Country
Western Swing
"Bob Wills is still the
King!"
WESTERN SWING MONTHLY: For the best information on CW Swing in Texas and
nationwide, we suggest subscribing to “Western Swing Monthly,” a 16-page
newsletter with a great calendar of events plus interesting news.
Western Swing Monthly is to western swing music as Texas Polka News is to
polka! How do you get it?
Call publisher Barbara Martin at 512-930-1660, or check the web site at
www.wsmonthly.com.
ABOUT THIS PAGE
ABOUT COUNTRY WESTERN SWING: If you haven’t discovered CW Swing, one of the classic numbers from Bob Wills applies to you. “Shame, Shame, On You!” But you can make it up to yourself! Go dancing, because you’re only young twice!
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Bob Wills – A Texas Legend
“Deep
within my heart lies a melody…”
Yes folks, it’s the familiar refrain from the great Bob Wills western swing hit “San Antonio Rose,” and it’s known to fans of great music everywhere. It also graces the grave of the legendary Bob Wills as a fitting epitaph for this man and musician known as “The King of Western Swing.”
How big was Bob’s contribution to the development of western swing? Simply stated, Bob Wills put western swing onto the nationwide scene with his Texas Playboys band, radio shows, movies, dance hall performances, and great recordings, including the landmark hit “San Antonio Rose” which helped vault the music to nationwide recognition.
Yes
folks, Bob Wills is a Texas legend, with his fiddle, the jaunty cowboy hat, a
cigar in the corner of his smiling mouth, and his famous “hollers” that
punctuated the music that he created. His
role is best summed up by lyric of Waylon Jennings’ tribute song, which
concludes, “Cause once you’re down in Texas, Bob Wills is still the King.”
Let’s learn a little more about Bob and his music.
Jim
Rob Wills was only ten years old in 1915 when he fiddled at his first dance in
Turkey (TX), being called to fill in for his drunken daddy, also the son of a
fiddler. It was the first of
thousands of nights on stage over the next six decades.
Then earning a living as a barber and salesman, the musician Bob kept working to develop the blend of Tex-Mex, Dixieland, Tin Pan Alley pop, and big band jazz that evolved into western swing.
His first big break came in 1930 with a daily radio show for his band, the Aladdin Laddies, on Forth Worth radio WPAB. When Aladdin Lamp dropped sponsorship, the band became The Light Crust Doughboys, named after the new sponsor. Thus began Bob’s association with Burrus' Light Crust Flour and W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel.
In 1932, the association with O’Daniel broke down (in part due to Bob’s drinking) so Bob (with brother Johnnie Lee) took off for Waco, Texas, where his band the Texas Playboys was truly born, playing frequently on radio station WACO.
From there, they moved on to Tulsa (OK) finding their long running national radio home on KVOO, broadcasting daily from Cain’s Ballroom for eight years (see “Cain’s - The House That Bob Built” below).
Bob and the Texas Playboys were invited to perform at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1945. Bob and the band also appeared in several movies during the 40’s. While national radio exposure helped popularize the new brand of music, playing for dances was Bob’s real love.
“Bob was a stylish, western rogue,” says Ray Benson, a disciple of Wills and leader of the Grammy-winning group Asleep At The Wheel. “He danced onstage, he was outrageous. He strutted like a peacock, unheard of back in those days,” said Benson.
Over the years, many of the great and near great worked with The Playboys. The songs they made famous live on today and are standard fare for the scores of western swing bands that keep the music alive. San Antonio Rose, Faded Love, Maiden’s Prayer, Take Me Back to Tulsa, Yearning, Lily Dale, Bubbles in My Beer, Hubbin It, My Life’s Been A Pleasure, Stay All Night, and so many more.
Bob continued to perform throughout the 50 and 60’s but health concerns became an issue, including strokes. Bob died in May 1975, age 70. The King was dead.
But his music is with us. “Deep within our heart lies his melody…”
(posted 6/23/04)
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Don Walser
Don Walser, the talented country tenor who became known as “The Pavarotti of the Plains,” died Sept. 20, 2006 from complications of diabetes. He was 72.
Perhaps best known for his hit “Rolling Stone from Texas” featuring his great yodeling, Walser’s fame came late in life, even though he had been performing for decades. His “Rolling Stone” recording was recently featured as the opening theme music for the great Texas-based movie “Second Hand Lions” starring Robert Duvall and Michael Caine.
Walser
was born in Brownfield,
Texas, and a musician by age 11.
He started his first band, The Panhandle Playboys, at age 16, and shared
bills with another aspiring Texas singer, Buddy
Holly.
Walser
opted to stay in the Texas
Panhandle to raise a family and work as a mechanic and auditor for
the National
Guard, rather than move to Nashville
to pursue a recording career.
As a result, he had little following outside Texas for the first part of
his career. However,
he never stopped playing as an avocation, and became widely known in Texas.
From
1959-61 Walser had a group called The Texas Plainsmen and a weekly radio
program. For
the next three decades he was always in bands and played a heavy schedule.
He wrote popular original songs such as "Rolling Stone from
Texas", which received a four-star review in 1964
from Billboard magazine.
As
time went on, Walser also became widely known for maintaining a catalog of older
and sometimes more obscure country music and cowboy songs, keeping alive old 1940s
and 1950s
tunes by country music pioneers such as Bob
Wills and Eddie
Arnold, making them his own in a style that blended elements of honky
tonk and Western
swing.
He also was known in country music circles for being an extraordinary
yodeling stylist in the tradition of Slim
Whitman and Jimmie
Rodgers.
In
1984,
the Guard transferred Walser to Austin,
where he put together his Pure Texas Band and developed a strong local following
among local musicians of all ages.
In
1994,
aged 60, Walser retired from the Guard.
Able to devote himself fully to music for the first time in his life, he
was immediately signed by Watermelon Records, and released his first LP, Rolling
Stone From Texas, produced by Ray Benson of Asleep
at the Wheel.
Walser opened for Johnny
Cash in 1996.
Walser
received many awards, and played the Grand
Ole Opry in 1999
(age 65!) and again in 2001.
In 2000
he received a lifetime "Heritage" award from the National
Endowment for the Arts, and he and the Pure Texas Band played at the Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts. He also did cameo roles in feature
movies with honky-tonk settings.
Walser
retired from live performances in 2003 due to health issues.
Austin
musician Mark Rubin (who plays with Brian Marshall, Mark Halata and many other
bands) counted Don Walser among his personal friends and almost a father figure.
In an eloquent article in the Austin Chronicle, Rubin reports the last
words that Walser spoke to him.
“I
hope I never offended anyone, especially my friends.
I like to think that I stood by my friends and that I never gave advice
to someone that I didn’t live by myself.
I’ve tried to live my life like an open book.
I done about as good as I could, you know.”
Don,
you did better than that!
And the lyrical yodel of your “Rolling Stone from Texas” will forever
be one of our personal favorite songs.
Thanks, Don!
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Johnny Gimble, the smiling Texan western swing fiddle player extraordinaire from Dripping Springs, has been named Texas State Musician for 2005.
This additional honor is appropriate for a great
fiddle player who has become so much a part of Texas music.
