GRADY SMITH MARVIN STANDIFORD - Western Swing … · the Big Bands with Lester Young's Lester Leaps In and Bluegrass and the world of Jim Eanes with Your Old Standby. The remaining

GUEST BAND Dec. 6, 2015

Followed by

The Dry Creek Band

3:00pm to 5:30

Lincoln Highway

1:00pm to 3:00

Officials & Staff ............ 2

President’s Message ...... 2

Jam-A-Rana Report ....... 2

New Board Members ..... 3

About the Photos ........... 3

Mike Gross Album Review 4

Upcoming Bands ........... 4

HOF Profiles .................. 5

Membership Report .............. 6

Membership Application. .. 6

Mail Bag ........................ 6

Mike Gross Top Ten ........ 7

RIP Leigha Howe .............. 7

Dancers Photo Page ....... 8

Old Friends, and New .... 9

Musicians ....................... 10

Other WSS Orgs .......... 11

Join the Jama-A-Rana .. 11

Board Mtg Invitation ....... 11

W H A T’ S I N S I D E

Volume 33, Number 12 December, 2015

MARVIN STANDIFORD Inducted October 5, 2014

GRADY SMITH Inducted October 5, 2014

Western Swing Society Hall of Fame Profiles ~ Page 5

Thanks to all the

great musicians for

Jammin’. Singing

and pickin’ guitar;

Bobby Giasson,

Lenny Serdahl Sr.,

Cliff Bizendine,

Bill Enyeart, Ira Watson. Playin’

Fiddles and Singin’; Dave Rietz

and Tom Gunterman. Singin’;

Jeanette Giasson, Christina

Brizendine, Red Gillian, Nancy

Long, and Paula. Drums; Tony

Arana, Christina Brizendine, and

Biff Adam. Guitar; Jeff Felsher.

Bass; Chuck Webb

Until next time, See Ya!

Tony Arana (Jam Room Host)

Hi Y’all:

Looks like the

Thanksgiving

tables have been

cleared and we

are sailing along

to yet another Christmas feast.

Then onto a New Years celebra-

tion and the dawning of 2016.

A ballot will not be required for

this year’s Board of Directors

election. There were only three

candidates for the 3 open Board

positions. Congratulations to first

time members Bill Seabridge and

Chuck Webb and incumbent Olen

Dillingham. 2016 officers will be

selected by a Board vote Jan. 3rd.

The Board of Directors are faced

with a couple of problems that you

may help solve. One is the kitchen

next year. At present we do not

have anyone interested in provid-

ing food at our Sunday dances. If

you are interested or know some-

one who might be, contact us im-

mediately. We are investigating

the possibility of food trucks.

Hopefully, that will work out as

are only other choice is to close

the kitchen.

A second unsettled matter is the

storage of our stage wagon

wheels. The Browns have for

years stored them at their home.

With Myrtle no longer decorating

the hall this will not be an option.

If you have a solution, let us

know.

Pay $11.70/couples or $8.75/

single if December is your mem-

bership renewal month. This will

get you to July 1, 2016 when we

will all have the same renewal

date.

Continued on page 11

WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS December, 2015 - Page 2

From the PRESIDENT

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 Western Swing Society

P.O Box PO Box 2474

westernswingsociety.org

Carmichael, CA 95609

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, Doug Weiss (916) 434-8189

Vice-President, Olen Dillingham, (916) 645-8878

Treasurer, Rosella Lee (916) 594-7374

Secretary, Janet Jimenez (916) 487-1727

Other Directors:

Tony Arana, (775) 971-3070

Hubert “Brownie” Brown (916) 276-4059

Linda Michael (916) 870-7463

Ronnie Elkan, (916) 765-4345

Rex Barnes (916) 704-1566

Staff and Committee Chairpersons:

Decorating Chair, Myrtle Brown

Equipment and Staging, (open)

Hall of Fame Archivist, Jay Riley

Historian, John Towner

Jam Room, Tony Arana

Membership Director, (open)

Music Director, Ronnie Elkan/Doug Weiss

Newsletter Team: Editor, (open)

