Volume 36, Number 9 September 2018
GUEST BAND September 2, 2018
Followed by
The Dry Creek Band
Janice Allen/
Jimmy Baughman
and Friends
2018 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Tom Phelps
John McClung
Steve French
Randy “Tex” Hill
Geoff rey Miller
J. D. Barham Jim Hollinger
Arron Smith
Buck Ford
Judy Klotzer-Hayes
Paula C. Dula
Beau Melgreen
THIS MONTH’S FEATURED
HALL OF FAME MEMBERS
(Go to Page 4)
Bud Isaacs Billy Smith
Officials & Staff ............ 2
Editor’s Letter ................ 2
Jam Room Jammers .......... 2
Mike Gross Top 10 ........ 3
HOF Timing ......................... 3
Contributions Please ......... 3
HOF Profiles .................. 4
Board Meeting Minutes ........5
Membership Report ..............5
Membership Application. ... 5
Upcoming Bands ........... 6
Board Mtg Invitation ......... 6
Hall of Fame Flyer ......... 6
HOF Bands Lineup ........ 6
Special Rates Lodging ... 6
Food Available ................... 6
A Toe Tappin’ Time ............. 7
Good Times ............................ 8
NWWSMS Inductees .......... 8
Album Review..................... 10
Other WSS Orgs .......... 11
Let the Good Times Roll .. 11
Pictures Online ............ 11
Jason Roberts Honored 11
Mailbag ........................ 12
HOF Details ................. 12
Album Review..................... 13
Monthly Music Sessions .. 13
W H A T’ S I N S I D E
Letter from The Editor
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 2
Western Swing Society Music News
is published monthly by the
Western Swing Society
Views and opinions expressed by contrib-
uting authors are not necessarily those of the
editorial staff or the Society.
Submitted articles, publicity notices and
letters not relating directly to the Society or
its members may be published at the discre-
tion of the Editor, as space permits. The staff
reserves the right to edit any and all items
submitted for publication.
Deadline for Submittals:
All items, photographs, articles, and
ad’s are due to the Editor no later than
the 10th of the month.
The Lincoln Highway Band (LHB)
was selected Best Band by the read-
ers of the Lincoln News Messenger
for the second consecutive year. In
fact, they have won this award for 8
of the last 10 years, and we were
lucky enough to have them perform
at our last dance. I hope you didn’t
miss it.
They brought up a special guest to
every ones pleasure. Amanda Crou-
son did a few
numbers
playing fid-
dle and sing-
ing some of
the great
classics. LHB consists of Doug
Weiss on bass and vocals; Terry
Crouson on lead guitar and vocals;
Brian McCommas on lead guitar and
vocals; and Mike Cox on drums. Big
“western swing society” thank you
for playing a great show. Please
check out their FB page, or our
events page to find out where they
are playing.
Next up was our house band Dry
Creek led by Bill Enyeart. They play
songs that the folks love to dance to.
Bill Enyeart on piano, guitar and
vocals; Tom Phelps (Hall of Fame
inductee) on pedal steel and vocals;
Jimmy Baughman on guitar and vo-
cals; Bill Cornett on drums and vo-
cals; Billy Smith on bass; Lenny
Serdahl Sr. on guitar and vocals;
Rob Shotwell on guitar and vocal;
and Ronnie Elkan on fiddle.
Bill had a great group of singers
come up to help the band out. Mi-
chael Ray sang some great swing
tunes. Shelley Elkan, Linda Baugh-
man, and Nancy Long always do a
great job. Thanks again Bill for do-
ing a great job! Continued on page 10
The Western Swing Society
PO Box 2474
Carmichael, CA 95609
westernswingsociety.net
Facebook: SacramentoWesternSwingSociety
Founded in 1981 by Loyd and Perry Jones
to enable performance, preservation and
perpetuation of the unique American art
form known as Western Swing Music.