Johnny has been entertaining
audiences around the world for over six decades.
One of
the few giants in the fiddling world, Gimble has performed with many of the
biggest names in the recording industry, including Bob Wills, Willie Nelson and
Merle Haggard. He has won several
Country Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year awards.
Gimble has long been recognized as the leader of his field – his
playing has been the most studied of any fiddler in the western swing style.
It was
1938 when fiddle and mandolin player Johnny Gimble, at age 13, first appeared
with his brothers on radio station KGBK in their hometown of Tyler, Texas.
In the intervening decades, Gimble has lived one of the most remarkable
careers in modern music. Although he's best known as a former member of Bob
Wills' Texas Playboys, the 79-year-old Gimble has played and recorded with some
of the most important musical figures of the 20th century.
"He's been like a second father to me," declares Ray Benson, leader of the reigning Texas swing band Asleep At The Wheel.
"Although he's never officially been in the band, he's played with Asleep at the Wheel hundreds of times and played on probably 80% of our records. Johnny is one of the most original improvisers in the world, period. I would put him up there with any of the greatest soloists in jazz, because he's totally original, technically superior, and full of incredible ideas that just flow out of him."
High praise, indeed, and well deserved! We always enjoy Johnny Gimble. He is a consummate entertainer, and reminds us of the perfect grandfather!
You can read more about this Texas legend at www.johnnygimble.com.(posted 6/21/05)
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Wild River Band Great Western Swing
Great news for Houston area dance fans! The Notre Dame Council #7036 KC Hall on Beechnut has booked the Wild River Band monthly on the second Sunday, 3-7 p.m. This is really great news for the Hall, for the Wild River Band, and for Houston area dancers who like to dance a Sunday afternoon to great music on a wood dance floor, in a smoke-free environment. What more could you ask?
Wild River Band will return to the KC Hall on Beechnut Sunday, April 10, May 8, and June 12. May we suggest that you mark your calendars now?
Wild River was playing monthly at the Bill Mraz Dance Hall before it burned. Now the Beechnut KC Hall offers this same opportunity for Sunday “afternoon delight.”
Although still emerging and not yet well known, the Wild River Band is among the best western swing bands in Texas. That’s a statement that we’ll stand by, and we don’t make it lightly! Folks, these guys are good. They’ll make your ears smile!
Tickets only $8, food and beverages available, of course.
The Notre Dame Council #7036 hall is easy to find. Just take Beechnut west from Beltway 8 about 1.3 miles and you’ll find the hall at 11611 Beechnut.
The KC’s also hold bingo six days per week (never on Monday). Their hall is also a perfect place for your private party, including weddings, anniversaries, parties, receptions or similar event. See the web at www.houstonrentalsreceptions.com, and the ad this page.
(posted 3/22/05)
Cain’s Ballroom
in Tulsa (OK) is the known as “The House that Bob Built.”
Of course that’s referring to Bob Wills, the father of western swing
music.
Every year the
fans of western swing music in general and Bob Wills in particular return to
Cain’s for the annual Bob Wills Birthday Bash.
The Texas Polka News was there on March 5-6 for the celebration.
Music for the
two-evening event was provided by the Bob Wills Texas Playboys, featuring Leon
Rausch and Tommy Allsup. Yes folks,
even though Bob Wills died in 1975, the band bearing his name continues, helping
to keep alive Bob’s memory and the music that he helped make.
The music was
great, and the setting superb. Ten
talented musicians graced the stage as the Texas Playboys played all the great
songs of western swing. Three
fiddles, lead guitar, steel, keyboard, upright bass, and drums were supplemented
by trumpet and trombone, generating a full sound of swing for the large crowd
filling the floor on Saturday night (Friday night crowd was good too, but with
more room for dancing).
Vocals?
By none other than the legendary Leon Rausch, the voice of western swing!
Opening bands on
Friday (the Round Up Boys from Tulsa) and Saturday (Eddie McAlvain & the
Mavericks from Wichita Falls) were also good.
The Mavericks did a special thing by calling all military veterans onto
the floor, and honoring them with “There’s A Star Spangle Banner Waving
Somewhere.” Most appropriate!
Getting back to
the Texas Playboys, special mention goes to their version of “In the Mood,”
and to their closing sequence of “Faded Love” and “San Antonio Rose.”
It was two evenings of classic music, in a classic dance hall!
Cain’s Ballroom
began life in 1924 as a garage, but by 1930 had been converted to a dance hall
by owner “Daddy” Cain. The
music that would evolve into western swing hadn’t been named yet, but large
crowds began coming for the “hillbilly” music.
Meanwhile, a radio group out of Fort Worth called the Light Crust
Doughboys was defining the music. One
of the Doughboys was Bob Wills.
When Bob Wills
left the Doughboys, he decided to move to Oklahoma to establish a new base.
Bob and his band went to Tulsa radio station KVOO, who agreed to try
them. Response began pouring in,
and the Bob Wills Texas Playboys soon became a radio institution, reaching
across the nation when KVOO went to 50,000 watts clear channel.
The daily radio show was broadcast for nine years from Cain’s Ballroom,
where Bob’s band also played every Thursday and Saturday night.
The legends of Bob Wills and Cain’s Ballroom were underway.
The 75 year-old
Cain’s Ballroom has gone through several re-incarnations, but it is still a
great place to dance. The
hip-roofed hall has a large wood dance floor and tremendous seating area.
The sign above the large stage says “Home of Bob Wills.”
A drum set from Bob’s Band is spotlighted on the balcony above the
hall’s entrance, along with an antique console radio (to signify the daily
radio show).
The perimeter of
the hall is decorated with 28 very large photos of the great performers who have
graced Cain’s Ballroom over the years, representing the “Who’s Who” of
Western Swing. Cain’s is a
western swing history textbook.
For more info, see the web sites for The Texas Playboys at www.texasplayboys.net and Cain’s Ballroom at www.cainsballroom.com.
(Posted 3/22/04)
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But
Clyde can do more than fiddle. This
pioneer western swing bandleader and legend-in-the-making also plays mandolin
and piano, sings vocals, and leads the renown River Road Boys band since 1971.
Let’s learn a little more about this man who has helped make and
sustain western swing music in Texas.
Clyde’s
outlet for all his musical skills is the River Road Boys band, which he started
in 1971 along with fellow-fiddler Bob White, now deceased.
They built the band around their twin fiddles, supported by excellent
sidemen, producing western swing music that has kept them in the forefront of
Texas music for over three decades.
Along
the way, the River Road Boys and their musicians have been inducted into several
Halls of Fame, released 20 recordings, were fan-voted western swing band of the
year for two consecutive years, played the Texas Prison Rodeo for 10 years, and
played at the International Economic Summit for world leaders.
The
River Road Boys band has the distinct honor of being one of the most prominent
organized bands around today keeping Western Swing music alive.
Band members include: Clyde Brewer (fiddle, mandolin, piano, vocals);
Tommy Howser (drums, vocals); Herb Remington (steel guitar); Bill Dessens
(fiddle, lead guitar, vocals); Shelly Lee Alley, Jr. (rhythm and lead guitar,
vocals); Jim Nelson (vocals); Harlan Kubos (upright bass, vocals).
