Howard Payne University will welcome back distinguished former students Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson Landon, known professionally as Paul and Paula, for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of their number-one hit “Hey Paula.”
The public is invited to an informal reception with Hildebrand and Landon on Friday, April 27, at 6:30 p.m., during which the duo will share stories and songs from their chart-topping career. The free event will be held in the Bullion Suites of HPU’s Mabee University Center.
“We are proud to welcome these distinguished former students back to HPU’s campus,” said Dr. Bill Ellis, university president. “Ray and Jill are gracious to return to the university, and we hope the public will join us in celebrating their successes, as we step back into musical history with them.”In 1962, Hildebrand and Landon were students at Howard Payne. According to Hildebrand, the duo drove to Fort Worth and dropped in unannounced at a small recording studio in the basement of a radio station. When the scheduled artist failed to appear, the two students were given the opportunity to record their song. A few months later, “Hey Paula” was at the top of the charts in the U.S. and around the world.
Hildebrand and Landon currently reside in Kansas and California, respectively