Officers:
President, Chuck Webb (916) 689-9546
Vice President, (open)
Treasurer, Edward Burhans (916) 225-3645
Secretary, Olen Dillingham (916) 645-8878
Other Directors:
Tony Arana (775) 971-3070
Rex Barnes (916) 704-1566
Ronnie Elkan (916) 765-4345
Linda Michael (916) 870-7463
Dave Rietz (916) 806-0520
Staff and Committee Chairpersons:
Bartender, Cyndi Lee
Decorating Chair, Rex Barnes
Equipment and Staging, (open)
Historian, (open)
Jam Room, Tony Arana
Membership Director, Chuck Webb
Music Director, Ronnie Elkan/Doug Weiss
Newsletter Team: Editor, (open)
Layout and Publication: Ronnie
and Shelley Elkan,
Photographer, Donald deMars
Public Relations, Rex Barnes
Raffle, Bob and Virginia Kuykendall
Slide Show, (open)
Sound Engineer, Gary Blodgett
Website, Dave Rietz
Youth Program, Edward Burhans, Dave
Rietz, Dave Chan
Jump in and join us!
Just let Tony know
you’re there. Hey
Folks, “No Room at
the Inn” last month.
Packed room! It’s always a high-
light for the folks that participate.
We’d like to have you write to us
about your experience if you play
in the jam room or go in to listen.
We'll share your comments here in
this column. Just send your
thoughts to this email:
[email protected] or send
us a letter via snail mail. In the
meantime we’ll list the players
who joined us last month.
Holding down the jam room; Bob-
by Giasson,on lead guitar and vo-
cals; Dave Rietz on fiddle, mando-
lin and vocals; Chuck Webb on
bass guitar; Larry DeLeon, Bill
Cornett on vocals and drums; To-
ny Arana on drums; Rob Shotwell
and Lenny Serdahl on guitar and
vocals: Edd Burr on vocals; Don
Spiker and Grace Clark on Guitar
and vocals; Ronnie Elkan one
song on fiddle and vocal. Singing
were Nancy Long, Peggy Van der
Brock and welcome to Ann Marie
Woodward.
Thanks gang. It was great!!!!!!
JAM ROOM JAMMERS
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 3
"Swingin' West"- Mike
Gross
KSEY-FM, Seymour, TX
September 1, 2018
Songs 1 Swing Time Baby- Steel Horse Swing
2 King of the Blues- Western Caravan
3 One Fiddle, Two Fiddles- Bret Raper
4 Swing Me Back to Texas- 3 Trails West
5 Crawfish and Cowboys- Johnny Angel &
Helldorado (Deuce)
6 Headed to the Barn- Hot Texas Swing
Band
7 A Two Seated Saddle and a One Gaited
Horse- Abby Payne
8 Love is Just a Two Step Away- Jean Staf-
ford (Australian)
9 Texas When it Swings- Terry Brown (THB)
10 Sweet Wyoming Home- Many Strings &
Co.
Albums 1 Swing Time Baby- Steel Horse Swing
2 Time Changes Everything- Leon Rausch
3 Honky Tonk- Western Caravan
4 Somewhere Near Austin- Bret Raper
5 Off the Beaten Trail- Hot Texas Swing
Band
6 Taryn Noelle Swings- Taryn Noelle
(Airflyte)
7 Big Hat, No Cattle- Big Hat, No Cattle
8 I Hear You Talkin’- Lake Travis Fiddlers
9 Kid Sister- The Time Jumpers (Rounder)
10 Paul Schlesinger & his Knights of Western
Swing- Paul Schlesinger
Mike Gross Top 10
May 31st: Submissions of nominees for consider-
ation closed.
June: Hall of Fame Selection Committee reviews
and chooses 12 nominees to be inducted in the
Hall of Fame. Nominations must adhere to the
rules and be complete in order to be consid-
ered. Any submissions not chosen roll forward
to the next year for consideration
July: Board signs off on the chosen inductees. In-
ductees are notified and told about our Hall of
Fame Event details
August: List of inductees fir st appear in the
newsletter
September: Photos of inductees appear in news-
letter. List of HOF bands in newsletter
October: The three day celebration, culminating
in the Induction Ceremony on Sunday
HALL OF FAME—THE TIMING
CONTRIBUTION’S PLEASE! We all enjoy the dance at the Machinist’s Hall each
month. What I wish to do with this article is to let
you know how much effort and money it takes to
produce this event. The dance costs approximately
$1200 each month for hall rental, setup fees, insur-
ance and decorations. All of the work of our board
of directors, our monthly volunteers, and the won-
derful musicians who provide the music is com-
pletely without compensation.
Some travel here from as far away as Redding to be
here for this event. We work very hard to provide an
excellent product at a very modest price, and I be-
lieve we succeed. We try to keep the cost for admis-
sion as low as possible so that everyone can afford
to be here to enjoy the music and dancing.