Quite
a group that Clyde Brewer puts on the stage!
The River Road Boys are in the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame.
Brewer has been inducted into, among other organizations, the Pioneers of
Western Swing Society Hall of Fame and the International Country Music Hall of
Fame.
I
started playing house dances when I was growing up in Luling," Brewer said.
"I was probably about 10 years old. In
1942, when he was an aspiring fiddle player, his family moved to Beaumont -- and
his career gained wings. "We played on radio station KRIC-AM.
A lot of guys started there, like George Jones," he said.
Brewer
spent his youth playing fiddle with the Village Boys, Clif Bruner, Moon Mullican
and with his stepfather, Shelley Lee Alley.
During the `30s and `40s, Alley and his Alley Cats were a popular western
swing band in Texas.
Brewer’s
decades-long career has had many highlights, but the biggest thrill was meeting
and playing with fiddle legend Clif Bruner. "Clif Bruner was my
idol," says Clyde. "I
listened to him, and he also recorded on my stepdad's recordings before I did,
so I had a double reason for wanting to play with him -- and later on I
did."
Brewer also got the chance to play with another legend in the business, the great Bob Wills, of Bob Wills. "Bob Wills disbanded the Texas Playboys and worked through the `60s and early `70s with put-together bands and that's when I played with him," Brewer said. "I will never tell anybody that I was a member of Bob Wills Texas Playboys, but I played with Wills probably a dozen or 15 times. He was a real sparkplug on the bandstand because you would play your best when he pointed to you to do a solo."
For more info, see the web at www.riverroadboys.com. Or give Clyde a call at 281-356-7174. You might just catch him fiddlin’ around!
(posted 5/22/04)
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Western Swing Monthly
Sure,
polka music is Number One.
Cajun is great too.
But there sure is something to be said for good old Western Swing!
After all, our “legend in the making” band from Austin (Asleep At The
Wheel) has a great song that proclaims, “In Texas, Bob Wills is still the
King!”
Where
can you find out about Western Swing in Texas, and around the nation? Well,
we carry some info in The Texas Polka News, specifically pertaining to some of
our personal favorites.
But
another prime source is “Western Swing Monthly,” a 16-page monthly
newsletter with a great Texas-wide calendar of events plus interesting news.
Western Swing Monthly is to western swing music as The Texas Polka News
is to polka!
How do you get it? Call publisher Barbara Martin at 512-930-1660, or check the web site at www.wsmonthly.com.
(posted
12/21/04)
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Texas Pioneers Do Western Swing
Western
swing is coming back strong, and some new bands are part of the resurgence.
One such band is the Texas Pioneers, who played recently at the Bill Mraz
Dance Hall in Houston.
The Texas
Pioneers band includes two members of the Czech Melody Masters polka band,
Thomas Durnin and Dave Bedrich. The
Pioneers feature some true legends of Texas Swing, like Jimmy Grabowske on
steel, playing since 1946 with greats like Charlie Walker, The Jesse James Band,
Delores and The Bluebonnet Boys, and backing up Hank Williams, Tex Ritter,
Johnny Horton, and countless more stars. At Bill Mraz the Texas Pioneers also had Houston legend Bill
Dessens on lead guitar and fiddle. The
result was great dancing!
The Texas
Pioneers have been the featured band for three years at the Jimmy Heap Tribute
and Reunion. They play many of the
old Jimmy Heap favorites along with Bob Wills, Ray Price and more.
They also play a lot of old waltzes like Westphalia and polkas including
Jesse polka, Happy Go Lucky, and more.
(Posted 3/22/04)
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Wild River Band Swings!
“If you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.” So goes the lyric from a classic Texas song played in polka time by many bands, both country and polka. We would like to add an amendment (sequel). “If you’re gonna dance in Texas, you gotta try western swing.”
And fiddles meet western swing when the Wild River Band breaks out in music to make Bob Wills (and any Texan) proud!
The Wild River Band does authentic western swing, and they do it well! They will play at the Bill Mraz Dance Hall in Houston on March 14, reprising their outstanding performance there on Jan. 11. They also played for a recent trail ride dance (see companion story on Welcome Hall in Industry).
The Wild River Band, sponsored by the Saint Arnold Brewing Company of Houston, performs at festivals, ranch parties, and in special events. They will play at the Stockman’s Club Mar. 18 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Their new CD, “Wild River Band Requests Vol. II” is a musical delight. It’s one of our favorite CD’s, with 12 great songs, including some favorite swing tunes from the 30's and 40's.
The Wild River musicians include Billy Curtis and Ray Ohendalski on fiddles (and much more), Karl Caillouet (bass), Jimmy Calhoun (drums), Chuck Crow (piano), Mike Stroup (guitar) and the legendary Herb Remington on steel guitar. Curtis, Ohendalski and Stroup share vocals.
For more info, call 713-598-8317, or see the web at www.wildriverband.com.
So check out the Wild River Band March 14 at Bill Mraz Dance Hall. We think you’ll enjoy them.
To quote one of their fans, “You guys really make my ears smile!!"(posted 2/20/04)
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Honky Tonk Texas
Every now and again we just have to get out and honky tonk Texas! It’s something in our blood I suppose, or our upbringing, or heck, maybe we just like Texas honky tonks!
Whatever the reason, we recently had the opportunity to check out some of the best honky tonks in Bandera, the cowboy capital of the world. It was in between the Friday night Cowboy Christmas Ball in Round Rock and the Sunday polkafest in Ellinger (see separate articles). We had a honky-tonkin’ time!
The bad news is that the Cabaret Dance Hall and Café in Bandera has closed down. The good news is that we then had the opportunity to check out some of the other Bandera legends.
Like Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar Bar, right their on main street in downtown Bandera, where owner Arkey Blue has been keeping cowboys (real and weekend) dancing since 1968.
Arkey Blue is owner, operator, musician, recording artist, and all-around Bandera legend, and so is the Silver Dollar Bar.
Over the years, Arkey has made four recordings (in cassette and CD) and a fifth CD called “The Best of Arkey Blue,” with favorites from the first four recordings. Arkey not only plays and sings, he writes many of songs. And as owner-operator of his own establishment for over 35 years, Arkey always has a place to play his music.
Arkey is solid “Texas country,” and so is his Silver Dollar Bar.
You enter the old doorway on Main Street, and walk down the one flight of wooden stairs, worn hollow by generations of cowboy boots making the trek over the decades. At the bottom you walk past the admission table directly onto the sawdust covered dance floor.
Looking around, you are greeted to a traditional Texas honky tonk. Beer signs, photos, cowboy gear, stuffed animal heads, life-size cutouts of John Wayne, Dolly Parton and Elvis, flags, and so mush more in eclectic revelry.
Posters of past events are there too, including one from the Grand Ole Opry for Jan 1, 1953 featuring Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, Hank Thompson and Loretta Lynn! How about that line-up folks!
The support timbers are 8x8 knurled Texas Cedar, worn smooth by decades of use and carving of initials and messages. Our eyes follow the support timbers up to the tin covered ceiling, and the fans keeping the dancers cool. We sit at the long tables, covered in red bandana pattern vinyl. Over in the corner is the phone booth of old, authentic except for the phone, which is a wall mounted Princess model, but with working dial tone.
