle of one of LSU’s greatest traditions: a 325-member band that works as one, building the energy of Tiger Stadium every game day.

For Broussard, joining the Tiger Band hasn’t only been about the music. It’s been about the teamwork.

“In Tiger Band, section leaders and returning members are always watching out for you,” he said. “If you’re off your line, they’ll point it out. If you play an E natural instead of an E-flat, they’ll correct you. Because if you look bad, they look bad. That’s the culture—everyone lifts each other up. That teamwork is what makes the band so successful.”

Broussard knows he’s an unusual freshman, but he hopes his story pushes others—both retirees and students alike—to chase their dreams.

“If you have a dream, don’t just put it in the bottom drawer and never pull it out,” Broussard said. “The only failure is not trying. And for young people, if you have an idea, take a shot. You’re never going to know until you try.”

For Broussard, trying meant becoming part of something bigger than himself. On game days, when he lines up with the tuba section, marches down the Hill, and feels the roar of Tiger Stadium, he knows he’s exactly where he was meant to be.

“I’m just trying to be one of the group,” Broussard said. “Play like they do. March like they do. Be a student. Be part of the team.”

And in Tiger Band, that team is like no other.  

“I stress about it: it's not about me, it's about us. It's about the team. It's about the band. It's about the Color Guard. It's about the Golden Girls. Because everybody sees the entire thing. From the front of the band to the back of the band. And that's how I view it. We're all one unit,” Broussard said.

“Proud is the best word that I can come up with because it's something that I've seen for 60 years. Right? And to see it come to fruition—I’m going to be smiling on the inside, but I'm going to be focused on the outside.”

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