In order to keep the admission fee low, we are ask-
ing all who can afford it to make a donation, either
one time or on a monthly basis. We will be placing
a donation jar at the entrance to the dance hall. We
of the Board of Directors thank you for providing as
generous a contribution for which you are comforta-
ble.
Thank you,
Eddie Burr, Treasurer
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 4
Billy was born February 13, 1934 in Snyder, Texas
and raised on a farm nearby. At the age of 12, Billy
convinced his parents to purchase a STELLA guitar
for $25.00. Since no one in the family played a mu-
sical instrument, Billy had to learn to play guitar by
books and listening to the radio. Fortunately, when
Billy was about 15 years old, a man named Bob,
who played guitar and mandolin rented a house on
his parent’s farm. Bob, who had played in several
western bands in New Mexico, showed Billy how to
play rhythm and play bar chords on a guitar. Not
only did Bob play guitar, but he also played mando-
lin. Bob taught him to play Arkansas Traveler (and a
few more tunes.) on the mandolin.
While in high school, Billy convinced his parents to
buy a Flat Top GIBSON guitar with a pickup and a
small amplifier. Billy enjoyed jamming with other
guitar players at various homes, but never played on
a stage. However, at the annual rodeo in Snyder, a
great western swing band always played for a rodeo
dance. After seeing the Light Crust Doughboys play
at a rodeo dance in 1950, Billy really wanted to play
in a western swing band. Probably the best western
swing band near Snyder was The Hoyle Nix Band
playing for dances every weekend at Big Springs,
TX. The Hoyle Nix band was a “Bob Wills” type
band. Billy was greatly impressed by the Hoyle Nix
band and traveled the 45 miles to hear them as often
as possible.
After graduating from Snyder high School in 1951,
Billy enrolled at Texas Tech College in Lubbock,
Texas. That fall, he began playing lead guitar with a
country band featuring a local disk jockey in Lub-
bock. The band played one-hour shows on a stage at
community centers or high schools in small towns
surrounding Lubbock. In the fall of 1952, Billy also
joined a western swing band called Happy Jack
Jackson and the Cowboys. This band played at local
night clubs on weekends and occasionally played on
a country radio station in Lubbock.. One memorable
night was when the band played for over a 1,000
people in a coliseum at Pampa, TX.
During the next couple of years while attending
Texas Tech, Billy played his new FENDER Tele
Continued on page 9
BUD ISAACS Inducted October 4, 1987
March 26, 1928 – September 4, 2016
BILLY SMITH Inducted October 1, 2017
The seminal instrument of country music would not
sound the same, and many of country’s golden hits
would not be as sweet if it weren’t for Bud Isaacs,
and now he’s gone. A member of the Steel Guitar
Hall of Fame, a player on countless country music
recordings and once member of the Ozark Jubilee,
Bud Isaacs was vital to helping form the sound of
country music.
Bud Isaacs wasn’t just a steel guitar player, he was
the man who revolutionized the instrument by add-
ing the foot and knee pedals that allow the steel gui-
tar to change the pitch of singles strings as opposed
to having to change to a different chord all at the
same time. This made Bud Isaacs and other steel
guitar players the musical wizards of the day able to
emulate the moans and yodels of country’s legend-
ary singers with the steel’s mournful tone.
Born March 28th, 1928, in Bedford, Indiana, he be-
gan to play steel guitar on local radio stations at the
age of 16, eventually heading to Nashville and per-
forming on the Grand Ole Opry with Eddie Hill, and
later in Jimmy Dickens’ Country Boys. Webb
Pierce’s 1954 hit “Slowly” was the first major song
to feature Bud Isaacs’ new take on the steel guitar,
and it revolutionized the instrument, and country
music with it.
By age 14 he was traveling with Doc Abbott for
$7.00/week and experimenting with pedals for his
guitar. He hopped a train to Nashville and landed a
job with Pee Wee King but Grand Ole Opry found-
er, Judge Hayes, told him to go back home and go to
school. He offered to give him a job when he was
old enough.
Returning home he played with “Hobo Ramblers”
Harold Fisher and on WIBC Radio with Cousin Em-
mie. At 20 Bud’s path crossed that of Little Jimmy
Dickens in Michigan. They remained best of friends
throughout their lives.