The Blue Cowboys band takes the stage at 9 p.m. and starts the traditional two-step music, joined by Arkey at 10 p.m. Arkey opens with “Bob Wills is Still the King” and proceeds to play and sing the standards. He also does his own songs such as “Back Streets of Bandera” to add the local touch, just like he’s been doing since 1968. The dance floor fills with 8-10 couples for the two steps and occasional waltz and polka. They are a mix of visitors and locals, but they are all Texans, or Texas wanna-be’s.
But Arkey’s isn’t the only place in town! We make one more, the 11th Street Cowboy Bar. Dancing is on a 2x6 floor in the patio area, with wind tarps in place and propane heaters taking the chill off the December evening. It’s pretty rustic, and the patrons are mostly cowboy (and girl), some even dancing with their spurs on! Hunters are also enjoying the music and beer (Bandera is also the heart of Texas hunting country). Some snowbirds too, taking advantage of the music and no cover charge.
There are other places too, but we can’t make them all. But the Texas Honky Tonk is alive and well in Bandera. May it always be so!(posted 12/21/04)
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Bob Wills, Jr. Danceland
“Have
you heard anything about a Bob Wills dance hall in Conroe?”
The question was posed to us at a dance. We answered “no” with the self-assurance that if
there’s a Bob Wills dance Hall in Conroe we certainly would have heard about
it before.
But just on the chance we might be wrong, we checked the web. Sure enough! Google found the Bob Wills dance hall right away. Live and learn! So we checked it out on Superbowl eve, when other dance choices were limited.
“Bob Wills, Jr. Danceland” on the north side of Conroe is a typical Texas honky-tonk dance hall, with beer signs, pool tables, and a nice wood dance floor. The band this night is Herbie Stutes & the Grand Shin Band (Cajun, country, light rock), and the dance floor is full! The crowd is mostly 60 plus, with a few youngers, and it’s a dancing crowd!
Bob Wills, Jr. Danceland is operated by Sue Wills, widow of Bob Wills Jr., who claimed to be a son of the legendary Bob Wills by an early marriage. The Wills family disputes that claim. But that didn’t stop the retired Air Force Lt. Col. from establishing Danceland. Bob Wills Jr. died in 2003, but Sue continues to operate the Hall.
Dancing is every Friday and Saturday night, with a variety of country bands. Danceland is easy to find. Just north of Conroe on I-45, take exit 91 (League Line Road) east less than a mile. You’ll find Bob Wills, Jr. Danceland where League line Road T’s into Hwy 75.
It’s another Texas dance hall. Check it out!
(posted 2/20/04)
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The Broken Spoke in Austin
It was 1964, and James White was looking for something to do with his life after his stint in the Army. This 6th generation Texan loved country music as a kid, and remembered some of the old dance halls around his hometown Austin. And so he invented “The Broken Spoke,” an authentic Texas dance hall, outside the south city limits of Austin. James and his wife-to-be Annetta built it under a huge oak tree, designing and creating the dance hall of their dreams as a showcase for Texas honky tonk music. James and Annetta wed in 1966, with their wedding reception at the Broken Spoke.
Now, 40 years later, The Broken Spoke and the Whites are still going strong, well on their way to becoming part of the rich musical heritage of Texas music and dance. Let’s learn a little more about this man and his dance hall.
Nestled well-back on the lot on South Lamar street (now well within the city limits), the Broken Spoke has lots of “street appeal” for a Texas dance hall fan. The large oak tree out front is part of the picture, as is the rusting old “band touring bus” on display as a memento to the road life of Texas musicians. The bus was used by the Texas Top Hands band when they were playing Texas in the 60’s. James says, “People love the bus. It wouldn’t look good in front of the Four Seasons, but it looks damn good in front of The Spoke.”
Walking through the rustic entrance, you find yourself in the Broken Spoke’s eating area, filled with delicious odors. The food must be good, because plenty of people are here this night enjoying the fare. Others are off in the side room playing pool or shuffleboard.
Walking through the eating area, you pass the bar, and enter the dance hall, where you pay a cover charge. The stage is at the far end, with ample seating areas on both sides of the hall. The dance floor is adequate for the good crowd on this particular evening.
Beer signs and other memorabilia abound, and it is “pure Texas” everywhere you look. One bumper sticker asks, “What would Ernest Tubb do?”
The band this particular night is Cornell Hurd, playing good country western swing, country and light rock, all very danceable. The band started with 10 members and finished the night with up to 12 performers providing the music.
Back
in the sixties, the Spoke played host to many country superstars and legends.
Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, and Bob Wills tipped their hats from the stage at
the far end of this old dance hall.
Willie
Nelson started playing at the Spoke before he moved back from Nashville when he
still had a crew cut and a sport coat.
It's no secret that it’s still one of Willie's favorite hang-outs when
he's home in Austin.
Through the years, James and Annetta have opened their doors and welcomed to the stage a pretty impressive list of aspiring musicians. George Strait and his Ace In The Hole Band cut their teeth in the music business playing in the Spoke. A wide variety of country superstars from Kris Kristofferson to Kitty Wells have performed at the Spoke.
James and Annetta were both born and raised in the Austin area, and still live within a mile of The Spoke. They check on The Spoke often, and are always there on Friday and Saturday night. James named his new dance hall The Broken Spoke because he liked wagon wheels and a radio show named Broken Arrow. Now the Hall’s logo is an old wagon wheel with a broken spoke. Just prior to a band break, James White takes the stage to sing a fast polka with Cornell Hurd (yes, James is a performer too), while the attractive female bartender rolls the full-size “Broken Spoke” wagon wheel around the dance floor. Great showmanship, and the crowd loves it!
The crowd is a curious mixture of true Texas music fans, and tourists who come to see the authentic Texans doing their thing in a dance hall on its way to becoming a legend. By just being sociable we meet people visiting Austin from England, the Netherlands, and Australia, plus Seattle, Tennessee and North Carolina. And that was just at our surrounding tables!
James has opened a “Tourist Trap” room for the many passers-through. It’s really a museum for Texas music. It contains many collectables from the Texas musical scene, including a Bob Wills fiddle, boots, hat and half-smoked cigar.
The Whites will celebrate 40 years of The Broken Spoke on November 10, 2004, with all the usual bands providing the music for a free appreciation dance, birthday cake and all. Should be a blast!
James White is downright philosophical about his creation. “The Spoke is more than a place, or a building. It’s a living piece of history. We’ve been voted the Best Honky Tonk in Texas, and the home of the best chicken fried steak in Austin. We were also voted the best place to bring a visitor or newcomer. The Capital came in 3rd. I guess that’s because you can’t drink and dance and have fun at the Capital!”
The Broken Spoke is open Tuesday through Sunday, with entertainment every evening. It’s easy to find at 3201 S. Lamar, on the south side of Austin. Just take 290 west from I-35 (290 is also W. Ben White Blvd and Hwy 71 at that point). Go north on Lamar, and pretty soon you’re at the Broken Spoke! It’s about time you got there!
