Randy Tessier’s early rebellion began with publishing the Liberal Student Dispatch, distributed on a bus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In 1968, he handed out 25 copies of a mimeographed page satirizing the school’s dress code, leading to his expulsion from Gwinn High School. This was during the 1960s, a decade marked by transformation, where Tessier, a long-haired, musically inclined youth, found his voice.
By 1963, Tessier shifted from aspiring to be an Army man, influenced by the Beatles, and became a critic of societal norms like racism and misogyny. As a University of Michigan lecturer in English and comprehensive studies, Tessier’s skepticism of hierarchy shapes his teaching, music, and labor organizing.
In Ann Arbor, Tessier is known for the “Geezer Happy Hour,” a Friday night event at Live Nightclub for adults 60 and older to dance to classic rock and blues. The New York Times in 2022 called it “the coolest rock show in Ann Arbor.” Tessier sees counterculture as questioning power dynamics and ensuring all voices are heard. The gatherings are a way for his generation, the “silver tsunami,” to claim their space.
After expulsion, Tessier’s life centered around music; he formed a band called Walrus and relocated to Ann Arbor. Balancing family life, he completed his GED, earned a bachelor’s at Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. from U-M. Since moving to Ann Arbor in 1972, Tessier has curated parties, performing with familiar faces over the decades.
Tessier has supported progressive causes, organizing benefits for recently incarcerated individuals and Ann Arbor’s homeless. His music often carries social messages, yet he prefers narrative storytelling over direct didacticism. His song “Texas Blues” touches on abortion and pro-choice issues subtly, suggesting the moral rather than stating it.
A secular humanist, Tessier wears a “What Would Jesus Do” bracelet, resonating with teachings like feeding the poor and healing the sick. In teaching, he fosters open-mindedness, rejecting rigid hierarchies for conversation and improvisation, aiming to cultivate free thinkers.
As a lecturer in the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP), Tessier is committed to aiding students from underrepresented backgrounds. He finds joy in helping those from lesser socioeconomic circumstances access education they might otherwise miss due to class or race.
Despite the passage of decades, Tessier sees the countercultural spirit in today’s students, reminiscent of the highest ideals of the 1960s about peace and love. In 2022, the community became essential for Tessier when he lost his son and best friend within nine days. Music and community offered him continuity amid grief.
“I hope the legacy of our happy hour is that someday there’s going to be old people that want to hear somebody doing Taylor Swift’s catalog,” Tessier said.
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