In 1955, Isaacs became an official member of the
Ozark Jubilee, and regularly performed with star
Red Foley on the program. . . Isaacs also played as a
solo performer and recorded for RCA for a short
time, including the favorite “The Waltz You Saved Continued on page 10
APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP AND NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Submit the following information in a note with your check to:
The Western Swing Society, P.O. Box 2474, Carmichael, CA 95609:
Name(s), mailing address, email address, and telephone number.
Fees (make check payable to Western Swing Society)
Individual Membership, $15 per year.
Couples Membership, $20 per year. (one address only).
Dues renew every July.
If you join during any other month, your membership fee will be prorated to align with the July renewal.
You will receive a color version of our newsletter via email. Paid membership also includes reduced admission fee at
Society music functions, and the right to vote in Society elections and on proposed By-Law changes.
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 5
Sunday, Sepember 2, 2018 ~ 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
JANICE ALLEN/JIMMY BAUGHMAN AND FRIENDS FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT AND DANCING PLEASURE
Check out Barbara Martin’s
http://www.wsmonthly.com/subscribe.html
MEMBERSHIP
Any Changes? Keep us up to date on any chang-
es in your membership information, especially email
addresses. We can’t get your newsletter to you un-
less we have your current information.
You can mail changes in your information to the
Society at P.O. Box 2474, Carmichael, CA; phone it
to (916) 689-9546; or email it to member-
[email protected]. Thanks!
Keep on Western Swingin’
Western Swing Society Board Meeting Minutes
August 5, 2018 10:34 AM
Roll Call: Board members present: Ronnie, Dave,
Rex, Chuck, Edd, Olen, Tony
Guests: Don deMars, Terry Crouson
Approval of Minutes: Minutes approved
President’s Report: Our president believes that the
way the WSS is registered with the IRS should be
changed to a different category. He will continue to
investigate. The membership roster is up to date.
Treasurer’s Report: The treasurer reported that we
have a positive reserve, but we are not reaching the
break-even point for monthly dances. After discus-
sion, the board has decided to actively solicit dona-
tions to cover monthly expenses rather than raise the
cost of admission to our monthly dances.
Public Relations: Rex has been making contacts
with other dance organizations. He stated that we
need new volunteers to help with set up.
Newsletter : none
Youth Band: Issues were discussed.
Music Director’s Report: none
Web Master: Everything is good.
Old Business: HOF logistics were discussed.
New Business: none
Adjourn: 11:36 AM
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 6
UPCOMING BANDS
September Janice Allen/Jimmy Baughman and Friends
October Hall of Fame (10/5 to 10/7/2018)
November Eddie Burr & The Western Swingers
December Grace Clark & Swingitude
FOOD AVAILABLE
Thank you to the American Legion Post
#9 for providing us with delicious hot
food at our monthly dances!
Board Meeting Invitation
You can attend the Society’s monthly Board meetings;
first Sunday of each month starting at 10:30 a.m. in the
Machinists Hall in Rancho Cordova.
SPECIAL RATES AT LA QUINTA 15 rooms being held for us at a price of
$99 Th, $89 Fr-Sa, $85 Sun! Book before Sept. 1st. Mention Western Swing Society.
King, Sofa Sleeper, Micro, Fridge, Comp. Breakfast
(916) 638-1111 11131 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Between Kilgore Rd and Sunrise Blvd
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
11:00 - 12:00 Cliff Brizendine & Chuck Hayes Tribute Band
12:15 - 1:15 Tony Arana & the Jam Room Band
1:30 - 2:30 Bill Enyeart & Dry Creek
2:45 - 3:45 Eddie Burr & The Western Swingers
4:00 - 5:00 Ray Poe & Pickin’ Time
5:15 - 6:15 Shelley Elkan & Bite the Bullet
6:30 - 7:30 John Jones & Chuck Hayes Tribute Band
7:45 - Close Bill Enyeart & Dry Creek
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6
11:00 - 12:00 John Jones & Chuck Hayes Tribute Band
12:15 - 1:15 Tony Arana & the Jam Room Band
1:30 - 2:30 Buck Ford & Pure Country
2:45 - 3:45 Geoff Miller & the Sactown Playboys
4:00 - 5:00 Michael Ray & The Fortunate Few
5:15 - 6:15 Ray Poe & Pickin’ Time
6:30 - 7:30 Lincoln Highway
7:45 - 8:45 John Jones & Chuck Hayes Tribute Band
9:00 - 10:00 Bill Enyeart & Dry Creek
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
10:00 - 11:00 Shelley Elkan & Bite the Bullet
11:15 - 12:15 Buck Ford & Pure Country
12:15 - 12:45 Setup for Awards Ceremony
12:45 - 2:15 Awards Ceremony
2:30 - 3:30 Gary Campbell & the Stardust Cowboys
3:45 - 5:00 Hall of Fame Band
5:15 - 6:15 John Jones & Chuck Hayes Tribute Band
2018 Hall of Fame Band Line-Up May be subject to change
Come Join The Fun At
The Western Swing Society’s 36th Annual
Oct. 5, 6 & 7, 2018
Machinists’ Hall, Rancho Cordova, California
$10 each day, or $25 for 3-day pass
A Dozen Great Western Swing Bands
Daily Jam Sessions
For Listening and Dancing
Hall of Fame Inductions on
Sunday, October 7th
On-Site Beverages and Food Available
Special Western Swing Room Rates at
Nearby La Quinta
GOOD TIMES
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 8
CONGRATULATIONS NWWSMS INDUCTEES!