(posted 1/19/04)
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Billy Mata for Western Swing
Texas is home to many good C/W swing bands playing music in the tradition of Bob Wills. One such band is Billy Mata & the Texas Tradition, whom we heard recently at St. Hedwig (see related article). Here’s a little more info on this talented band.
Billy has been performing 25 years for audiences, and his followers and enthusiasts range from traditional "honky tonk" listeners to "western swing" dancers. The band is made up of seven of Texas' strongest professional caliber musicians totaling more than 165 years of musical experience. This includes strong lead vocal by Billy Mata, along with featured twin fiddles, honky tonk steel guitar and "the big fiddle" (a stand up bass).
The style of music played is from Bob Wills, Johnny Bush, Mel Tillis, Ray Price, as well as, the popular sounds of Asleep at the Wheel, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Earl Keen, and many more!
Billy's
history and love of traditional Texas "honky tonk" and "western
swing" music can be seen and heard in each and every performance. Billy is
a longtime adamant admirer of "traditional western swing" and sings it
from his heart. During his shows, audiences can feel he true bond that the music
and Billy have together.
Billy
and band have been nominated for many awards and received the "Will Rogers
Cowboy Western Swing Male Vocalist of the Year" award.
Live
performances range from home base of San Antonio throughout the southwest region
of the United States and growing! Billy
and the band reach their destinations in his tour bus.
After Billy's performances, the music can continue on, with his most recent recordings on either CD or cassette, "Keepin' The Tradition ... A Tribute To My Heroes," along with his prior recordings on "Made In Texas," and "Then-N-Now," all with special select songs and some of Billy's originals. Many traditionalists and younger audiences that are just now listening to the "traditional country western" music enjoy both Billy's performances and CDs. Also, Billy's most recent CD can be heard on select radio stations, as well as, jukeboxes across the country. The fans are growing larger everyday in support of "real country music!"
For information on schedules, recordings and more, see the web at www.billymata.com.
(posted 1/19/04)
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Coupland is Calling!
It hit us about halfway through the Cotton Eyed Joe! Great c/w swing music by our Grammy-winning band Asleep At The Wheel. Texans of all ages having fun on the smooth wood dance floor, or sitting at the long tables enjoying the music. A great old dance hall, tucked away in a small Texas town. It just doesn’t get any better. Makes you proud to be from Texas!
Where was this great Saturday night event? At The Old Coupland Inn and Dance Hall, in Coupland, TX.
Coupland
(say “Copeland”) is a little town of about 452 on highway 95 between Elgin
and Taylor. Founded way back in
1867, the town has a long history, but never got very big.
However, a nice structure on their one-block main street built in 1904
served as a drug store, and also as doctor’s office. Photos taken in 1916 show it as mercantile store, with
buckboards lined up outside. This
structure ultimately became the Coupland Inn.
A
dance hall existed next to the Inn as early as 1934 when it was known as the La
Casa Grande Ballroom. When asked
about the history of the dance hall, locals just say, “It’s been here as
long as I remember.” In
the 1970’s, the Inn was famous for its all-you-eat-BBQ, attracting folks from
all over including nearby Austin and Round Rock.
It also served as a grocery store. In
1992, a couple decided to renovate and reopen the Inn and adjacent dance hall. This brought a “new beginning” to the venerable old
structure.
The
dance hall is a true Texas phenomenon. The
long bar began life in the old Paradise Bar in Schulenburg, but now seems right
at home in Coupland. It looks like
something right out of Texas cowboy history, replete with mirrors and the
lounging semi-nude female painting above the bar. The
smooth wood dance floor is not large, but adequate.
Long tables surround the floor, separated by a railing in some places.
The back corner of the hall includes pool tables and assorted games.
Of course, beer signs are everywhere, along with other collectibles and
early Texas mementos. The big old
pot bellied stove near the bar is fired up on this cold night, and it feels
good. The high ceiling is
unfinished, allowing one to observe the wooden beams and structure.
You
look around and are left with one conclusion.
This is Texas! In fact, the
Hall has been used in seven movies (including the original Lonesome Dove) and
eight TV shows (including a MacGyver episode).
The
Coupland Inn and Dance Hall is now managed by Larry and Kathleen Kelso, who
bought the business from Tim & Barbara Worthy about 16 months back.
It’s open three nights a week. Thursday
is karaoke night, with live music on Friday and Saturday.
On this night, it’s Asleep At The Wheel, opened at 8:30 by the Ricky
Calmback Band playing good country music until 10:30.
The
47 year-old Larry bought the business after spending 27 years in South America
and the Middle East, with Harley Davidson.
He decided it was time to come home.
He found home in Coupland! Larry
and Kathleen manage the Inn and Hall. The
food served by the Inn is delicious, and the attractive Kathleen runs a tight
ship. The Dance Hall operates as a
private club (for purposes of mixed drinks), but you just “join” the club as
you enter the door.
The second story above the Inn has rooms, long idle, but with a legend of a history as a House of Ill Repute. The Kelsos are renovating these rooms in “bordello” motif and plan to open a Bed & Breakfast very soon. With the attraction of their Inn, the dance hall, and their proximity to Austin and Round Rock, the bordello B&B should just add another dimension to this interesting dance hall of Texas.
You’ll
want to check out the Coupland Inn and Dance Hall, as part of your continuing
Texas education. See the web at www.couplanddancehall.com,
or call 512-856-2226. If you need a
nearby motel, there are many in Round Rock, and a new Holiday Inn Express in
Elgin.
Yes folks, Coupland is calling. “Take a Two-Step back in time!”
Floyd
Tillman, honky-tonk pioneer and noted Texas songwriter, died Aug. 22 at his home
near Houston. He was 88.
Floyd Tillman wrote Bing Crosby’s 1939 smash hit “It Makes No Difference Now” (also a big hit for Gene Autrey), recorded his first No. 1 single in 1944 (“They Took the Stars Out of Heaven”), and was one of country music’s first great electric guitarists. He will best be remembered for his 1949 song “Slipping Around,” which became smash hits for Margaret Whiting, Jimmy Wakely and Earnest Tubb.
Tillman was one of the first to champion the use of the electric guitar in country music and also one of the first country artists to travel by airplane to get to his bookings. His distinctive half-spoken vocal style influenced countless performers who followed him. His songwriting gained him admission to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and saw him inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1984.
Tillman was born in Oklahoma, in 1914, and grew up in the cotton mill town of Post, Texas, in a sharecropper's household. He began his career playing guitar and mandolin in a trio with two of his brothers and later worked with western swing pioneers Adolph Hofner, Cliff Bruner and Leon "Pappy" Selph.
He first recorded for Decca Records in 1939 but had his own solo chart successes in the 40s. His songs proved even more successful when recorded by other artists. Floyd also wrote "G.I. Blues," “Each Night at Nine,” "Drivin' Nails In My Coffin,” and "I Love You So Much It Hurts," to name a few.
A long-time resident of Marble Falls, Tillman moved to Houston to be near the Medical Center after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Tillman was a great influence on country music. He recently finished a recording titled “The Influence,” featuring duets with such admirers as Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Willie Nelson. “The Influence” is set to be released in November. Now posthumously. But Floyd Tillman may just be “Slipping Around” for a long time in the memories of c/w honky-tonk fans and the music that made his life.