Layout and Publication: Ronnie and

Shelley Elkan,

Distribution: Janet Jimenez and Jetta Riley

Photographer, Dennis Ford

Public Relations, Rex Barnes

Publicity, Lisa Braswell

Raffle, Bob and Virginia Kuykendall

Sales Table, Donald and Susan deMars

Scholarship, Ronnie Elkan and Hubert

“Brownie” Brown

Slide Show, Janet Jimenez

Sound Engineer, Gary Blodgett

Website, Dave Rietz

JAM-ARANA REPORT

Congratulations New and Returning

Board Members


ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The photos in this newsletter were taken by

Dennis Ford. If you would like to view or down-

load all the photos that Dennis takes at WSS,

please go to his photo webste:

fordphotos.phanfare.com

Dennis’ beautiful photos are in color and can be

downloaded to the viewer’s computer and printed

as wonderful keepsakes.

Chuck Webb Olen Dillingham Bill Seabridge

http://fordphotos.phanfare.com/


UPCOMING BANDS

December Lincoln Highway

January Shelley Elkan & Bite the Bullet

February TBD

March Geoffrey Miller and the Sactown Playboys

April TBD

May TBD

ALBUM REVIEW by Mike Gross

Album: Steel After Hours

Artist: Mike Sweeney

Mike Sweeney has just rec-

orded a brand new CD of 12

songs with the steel guitar

in the spotlight. This is Mike's latest in his a

string of very enjoyable CDs.

Mike and his pedal steel guitar are joined by

Johnny Lee Carpenter, who, as always, plays

some very nice fiddle licks, Willie Rainsford-

piano and electric guitarist Eugene Moles.

The rhythm section is comprised of Kent

Blanton playing bass, Mike Baker- acoustic

guitar and Walter Hartman- drums.

The album opens in the Texas dance hall

styling with Bill Anderson's Bright Lights and Country Music. Also in the same style is An-

derson's Death in the Family with David Pe-

terson on vocal. Mike also brings back Love Letters in the Sand, the old pop standard

that was reprised in

the late 1950's by

Pat Boone in pop mu-

sic and Mac Wiseman

in the Bluegrass

world. Mike borrows

from country music

Ray Pennington's My Weakness is Too Strong, Troubadour from George Strait,

There Goes My Everything from Jack

Greene and Midnight Angel. Western Swing

is represented with the Bob Wills/Tommy

Duncan memory, Time Changes Everything,

the Big Bands with Lester Young's Lester Leaps In and Bluegrass and the world of Jim

Eanes with Your Old Standby. The remaining

two gems are Steel After Hours and Country Club.

Continued in right column

Check out Barbara Martin’s

http://www.wsmonthly.com/subscribe.html

Continued from left column This CD can be obtained by mailing a check

or money order to Mike Sweeney, 2501

Sandy Drive, Nashville, TN 37216. The cost

of this CD is $18 (shipping included) for the

CD and $13 for tracks. It can also be or-

dered by Pay Pal from Mike's e-address,

[email protected]

Mike Gross, KSEY-FM, Seymour, TX & KTNK

-AM, Lompoc, CA www.swinginwest.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.swinginwest.com


Sunday, December,5, 2015

Lincoln Highway FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT AND DANCING PLEASURE

MARVIN STANDIFORD Inducted October 5, 2014

The late Marvin Standiford was born in La Junta,

Colorado, on September 14, 1919. He was the

fourth child of Wesley and Cornelia Standiford that

had migrated from Northeastern Texas. Marvin had

thirteen siblings.

The Standiford family eventually moved to the

Northwest and had trying times during the Great De-

pression. But his father, Wesley Standiford, formed

the “Texas Longhorn Band,” and he and his sons

began playing and traveling all over the Northwest

to make money. Marvin generally played the fiddle.

But during World War II, Marvin joined the Army

to serve his Country. He was a Paratrooper, para-

chuting behind enemy lines on the D-Day Invasion

in Northern France.

After the war, Marvin, and his loving wife, Lottie,

began a new life. They had a daughter and two sons.

Marvin worked construction, but he couldn’t give up

music.

Known for his fiddle playing, he also was quite good

on the mandolin and guitar. Living in Northern Cal-

ifornia he entered many fiddle contests winning nu-

merous awards.