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 9
Billy Smith Continued from page 4
caster guitar with two other western swing bands.
First, The Bill Pierce band, which was a “Bob
Wills” western swing type band, playing in night
clubs on weekends and occasionally playing on a
local TV station in Lubbock. In 1954, this band
backed up Tommy Duncan (vocalist for Bob Wills
for many years) at the famous Cotton Club in Lub-
bock. Billy also had the opportunity to see The Bob
Wills Band and the Hank Thompson Band play at
the Cotton Club that same year.
Secondly, during the last year of college, Billy
played every weekend with Wilburn Roach and the
Dude Cowboys at a local night club. This band had
a great “Bob Wills” sound with a piano, drums,
bass, two lead guitars, fiddle and a vocalist.
After earning a B.S. degree in Agronomy and being
commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air
Force, Billy entered the Air Force in August 1955.
After completing a Photo-Radar Intelligence School
in the summer of 1956, he was sent to Misawa, Ja-
pan for 18 months. While stationed at Misawa, Billy
learned to play the fiddle and played with a western
band at the Officer’s club and the NCO club on the
base.
After being discharged from the Air Force as a First
Lieutenant in 1958, Billy returned to Lubbock and
Texas Tech College to obtain a teaching credential.
Billy also spent the year playing lead guitar with the
Wilburn Roach western swing band every weekend.
In the fall of 1959, Billy was hired to teach general
science at a junior high school in Albuquerque, NM.
After teaching three years in Albuquerque, he was
awarded a graduate assistantship at Arizona State
University to work toward a master’s degree. Billy’s
primary duty was presenting planetarium shows at
the university. Three years later in 1965, Billy had
earned a Master of Natural Science degree and a
Doctor of Education degree in Science Education.
In the fall of 1965, Billy was hired to teach Astrono-
my and to be the Planetarium Director at Chabot
College in Hayward, CA. Two highlights in Billy’s
career were 1) co-authoring an astronomy book,
ASTRONOMY ILLUSTRATED in 1973 and 2)
receiving the outstanding professor award at Chabot
College in 1995.
Continued next col.
Billy Smith continued
During the late 1970’s, Billy joined the Hard Trav-
elin’ Band playing lead guitar, fiddle and bass. From
1983 to 1992, Billy also played guitar and fiddle
with the popular Sounds Country Band in Hayward
lead by Doug Weiss. In 1993 Billy began playing
guitar with the Villages Big Band and the Metro Big
Band in San Jose, CA. After retiring from fulltime
teaching at Chabot College in 1997, Billy played
guitar with The USS Hornet Big Band, Blast From
The Past Big Band, The What’s Up Big Band, In
Full Swing Big Band and the Eastbay Stompers
swing band, all in the Hayward/Fremont area.
But in 2003, Billy also joined the Cowboy Bill
country band, playing both lead guitar and fiddle. At
the same time, Billy joined the South County west-
ern band in Fremont playing both guitar and fiddle.
He also formed a trio (Guitar, Keyboard, & vocal-
ist), in 2008 called the Band of Gold that played pri-
marily in senior centers in the Fremont area.
In the summer of 2008, Nancy Long introduced Bil-
ly to Bill Enyeart at the Western Swing Society.