(posted 9/19/03)
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From 1948 until the death of founder Miss Agnes Booth in the early 80’s, the Trading Post in Booth TX was the place to be for good old Texas music in a rustic setting. Now the old Booth Trading Post is back as Ms. Marjie’s Cafe, operated by the founder’s granddaughter Marjorie Booth Pollard. And the music is back, too, along with great food and a good Texas time.
Texas Polka News boogied back to Booth (SW of Houston) recently to hear the Wild River Band entertain in the covered pavilion. Wild River is a super C/W Swing band, complete with fiddles, great vocals, and all the C/W swing classics that you know and love. And they play lively the whole evening folks, so bring your dancing shoes. Check out their web site at www.wildriverband.com. One of their fans summed it up by saying, "You guys really make my ears smile!!" Now that’s talking Texan!
The Wild River Band plays again at Booth on June 21, with a 7 p.m. start. Come on down, and come hungry so that you can sample some of the great food from Ms. Marjie’s Café.
Which brings us back to the Old Trading Post. The complex consists of a nice café, a large pavilion with a nice bar area, tables and a dance floor (smooth concrete). The pavilion is surrounded by large oak trees, shading the many picnic tables that provide ample space for eating, drinking, and enjoying the music.
On this night, the crowd comes early, and most are eating the traditional Texas fare obtained from the take-out café or the Texas BBQ serving line. Waitresses circulate to take orders and deliver food and drinks.
The crowd is all ages, including extended families with several generations. It’s a family affair, and the kids are taking advantage of the child attractions, or “dancing” to the irresistible beat of the band.
The Trading Post/Café is located in the little community of Booth, on FM 2759 a few miles off Hwy 59 near Rosenberg. It’s easy to find. From US 59 South, take the Crabb River Road/Grand Parkway exit. Cross over US 59 and go straight to the blinking light at the intersection of FM 2759 and FM 762. Turn left at the blinking light and proceed approximately 3.3 miles. It’s located on the left hand side. Please follow the signs for parking.
And plan on having a good time in Booth. This is Texas, at its best!
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The
Houston-based River Road Boys band was formed in 1971 featuring the legendary
twin fiddles of Clyde Brewer and the late Bob White.
Their unique style of country music, with a strong emphasis on
traditional Western Swing, has given them the honor of being one of the most
respected and versatile groups around. They
entertain their audiences with music from the Big Band Era to Western Swing to
traditional Country.
Some
highlights of their career include: First country music album ever broadcast
behind the Iron Curtain, Fan-voted Western Swing Band of the year for 2
consecutive years, and playing for the Texas Prison Rodeo (10 years) and for the
International Economic Summit of the seven Industrialized Nations with President
George Bush and other visiting dignitaries
The
River Road Boys band have the distinct honor of being one of the few organized
bands around today keeping Western Swing music alive.
The band was inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame in San
Marcos. All of the band members are
renowned in their own right and have been inducted into various Western Swing
Halls of Fame across the country.
Band
members include: Clyde Brewer on fiddle, mandolin, piano and vocals.
Tommy Howser on drums and vocals; PeeWee Doyle bass guitar.
Herb Remington steel guitar. Bill
Dessens fiddle, lead guitar. Shelly
Lee Alley, Jr. rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and vocals.
Jim Nelson vocals.
With
18 albums over the years to their credit, their music is played on radio
stations both nationally and internationally.
They have gained international recognition due to the advent of the
Internet and the establishment of their own website: www.flash.net/~orrb/orrb.htm.
Two
big annual events are The Shelly Lee Alley Tribute in Huntsville and the Cowboy
Christmas Ball held the first Saturday every December in Rockdale.
Clyde
Brewer, the leader of the band, was born in Luling, Texas and raised in
Beaumont. He is very well known in
Texas music circles. As a young
lad, he played house-dances in the Luling area and daily radio programs in the
Beaumont area. His stepfather was
Shelly Lee Alley, a pioneer of Western Swing music.
Brewer
has played with virtually every large band and big-name musician throughout
Texas, and is recognized by his peers far and wide as a "Musician's
Musician," as well as being an excellent bandleader.
He is one of the co-founders of The River Road Boys.
Clyde is a member of the Western Swing Society Hall of Fame in
Sacramento, California, the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame, the Golden Spike
Country Music Hall of Fame in Utah, and the Pioneers of Western Swing Society
Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington. Also,
in 2000, he was inducted into the International Country Music Hall of Fame.
Clyde
sings and plays the keyboard, mandolin and fiddle with The River Road Boys, and
lives in Magnolia, Texas with his wife, Sedonia.
The band can be booked for engagements by contacting: Clyde Brewer - (281) 356-7174 or Vivian Howser (Secretary) at (713) 864-2254, or mail to 1627 Fawnhope, Houston, Texas 77008 E-Mail: fiddle@flash.net. Check out their web site for complete info at www.river roadboys.com.
(written 3/02, posted 5/20/03)
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AATW & Floores Country Store in Helotes
What do you get if you bring together Asleep At The Wheel, the premier Texas Swing group out of Austin, with the historic Floores Country Store in Helotes, NW of San Antonio where Willie Nelson got his start?
That’s
easy. You get a great night of
dancing and listening to legendary music in a legendary Texas dance hall!
It happened that way Nov. 24th, and Texas Polka News was
there!
Texas
Swing fans, even those who believe firmly that “Bob Wills is Still the
King,” know that Asleep At The Wheel (AATW) from Austin is now the top rail in
Texas swing. Eight Grammy Awards
speaks to that! They are in demand
across the nation, but always have time for Texas performances too.
So
Nov. 24th found AATW in the historic Floores Country Store, which has
been giving Texas dancers a place to hoot and holler for over 70 years! That’s a long time folks, and they must be doing something
right!
Floores
Country Store is vintage Texas dance hall!
It looks the part, inside and out. Just
off Highway 16 less than a dozen miles from nearby San Antonio, the Store is a
complex of unique buildings. Dancing
is inside tonight (seasonal) in the rustic hall, decorated with cowboy boots,
hats, saddles, tack, and eclectic Texas trivia.
The smell of great hamburgers, tamales and much more comes from the
kitchen. The smooth concrete dance
floor is surrounded by tables, filled with people of all ages.
The band is at one end of the hall with the bar area at the other.
Much
of the year, the dancing is outside, where a very large area with bright green
picnic tables – lots and lots of tables – surround the smooth concrete
dance. The outdoor stage is really
huge, and of course there are enough outdoor bars to meet the need of thirsty
Texans.
But
this night the dancing is inside, with a very good band, Geronimo Trevino,
opening for AATW. By 10 p.m. when
AATW comes on, the crowd has already had a great time!
But
it gets better. AATW made it to the
bigs by playing C/W swing, and they stay true to their loyal fans.
They open with three signature AATW songs, Cherokee Maiden, Miles &
Miles of Texas, and Route 66. It’s
great, and it just keeps on getting better.
Want
more info on AATW? Check their web
site at www.asleepatthewheel.com.
Want
info on the Floores Country Store in Helotes?
Call 210-695-8827.
AATW
and Floores Country Store. Texas. It just doesn’t get any better!