Marvin also wrote a number of songs. One he wrote

was entitled “The Lottie/Claudia Waltz,” in honor of

his wife and daughter. But most noted is a Western

Swing tune entitled “Sierra Swing,” in 1987. In

1990, Bobby Yount, author of “Please Release Me,”

wrote words to the song. Marvin’s brother, Lewis,

recorded the song.

Marvin continued to play mostly Western Swing and

in fiddle venues until he came down with bad health,

passing into the afterlife at age 75 on February 13,

1995. He was living in Loomis, California, and was

interred in the Newcastle Cemetery, Newcastle, Cal-

ifornia.

John and his loving wife, Tracey, live in Spring,

Texas, with their pets.

GRADY SMITH Inducted October 5, 2014

Grady Smith was born to Onis and Dorothy Smith in

Kermit, Texas, October 30, 1940, growing up in the

Wichita Falls, Texas, area.

Grady began learning the fiddle at age seven, and

began to play live music with a number of bands and

for a lot of events around Wichita Falls. But while

in Junior High School, he met Bobby Boatright who

tweaked his interest in County and Western Swing

Music. In high school, they formed a band and

played all around the area.

Grady became an oil rig mechanic in the oil fields,

and then an auto mechanic working for several com-

panies. But he eventually became a deputy sheriff

from which he retired after thirty-one years as a

Deputy Chief in 2008.

While a deputy sheriff, Grady became a pilot, flying

prisoners all around. And he was responsible for

doing a lot of courageous work investigating, arrest-

ing, saving lives, et al.

Grady has been married to his second wife for forty-

six years, and is the father and step-father of three

children all born in the month of September.

Grady, however, never gave up his love for music,

and he still plays the fiddle, bass guitar and drums

all around. And Grady is an ardent member of the

Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest, and

he is presently a director in the Wichita Falls area.

And he is also an active member of the Patriot

Guard Riders.

He has worked with the Sam Gibbs Music Compa-

ny. And he has also played behind Willie Nelson,

and a variety of other Texas musicians.

Grady was selected a Hall of Fame Member in

WSMSS in 2010, and NWWSMS in 2014. He’s not

only a great musician, but a great guy.


MEMBERSHIP REPORT

New Members:

Deborah Mondock, Dixon; Anabela Clark, Sacra-

mento; Jim & Goldene Durrington, Sacramento;

Linda R Da Veiga, Carmichael; Ira & Barbara

Watson, Elk Grove

Thanks to our Renewing Members:

Vernon Wittkopp & Lisa Carpenter, Rancho Cordo-

va; Jerry D. Hobbs, Bakersfield; Sammy & Roxie

Sams, Henderson; Lew Morris, Rio Oso; John &

Alyce Shutzbaugh, Vacaville; Carol Henderson &

Thomas Astels, Central Point; Steve Armstrong &

Marty Mahoney, Citrus Heights; Rex Barnes, Au-

burn; Donald & Susan deMars, Wilton; Claudia

Ezzell & Bob Fife, Citrus Heights; Donald & Loret-

ta Gibbs, San Francisco; John B. Knox III, Sacra-

mento; Lee Fowler, Spring Valley; Ken Mellen,

Grass Valley; Anthony J. Graziano, Solana Beach.

All cities are in California unless shown otherwise.

Any Changes? Keep us up to date on any changes

in your membership information, especially mailing

and emailing addresses. We can’t get your newslet-

ter to you unless we have your current addresses.

You can mail changes in your information to the

Society at P.O. Box 2474, Carmichael, CA; phone it

to (916) 965-6210; or email it to member-

[email protected]. Thanks!

Keep on Western Swingin’

Charlie Hull, Member Information

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). *

Non-member Newsletter Subscription, $12 per year.

* Newsletter Subscription is included in benefits of dues-paying members. Don’t miss the color version of our newslet-

ter, by signing up to receive it via email rather than snail mail – It’s free to members. 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.