Since 2008, he has been attending the Western
Swing Society monthly meetings playing lead gui-
tar, fiddle or bass in the jam room or with the Dry
Creek band. Joining The Western Swing Society has
been a great experience for Billy as it has provided
an opportunity to play real western swing music -
that old fashioned “Bob Wills” music.
Beginning in 2011, Billy has competed in some of
the California Old Time Fiddle Association fiddle
contests and was awarded 4th place medals in the
senior-senior division for three years in a row. Billy
also placed 3rd and 4th in the twin fiddle contests
playing with Art Kee in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
After teaching for 32 years fulltime and 16 years
part time, Billy finally retired a second time from
Chabot College in 2013.
After moving to Lincoln, CA in 2016, Billy still
travels to the Bay Area monthly to play with The
Back Roads Band and The Mill Creek Ramblers in
Fremont, CA.
Jammin’
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 10
ALBUM REVIEWS by Mike Gross
Album: A Cowboy's Prayer
Artist: Billy Cate
This brand new inspirational
Western album of ten cuts
by Billy Cate is both a CD
and a video with a QR code
app. The album opens with
the first of two narrations, the beautiful
Badger Clark poem A Cowboy's Prayer. The
other poem is Little Lady.
The other eight cuts
feature Billy's beauti-
ful singing voice
backed by fine instru-
mentation. Included is
Stan Corliss' composi-
tion Every Cowboy Knows There's a God Above, Christian Cow-boy from the pen of the late and legendary
Cindy Walker and longtime Sons of the Pio-
neers member Tim Spencer's Christ is a Wonderful Saviour. Also included from the
pen of another Sons of the Pioneer legend
and their catalogue is Bob Nolan's The Touch of God's Hand. From Dan Seals is borrowed
another gem, God Must Be a Cowboy at Heart followed by long time classic The Place Where I Worship. Billy also does a beautiful
version of Marty Robbins The Master's Call and closes with The Winner, from the pen of
Don Schlitz and derived from The Gambler. The CD as well as Billy's prior CD, the beau-
tiful Songs of San Antonio can be obtained
from CD Baby or other Internet stores. It
can also be obtained from Billy at Billy Cate,
1021 W. Westhill Dr, Cleburne, TX 76033.
Mike Gross, KSEY-FM, Seymour, TX &
www.swinginwest.com
Bud Isaacs continued from page 4
For Me,” and his signature song, “Bud’s Bounce.”
Bud Isaacs’ credits and the artists he played with are
too numerous to list, and he also performed in the
Golden West Singers with his wife, yodeler, and
bass player Geri Mapes. Bud was inducted into sev-
eral Halls of Fame, including the NWWSMS in
2000 and Western Swing Society (Sacramento) in
1987.
As country began to contemporize, there was less
work for Bud Isaacs and he eventually retired in Ar-
izona. According to Rick Jackson, Isaacs died on
Sunday, September 4, 2016, at 11:00 a.m.
Editor’s Letter continued from page 2
Please take a minute to read Treasurer Edd Burhans
article on Page 3. Back in the board room we are
trying to figure out a way to stay flush going for-
ward. NO PANIC here, we really are doing fine but
there is a sign of decline. The board is always open
to ideas and welcomes anyone to sit in on the meet-
ing. They meet 10:30 am on the day of the dance.
Come on in!
While on the subject of Board Meeting I’d like to
call out for volunteers. That is what makes this
place work. Right now we have very few people
doing a whole lot. Please, if you want to help out in
some capacity, let us know.
Thanks all!
Ronnie Elkan, Editor
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018- Page 11
OTHER WESTERN SWING MUSIC
ORGANIZATIONS/MUSIC HAPPENINGS
Bakersfield Country Music Museum, P.O. Box
81623, Bakersfield CA 93380-1623. Call 661-366-
6003 24/7 for more information.
Buck Ford & Pure Country Band: Check Web-
site for schedule, http://www.buckford.com/
calendar/
Canadian Western Swing Music Society, Con-
tact: John York, 3565 Cambridge St., Vancouver,
BC, Canada V5K 1M3. Phone 604-299-2301.
CA Old Time Fiddlers Association, Meets 2nd
Sunday. Orangevale Grange on Walnut Avenue in
Orangevale, CA. www.cbaontheweb.org/
region_details.asp? Region 2
Cowtown Society of Western Music, Contact:
Joe Baker, Membership Director, 940-452-6300,
4361 F.M. 1195, Mineral Springs, TX 76067
Greater Arizona Country/Western Swing Associ-
ation and Hall of Fame, Inc. PO Box 953, Dew-
ey, AZ 86326. Contact Jim Gamble at 928-458-
0714.