(written 1/02, posted 5/20/03)
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Hot Club of Cowtown
If you liked Bob Wills, you’ll also
like The Hot Club of Cowtown! They’re
a young, Austin-based trio producing the great sounds of western swing.
We first saw the Hot Club at the Lowell
(MA) Folklife Festival in 1999 when they were among the dozen or so groups that
performed along with Brian Marshall and his band.
In fact, the two biggest hits at the at festival just might have been
Brian Marshall’s Band and the Hot Club of Cowtown!
We saw the Hot Club again recently when
they played at Gruene Hall (see also the Gruene Hall article in the Dec. issue
of TPN). They are just as good here
in Texas as they are when on the road. Their
music isn’t polka, but it sure is good listening.
Let’s learn a little more about the group.
The Hot Club of Cowtown is a three-piece
outfit with fiddle, guitar and bass. They
firmed up in 1997 when guitarist/vocalist Whit Smith and violinist/vocalist
Elana Fremerman moved to Austin and hooked up with bassist/vocalist Billy
Horton, a Beaumont native. New
Englander Whit Smith had met Kansan Elana Fremerman in New York, where both were
members of an 11-piece swing band.
The Hot Club of Cowtown became an
immediate hit in Austin, and then began expanding with tours around the country.
Their first album was Swingin’
Stampede in 1998, followed by Tall Tales last year.
The write some of their own music. Fremerman
is great on the fiddle, and does interesting things with her eyes during the
lively performances. Smith is also
entertaining and great on the guitar and vocals.
A new bass player, Matt Weiner, has
recently come on board to complete the trio.
Although on the road a lot, the Hot Club
of Cowtown has numerous dates in Texas. You
can get their schedule from the net at www.hightone.com/bios/hotclub.html.
Their next dates in Texas include Jan. 14 at the Mucky Duck in Houston,
Jan 15 at Belo Mansion in Dallas, and Feb. 26 at the Travis County Livestock
Show in Austin.
To get on their mailing list or for merchandize, write Box 685335, Austin, TX 78701-9998.
Like we said, if you liked Bob Wills…
(written 1/00, posted 5/20/03)
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Texas Swing and Legends at 5th Annual Shelly Lee Alley Tribute
They were all
there (except one). Johnny Gimble.
Floyd Tillman. Leon Rausch. Cliff
Bruner. Van Williams.
Clyde Brewer and the River Road Boys.
Bill Dessens. Yes, they were
all in Columbus (Texas) at the historic Stafford Opera House on June 13th
(1998) for the 5th Annual Shelly Lee Alley Tribute.
It was simply great, marred only by the illness absence of one of
Texas’ legendary fiddle players, Leon “Pappy” Selph.
Fans of
classic Texas swing, strings, fiddles and traditional Texas vocals were
alternately mesmerized and roused to excitement by the showmanship, the music,
the legendary musicians and the pure entertainment.
This annual
event in Columbus is now well on its way to becoming a classic.
It’s as if the ghosts of hometown product Shelly Lee Alley, the great
Bob Wills, and the legendary Jimmie Rogers were there, helping enthrall the
full-house in the historic 1886 Opera House.
Where to
begin? Well, Johnny Gimble was
super with fiddle and song. Always
the easy-going, confident showman, Gimble opened with “Draggin the Bow,”
followed by “Maiden’s Prayer.” Legendary
vocalist Leon Rausch - the Voice of Western Swing - joined in “Roly Poly”
and “Milk Can Blues.” Gimble
came back with a charming “What Do You Do When You Just Can’t Do What You
Did When You Did What You Did!”
The entire
ensemble did “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” for “Pappy” Selph
and wife Inez. Master MC Larry
Scott dedicated the entire program to the 83 year-old “Pappy,” one of
Texas’ favorite fiddle players (Texas Polka News Feb. 1998).
Legendary
fiddle player Cliff Bruner, also 83 with seven decades of performing, walked
very slowly onto the stage. He won
the crowd with his first words, “See, I told you I’d be back!”
When Cliff picked up his fiddle to play and sing “When You’re
Smiling,” his years disappeared. When
he played “Jessie Polka” (a song he wrote in two minutes at the Rice Hotel
years ago when they needed a new number), the house came alive, wondering how
anyone can pick the fiddle strings this fast.
Floyd Tillman
has done it all in his career, writing over 1000 songs (yes, he is in the
Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame). Tillman’s
hits include I Love You so Much It Hurts Me, Slippin’ Around, It Makes No
Difference Now, and many more. He
did these classics and a few more.
Among all the
other great performances this night, the crowd-pleasing favorite might have been
Van Williams, the nationally-known Jimmie Rogers sound-alike.
Blinded by a sniper’s bullet in WWII and seated solo on the stage, Van
Williams "turned on" the audience with classic Rogers’ vocals,
including “All Around the Water Tank” and four more.
He left the stage only due to time constraints as fans kept pleading for
more.
How were all
these star entertainers supported? By
the River Road Boys, including famous names like Clyde Brewer, Herb Remington
and Bill Dessens. Brewer held it
all together with his consummate performance at the keyboard, joining with the
other fiddle masters for the closing Fiddle Finale, which of course brought down
the house.
Yes, it was an absolutely magic evening at the Opera House in Columbus. In addition to the music and the legends, the magic was due in part to the professionalism and experience of the entertainers. Something there is about the confidence of seasoned entertainers, each famous in their own right, coming together to honor the legends of their profession. They put their heart into it, with a confidence and grace and engaging warmth that charms the audience.
(written 7/98, posted 5/20/03)
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It’s
the big social event of the year in Rockdale, the central Texas town on highway
79 and 77 north of Giddings.
It’s the Rockdale Christmas Ball, “A Western Swing Gala,” and a
real gala it was on Dec. 1st at the KC Hall.
Now
in its sixth year, music for the Western Swing Gala was by the Original River
Road Boys. Featured
artists included Clyde Brewer, Herb Remington, Bill Dessen, Bob Boatright,
Shelly Lee Alley Jr., Curly Hollingsworth and Billy Briggs to name a few.
What a pleasure to dance to four fiddles and great Western Swing music!
The music was simply great.
Vocalists
included the legendary Leon Rausch and Jim Nelson, now back with the Original
River Road Boys.
Sponsored
by the Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, the event is semi-formal (jacket and tie,
string ties very acceptable) and many of the ladies dress up for the event, some
in period costume.
Arriving guests are escorted to their tables.
The Hall is nicely decorated and the complimentary Hors d’Oeuvres a
full meal.
The
special attraction for the evening was CW Swing Hall of Famer Floyd Tillman,
celebrating his 88th birthday and singing a dozen or so of his famous
songs, including “Slippin Around,”
“I Love You So Much It Hurts me,” and “It Make’s No Difference
Now.”
Many
Texans recognize the name Floyd Tillman, but can’t quite bring him into focus.
Floyd Tillman was born in Oklahoma and grew up in the cotton mill town of
Post, Texas, in a sharecropper's household.
He
began his career playing guitar and mandolin in a trio with two of his brothers
and later worked with western swing pioneers Cliff Bruner and Leon
"Pappy" Selph.
Beginning
in the late 1930s, Tillman became a successful songwriter.