Note From Lou and Ed Bischoff

To: My special heroes of Western

Swing Music

Your contributions to my precious quilt are invalua-

ble and all the photos you have autographed are a

real treasure. There are no words to adequately

thank you, I love you all dearly.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your

love and support over the years. I can’t imagine life

without all these precious members of the Sacra-

mento WSS who have welcomed my hubby Ed and I

into your fold over the years. I love and appreciate

you ALL.

Lou

MAILBAG

WESTERN SWING SOCIETY MUSIC NEWS December, 2015 Page 7

December 1, 2015

Songs

1. Back in My Texas Home- Hot Texas Swing

Band

2. Navajo Trail- Asleep at the Wheel, Willie

Nelson & Quebe Sisters (Bismeaux)

3. Love is a Lingering Thing- Solitaire Miles

(Seraphic)

4. Smoky Clubs and Dizzy People- Cowboy

Joe (Chimney Rock)

5. All the Love in San Antone- Lisa Layne

(i2i)

6. Meaning to Miss You- Christina Mae

7. Swingtime Lullabye- Western Swing Au-

thority (Canadian Import)

8. Okie Dokie- Cherokee Maidens

9. Texas and You- Kristyn Harris

10. It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie- Mikki Daniel &

Dave Alexander (Musikode)

Albums 1. Still the King- Asleep at the Wheel

(Bismeaux)

2. Susie Blue & the Lonesome Fellas- Soli-

taire Miles (Seraphic)

3. Now Playing- Western Swing Authority

(Canadian Import)

4. I Ain’t Dead Yet- Hot Texas Swing Band

5. Something to Bragg About- Leddy Bragg

6. Down the Trail- Kristyn Harris

7. Cowgirl Swing- Mikki Daniel (Musikode)

8. Legends- Coby Carter

9. Badger & the Belles- Rich O’Brien, Devon

Dawson & Kristyn Harris

10. That’s My Home- Jason Roberts

TOP TEN by Mike Gross

Mike Gross, KSEY-FM, Seymour,

TX, is a Hall of Fame DJ playing

old and new Western Swing on his

radio show, available on the Inter-

net at www.swinginwest.com

REST IN PEACE, LEIGHA HOWE

1/13/1941 to 11/7/2015

This Article was written

October 2006:

Leigha was born on Jan-

uary 13, 1941 in a log

cabin in Safford, Arizo-

na. Her mom was a wait-

ress and her dad was a

house painter. The musi-

cal influence came from

her uncle who was

known as “Okie Ed Moody”, and from her grandfa-

ther, Floyd, who played the fiddle. During her child-

hood the family would gather for reunions, Uncle

Ed, a lead guitarist, would get together with fiddlin’

Granddad, and Uncle Wilbur, the rhythm guitarist,

and play music all day. Leigha, her sister, and half

brother had to stay outside during these jam sessions

but she would stand at the window to enjoy the mu-

sic being made by her family.

Leigha married at 18 and had two daughters, but

after nine years, she and her husband were divorced.

She then met and married Gary Howe. They have

been married for 38 years and had one son. Gary

introduced Leigha to Western Swing Society music

and she was hooked. Leigha was on the WSS Board

of Directors for 10 years; eight of them as the Hall

of Fame Festival Chairman.

Leigha and Gary sold their Sacramento home and

moved to Idaho to be nearer to their son and family,

and are very much missed at the monthly Western

Swing Society sessions, but they make it down to

the annual Hall of Fame Festival which Leigha di-

rected for many years.Leigha’s philosophy of life is,

“Live day to day and enjoy it and keep on Western

Swingin”


PHOTOS BY DENNIS FORD

LOVED ONES, OLD FRIENDS, AND NEW




THANK YOU TO THE TALENTED MUSICIANS WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO KEEP

WESTERN SWING ALIVE AND THE DANCE FLOOR FULL!



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, 575-808-4111,

106 Roswell Street, Ruidoso, New Mexico 88345

Greater Arizona Country/Western Swing Associ-

ation and Hall of Fame, Inc. PO Box 953, Dewey,

AZ 86326. Contact Jim Gamble at 928-458-0714.

Lincoln Highway Band, 4th Sunday of the

month, 1-4pm, VFW POST 4647, 3300 U Street,

North Highlands, $5.00 cover charge. For more in-

formation call (916) 580-7390.