Lincoln Highway Band, 2nd Sunday of the
month, 2-5pm, Ramada Inn, 2600 Auburn Blvd.,
Sacramento, $6.00 cover. 4th Sunday of the month,
1-4pm, VFW POST 4647, 3300 U Street, North
Highlands, $5.00 cover. Information call (916) 580-
7390.
Northwest Western Swing Music Society,
Contact: Jeannie Yearian, President, 425-432-7888,
or cell 206-271-2295, Lynnwood Eagles, 19223
Hwy. 99, Lynnwood, WA. Meets 2nd Sunday
www.nwwsms.com
Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest, PO Box 644, Shattuck, OK 73858. Meets quarterly.
Go to website at: www.wsmss.com.
PICTURES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Pictures are now available online. A link will be
available for each month’s dance pictures in the
newsletter and on our website
http://westernswingsociety.net/.
8-5-2018 Montlhy Dance pictures
https://photos.app.goo.gl/
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!
JASON ROBERTS TO CARRY ON AS
“BOB WILLS’ TEXAS PLAYBOYS Un-
der the Direction of JASON ROBERTS”
Photo and posting courtesy of:
Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition
Hey folks! Did you know?
Well, in case you didn't ... We'd like
to give a shout out to our buddy,
award winning fiddler and band lead-
er, Jason Roberts! The torch has been passed to Ja-
son as the new King of Swing, now known as Bob
Wills' Texas Playboys with Jason Roberts! What an
honor to carry on the
Western Swing tradition of
Bob Wills and the Texas
Playboys, a huge part of
Americana history, and
more importantly, Texas
history. Congratulations
Jason!
Photo and comment courtesy of:
The Bob Wills Heritage Foundation
Carolyn Wills graciously shared that,
“The Estate of Bob Wills has con-
ferred band leadership to Jason Rob-
erts of the band, ‘Bob
Will’s Texas Playboys
under the direction of
Jason Roberts.’”
Huge congratulations,
Jason, from the West-
ern Swing Society!
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 12
When and Where:
The 2018 Festival will begin the morning of Friday, October 5th and end Sunday, October 7th. It will take place at the Machinists Hall in Rancho Cordova, near Sacramento, California.
The Program:
The listeners and dancers will be entertained by West-ern Swing bands from the Southwestern and Pacific Western states, and by all day jam session where musi-cians from the different bands get together and pro-duce spontaneous music.
Times:
Friday and Saturday the music will begin at 11:00 am and continue to 10:00 pm.
On Sunday, we have music from 10:00 am to 12:15, and then we take a break to set up for our induction ceremony, which takes place from 12:45 to 2:15. We come back with more dance music until 6:15 pm. In the ceremony, new nominees, performers, and others who have made significant contribution to the preser-vation and promotion of Western Swing Music, will be inducted into the Western Swing Hall of Fame.
Admission to the Festival:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are $10 each, or you can pay $25 for all three days. No admission will be charged for Inductees or persons performing in Festi-val bands, nor for one of their companions. Persons serving as volunteer workers will be admitted free on the days they work.
Food, Drink and Lodging:
Beverages, and food are available for purchase and free parking will be available, all at ground level.
Rooms are available at a special reduced rate for the event at the nearby La Quinta Inn, 11131 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, between Kilgore Rd and Sunrise Blvd. 15 rooms being held for us at a price of $99 Thursday, $89 Friday-Saturday, $85 Sunday! Book before Sept. 1st. Mention Western Swing So-ciety. Rooms include King bed, Sofa Sleeper , Mi-crowave, Fridge, and Complementary Breakfast. Call (916) 638-1111
Other nearby Lodging:
Holiday Inn: 11269 Point E. Drive, Rancho Cordova,
CA 95742, (916) 635-4040
Doubletree Suites by Hilton Hotels: 11260 Point E.
Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742, (916) 638-4141
Marriott: 11211 Point E. Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA
95742, (916) 638-1100
THE WESTERN SWING SOCIETY'S 37TH ANNUAL
WESTERN SWING HALL OF FAME
MUSIC FESTIVAL
MAILBAG
For those of us who attended the Northwest West-
ern Swing Music Society Hall of Fame Celebration,
we were treated to a fabulous 3 day event, honoring
12 very deserving individuals, with 15 bands to
please the crowd.