He learned to sing to sell his own songs.
His distinctive half-spoken vocal style has influenced countless
performers who followed him.
He was one of the first to champion the use of the electric guitar in
country music.
Tillman’s
songwriting gained him admission to the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in
1970 and saw him inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1984.
He was still “Slippin Around” in Rockdale on Dec. 1st. Maybe he’ll be back next year? Maybe you’ll be there?
(written 12/01, posted 5/20/03)
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Gruene Hall
The year was
1878. The place was the little
community of Gruene (say “Green”) just north of New Braunfels, on the banks
of the beautiful Guadalupe River. New
Braunfels pioneer H. D. Gruene established the little community in 1872 to
further the fortunes of his cotton interests.
Cotton had been introduced to the area in 1852, and by 1870 it was
recognized as the number one cash crop. H.
D. Gruene had visions of cotton fields spanning the countryside and he
advertised for sharecroppers. Within
months, 20 to 30 families occupied Gruene’s lands. They needed supplies to live.
So Gruene
established the first mercantile store in 1878, constructed a cotton gin
(powered by the Guadalupe River) and built a dance hall and saloon.
Gruene Hall was born! It
soon became the center of the community’s social life.
And Gruene
Hall has continued to a center of social life for the 120 years that have
followed. Although it (and the
town) have had some hard times from the coming of the boll weevil and the
depression, it never really closed down. The
Gruene family (H. D. died in 1920) kept the Mercantile Store open, continuing to
extend credit to the area farmers. Eventually, Gruene became almost a ghost town, with the bar
still operating but the dance hall boarded up, crowded with junk and restless
with ghosts. But Gruene was reborn
in the ‘70’s after the estate was sold and new owners realized the potential
of this community and its historic structures.
Now, Gruene Hall has emerged from the tough times and taken its place
among the thriving historic dance halls of Texas. Let’s learn more about this interesting piece of Texas
history.
Gruene Hall
has to be viewed in the context of the entire community to appreciate fully the
time machine effect. The entire
village is like a movie set from the past.
In this setting, Gruene Hall looks perfectly natural.
It has a plain, frontier style front facade, an open-air beer garden on
the side, and a screen door entry into the bar, which spans the entire front of
the building. Viewed from across
the street, the old-style water tower hovers above (and behind) the structure,
completing the picture of a bygone time. The
effect is particularly interesting at night, with the earlier era street
lighting painting the scene.
Inside, it’s
a “slice-of-old-Texas” barroom in the front of the building.
Visitors pass through the bar with its large collection of pictures and
collectibles to enter the dance hall in the back.
Dancers will quickly notice the old wood dance floor.
No, it’s not a super-polished slick and modern gleaming wood floor! This floor has character!
Hearty 4-inch hardwood boards (a little wavy but burnished smooth) have
served with honor and pride through the many decades of use and abuse.
The wood benches and tables have character too.
The benches are highly polished from the generations of denim-clad
cowboys and farmers, and now urban cowboys, dancers and sightseers.
The tabletops are inscribed with names and graffiti from generations of
dancers who succumbed to the temptation of leaving their mark or wit.
A Hall
with this much history and character just can't be air conditioned, and the
continuous window openings on both walls open fully to allow good ventilation.
Old-style overhead fans (16 of them!) augment the natural ventilation.
The walls are adorned with old signs, open history books for those who
browse their messages. Neon beer
signs adorn the walls, especially over the bar.
Two tiers of assorted longneck beer cases are stacked below the bar,
combining an art form with function. Overhead,
burlap-encased sound baffles of unique or accidental design hang from a ceiling
that disappears into shadows past the bare rafters. From floor to tin roof, the Hall is a history lesson.
New owners Pat
Molak and Mary Jane Nalley reestablished Gruene Hall as a dance hall about 1974.
It’s now host to musical entertainment Thursday through Sunday.
A look at the November and December schedule gives you the flavor.
Jerry Jeff Walker, Asleep at the Wheel, Hot Club of Cowtown, Tracie Lynn,
Two Tons of Steel, Reckless Kelly, Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones, and many
more. Its modern history has
included major performers such as George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Bo Diddley, The
Mavericks, Earnest Tubb, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and many more.
George Strait’s first album cover was shot at Gruene Hall, and he
played there for six months before stardom.
Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his “Live at Gruene Hall” album here.
Tourists often exclaim, “It looks like a movie set.”
Gruene Hall has in fact served as the location for several films, as well
as a host of music videos, live recordings, album covers, and national
advertisements.
What’s
missing in this report (and from recorded history) is the type of music played
at Gruene Hall during the early years of its existence.
One can only wonder at the goings on in this historic dance hall in the
first 40 years of its existence, before the depression and hard times forced it
into decline. Texas Polka News
welcomes any information you may have on the early days of Gruene Hall.
Information on
Gruene and Gruene Hall is available in many New Braunfels tourist motels or
attractions, and a trip to New Braunfels just isn’t complete without taking
the short trip to Gruene. The Hall
has a web site that provides all the info you need, including a schedule of
events. Look them up at
www.gruenehall.com. Not yet on the
web? Call Gruene Hall at
830-606-1281.
Other Gruene
attractions include The Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar (located in the
remains of the cotton gin), the Gruene Mansion Inn & Restaurant, the Gruene
General Store and more than a dozen other restored businesses, antique shops,
restaurants and specialty shops
(written 12/01, posted 5/20/03)
********************************************************************************
(Condensed
from the copyrighted web site created by Jim Lowe)
Who
could imagine that a mixture of Bohemian dance music, '30s style swing, polka
tunes, and country hoe-down rhythms, with a touch of Hawaiian influence, could
provide the basis for a successful career?
Well,
we don't have to imagine it, because a man named Adolph Hofner once conceived of
that very thing and executed it so successfully that he has remained popular in
South Texas for more than 50 years.
Outside of Texas he is best remembered, if at all, primarily as a pioneer
of "Western Swing."
Adolph
Hofner was born into the Texas Czech-German community and recorded not only hot
Western Swing, but also mellow "heart songs" as well as old Czech
polkas and waltzes, many actually sung in Czech!
Over the years his mellifluous vocals led to a sometimes billing as the
"Bing Crosby of Country."
But Hofner was so versatile that at one time or another, he has also been
called "The Dean of Country Bandleaders," "The Sultan of
Swing," "The Prince of Polka," and "The King of South Texas
Swing."
Who is this man who inspired such an enthusiastic following?
Adolph
Hofner was born on June 8, 1916, in Moulton, Texas, a small Czech community in
Lavaca County between Houston and San Antonio.
His mother was Czech, his father German and Czech.
Czech was his first language, and polka music the sound of his youth.
As a boy he attended Bohemian dance halls and listened to "oom-pah"
bands.
The
Hofner family moved to San Antonio when Adolph was 10 years old.
Thereafter he as exposed to many different styles of music, among them
the recordings of Hawaiian string groups who, after experiencing a short-lived
wave of popularity in the late '20s and early '30s, left the steel guitar as a
legacy to country, bluegrass, and rock 'n roll music.
As Hofner has said:
"That's what got me started on string, Hawaiian guitars."
Adolph and his younger brother Emil both learned to play stringed instruments at an ea