Northwest Western Swing Music Society,

Contact: Jeannie Yearian, Editor, 21221 174th Ave.

SE, Renton, WA 98058-9740. Meets 2nd Sunday

www.nwwsms.com

Sacramento Jazz Society, 2nd Sunday of each

month, NOON to 5:00 at Elks Lodge #6, 6446 Riv-

erside Blvd. and Florin Rd., Sacramento, CA 95831.

$8 for members and $10 for non-members.

Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest, PO Box 644, Shattuck, OK 73858. Meets quarterly.

Contact Chuck Hayes at 918-683-3511 or go to

website at: www.wsmss.com.

JOIN THE JAM-A-RANA

The Jam Room is proving to be a great success and

a lot of fun. Time often runs out on the main stage

for guest performers but that doesn’t mean you

can’t strut your stuff. Come on back to the JR

where Board member, Tony ‘Jammin’ Arana is in

charge. Bring your instrument, voice, fans, or what-

ever and share your talent. We’d love to hear you.

President’s Article Continued from page 2

ABOVE & BEYOND: My most sincere gratitude to

Dave Rietz for launching a new Western Swing So-

ciety website. We are so fortunate to have Dave, a

2014 Hall of Fame fiddle player, who has the exper-

tise, energy and interest to take on such a task. The

site is still a “work in progress” but what you see

represents many many hours of work. Check it out,

www.westernswingsociety.net

APPRECIATION: Dancers were treated to a great

afternoon of music by guest band Eddie Burr and his

Western Swingers and house band Dry Creek.

Thanks guys and gals.

The “Swingers” consisted of Eddie-vocals; Paula

Dula-vocals; Olen Dillingham-fiddle/mandolin; Dan

Whitney-guitar/vocals; Ken Myer-keyboard; Alan

Ginter-bass/vocals and Bill Cornett-drums.

Dry Creek finished the afternoon on the bandstand

with Bill Enyeart-guitar/vocals; Jim Baughman-

guitar; Nate Brian-bass/vocals; Billy Smith-guitar/

fiddle; Biff Adams, Larry DeLeon, Tony Arana-

drums. Before the evenings end we were treated to

vocals by Nancy Long, Linda Baughman, Bill Cor-

nett and Larry DeLeon plus Len Serdahl and Gary

Bodgett-guitar/vocals.

The Lincoln Highway Band will fill in for Bite the

Bullet as the December guest band. Dry Creek will

follow and close out Western Swing Society’s 2015

music and dancing. See you there.

Bye Y’all, Doug

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.

MEMBERSHIP

Annual dues in the Western Swing Society are:

$15 for an Individual

$20 for a Couple at one address

Newsletter Subscription is included in benefits of dues-paying

members. Non-members can subscribe for $12 per year.

Paid membership includes a subscription to the monthly newslet-

ter, reduced admission fee at Society music functions, the right

to vote in Society elections and on proposed By-Law changes.

Non-dues payers must subscribe if they wish to receive the

newsletter. Subscriptions are for twelve consecutive months.

Mail to Subscription, PO Box 2474, Carmichael, CA 95609.

Include your name, address, phone, and e-mail address

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.org

*The address is Sunrise, but the driveway is on Citrus.

Driving Instructions to MACHINISTS HALL: From Hwy 50, take the Sunrise 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 drive-

way just past Enterprise. You’ll see our wooden sign, and you are there. Park, come in and join the fun.

P.O. Box 2474

Carmichael, CA 95609

www.westernswingsociety.org

www.facebook.com/

SacramentoWesternSwingSociety

NOTICE! If today is later than the

date in the upper right hand corner of

your address label, you’ll need to pay

your membership dues or subscription

fee in order to keep receiving your

newsletter.

If you don’t want to be a voting mem-

ber you can still receive the newsletter

by purchasing a subscription.

(See below)

Attention: If you do not want to receive this mailed newsletter would you please let us

know. You can call 916 765-4345 or email [email protected]

Documents

GRADY SMITH MARVIN STANDIFORD - Western Swing … · the Big Bands with Lester Young's Lester Leaps In and Bluegrass and the world of Jim Eanes with Your Old Standby. The remaining