Billy Champion and I were fortunate enough to at-
tend the Northwest Western Swing Music Society
Hall of Fame celebration. Old standbys, Bill
Enyeart, Tommy Thomsen, and Cliff & Christine
Brizendine were conspicuously absent; however,
Sacramento was well represented with Tony Arana
and the Jam Room Band and Grace Clark & her
Swingitude Band doing a super job of entertaining
the crowd. Dave Reitz and Chuck Webb were there
showcasing their talents and along with Tony Ara-
na, appearing on stage with so many different
groups. It would be easier to name the bands they
did NOT play with rather than the ones they did!
Regular attendees, John & Tracey Jones of Oklaho-
ma, who are always a welcome addition to any
Western Swing event were also missed.
The Society presented a Special Recognition
Award, posthumously, to Michael Lee Crouson,
Terry Crouson’s brother. The award honors those
who have been an inspiration to inductees or others
who have greatly influenced the genre of Western
Swing Music. Michael Lee’s life was cut short
when he was killed in action in Viet Nam in 1966;
however, he managed to leave a lasting legacy of
his love and dedication to Western Swing music
during his short life and was a big influence on
those who had the pleasure and honor of enjoying
his musical talent and abilities. It was a very touch-
ing moment and a well-deserved recognition.
Thanks to President Jeanie Yearian and her staff for
their warm and welcoming hospitality.
Tink Cariker
A quick update from Dayna Wills. I spoke to her
and Gary for an hour today and she kept me in
stitches the whole time! That girl has the best sense
of humor on this earth! She also says that she could
be the national spokesperson for “My Pillow” as
she is really in love with it! That’s our girl!
Shelley Elkan
ALBUM REVIEWS by Mike Gross
Album: Tumbleweeds and Old
Horses
Artist: Rusted Spurs West
This very enjoyable new CD
features 14 varied tunes
from multiple fields of music
by three talented musicians,
all heard on vocal. Tex Hamel plays acoustic
and lap steel guitar. Patti Hamel is heard play-
ing accordion and Bob (Slim) plays bass.
The opening song is the
Johnny Bond classic, Ci-marron. That is followed
by a wonderful version of
Laurie Lewis' memory,
Texas Bluebonnets. West-
ern gems include Bob
Nolan's magnificent Tum-bling Tumbleweeds from the Sons of the Pio-
neers, from the public domain, I Ride an Old Paint, and from the Girls of the Golden West,
My Love is a Rider. The group also brings back
some more recent items such as Steve Earle's
Hometown Blues, Be Here to Love Me from
Townes Van Zandt and from Almost Perfect
Stranger, So Long Arizona. There are also
Western Swing gems from the great Bob Wills
hit parade, Cindy Walker's Miss Molly and It's All Your Fault and Bob's own Take Me Back to Tulsa. Another gem that is brought back this
time from Ella Mae Morse is Cow Cow Boogie. There is some really nice steel work by Tex on
this one. Dark Hollow comes from Bill Browning
and bluegrass and the album closes from the
great Patsy Montana library with Cowboy Sweetheart. This album is available for $15 plus $2 shipping
from Bob Denoncourt, 24360 E. Cholla Rd.,
Florence, AZ 85132
Mike Gross, KSEY-FM, Seymour, TX & KTNK-
AM, Lompoc, CA
WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS September 2018 - Page 13
Driving Instructions to MACHINISTS HALL: From Hwy 50, take the Sun-rise Blvd. South exit and cross two lights (Folsom Blvd. and Trade Center
Drive). After crossing Trade Center, be in the left lane and take the next left
turn which is Citrus Road. You will see an Enterprise Car Rental lot in front of you. Turn right into the driveway just past Enterprise. You’ll see our sign,
and you are there. Park, come in and join the fun.
MONTHLY MUSIC SESSIONS
The Western Swing Society holds a music and dance
session on the first Sunday of each month, featuring
guest bands and artists and jam sets.
1:00 pm to 5:30 pm at The Machinists Hall
2749 Sunrise Blvd., Rancho Cordova, CA*
Donation: $5 for Members; $8 for Non-Members
For information, browse to
www.westernswingsociety.net *The address is Sunrise, but the driveway is on Citrus.
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