Paul Vesco remembers his first musical gig in The Villages about 17 years ago. He played a circus tent and the woman who hired him eventually became his wife.
“The Villages was so much smaller then, Spanish Springs was the only Town Square,” Paul Vesco recalled of that first meeting with his future wife, Barbara. “There were no real concert venues. She booked me in a circus tent; I think it was near the real estate office.”
Despite that modest beginning, Barbara Vesco – who retired in March as director of entertainment in The Villages – helped transform The Villages into an entertainment mecca. Brian Russo has succeeded her as director of entertainment.
It’s a challenging job.
Today, The Villages features national acts, local bands, singers and entertainers 365 days a year in multiple venues.
From Johnny Mathis and Bobby Vinton to Rocky and the Rollers and Petrina, someone is playing on a Villages stage every day of the year.
Paul Vesco and his Johnny Cool Swing Band, along with his other acts, have become popular attractions in The Villages and around the United States.
They are part of the entertainment explosion Barbara helped ignite. It didn’t take long for her to make an impression on Paul.
“I remember the first time I met her, she looked great,” he said. “She was a knockout. And she was married.”
But Barbara became a widow and eventually married Paul about 10 years ago.
“I think when Barbara first came here in the 1990s, there were about 11,000 people in The Villages,” Paul said.
The Villages today has close to 120,000 people.
“It’s amazing the way it has grown and all the entertainment that happens here,” Paul said. “I believe Barbara was a big part of it.”
It’s more than just putting acts on stages.
Barbara Vesco had a way of encouraging and helping groups of Villagers who wanted to perform. They weren’t big stars, but everyday people who wanted to entertain at festivals, parades and club gatherings.
One is Ann Pelle of The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps. Pelle had about nine women in the group when she met Barbara Vesco during the early 2000s.
“Barbara was delightful and so easy to work with,” Pelle said. “She was very supportive and always helped us.”
Today The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps numbers more than 100 members.
“We’ve grown so much and we’re so grateful to Barb and everyone at the Entertainment Department,” Pelle said. “They’ve given us so many opportunities. Barb was wonderful and I wish her all the best.”
Gerry Lynch, leader of The Villages Cheerleaders, also praises Barbara Vesco.
“People don’t realize what a difficult job she had and how well she did it,” Lynch said. “I’ve been here 23 years and I never heard anyone say a bad word about Barbara.
“She is so thoughtful. She has a flair for doing things the right way. She cared about people. She was always there for us and she made everyone feel like they mattered.”
Paul Vesco is proud of his wife’s entertainment legacy.
“Barbara made a big impact in The Villages,” he said. “She had a face people knew.”
More than that, Barbara Vesco captured the essence of The Villages lifestyle. “She brought people together,” her husband said.
