Piney Woods Live June 2012

PINEY WOODSLive

EDITION

2ND ANNUAL

• Wes Jeans • Darby Warren • Abby Stanley • Shelby Downing • Joanna Endsley

A.C. and Bob Gentry • The Lansdales • The Sacred Harp • LuLu & The Vipers • Clark Langley

PhOTOs byJIm KINg

june 2012

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When spring starts to turn into summer in the Piney Woods, we know that as the weather heats up, so will the pace of music events. True to form, this year has brought another blistering rush of music festivals and celebrations encompass-ing music of all types. We celebrate the season with this, our second annual music issue. The range of subject matter here should give our readers a good idea of the musical diversity that one can fi nd in the area. As always, the most diffi cult part of putting together this issue was determining which of the many fi ne subjects will make it into print and which ones will have to wait for another time. We hope you will enjoy those that we have selected. Recently I have fallen behind in my task of introducing our new contributors to the readers of Piney Woods Live. Let me make an effort to catch up:

Dawn-Renée Rice is a freelance writer living in Hallsville who describes her business as helping people and businesses who just “can’t fi nd the right words to say” for their blogs, websites or articles. She attended Columbia Southern University and Kilgore College. In addition to her work with Piney Woods Live, she serves as associate editor and advertorial writer for the quarterly publica-tion Getaway San Francisco and as a writer and editor for Hansen Marketing Communications. dricefreelancewriter.com

Fallon Burns is a Louisianna native and a graduate of Northwest-ern State University in Natchitoches. She is currently an Account Executive for American Classifi eds and Piney Woods Live maga-zine and was previously the Main Street Manager for the city of Kilgore.

Jimmy Isaac is a Tatum native now living in Longview. At 35, Isaac has twenty years experience in East Texas journalism begin-ning as a sports correspondent in 1992. He was a former Hender-son Daily News sports editor and Longview News-Journal senior reporter/local governments editor, and he has claimed statewide awards for deadline writing and mental health reporting. Isaac also volunteers with Fete for Pets and tutors at the East Texas Literacy Council.

Tony McCullough was born and raised in the Longview area. He is a graduate of White Oak High School and attended Kilgore College as a fi ne arts major. Tony was a top-rated air personality at local radio stations for 13 years. After living in Florida for three years in the mid 2000s, he moved back to East Texas with a strong appreciation of our area and people. Tony has worked as an actor and musician for the last two years and is currently very involved in the entertainment communities of East Texas. He is the front man for the group Borderline and works as a full time marketing

specialist for Waller Broadcasting.

Gary Krell, Co-Publisher

publisher’sNOTE

June 2012 - Page 2 PineyWoodsLive.comJune 2012 - Page 2 PineyWoodsLive.com

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About the cover: Jim King ............................................. 3Joanna Endlsey .............................................................. 4Wes Jeans ...................................................................... 5The day the music died .................................................. 6Shelby Downing ............................................................ 7Artist Profi les .............................................................8-9Music of the Sacred Harp ............................................ 10A.C. and Bob Gentry ................................................... 11Abby Stanley ............................................................... 12Caleb Bell joins the Tyler Museum of Art .................... 13Dr. Clark Langley ........................................................ 14Joe & Kasey Landsdale ............................................... 15Lineup for T-Bone Walker Blues Festival changes ........ 17Artist’s World by Jan Statman ..................................... 18The “B” Side of Music by Randy Brown ..................... 19Darby Warren Project, A musican’s wife’s story .......... 20The sound of something different: Lulu & The Vipers .. 21Renovation of downtown Kilgore landmark possible .. 22

About our cover: Photographer, Jim King

How to reach us:903-758-6900 or 800-333-3082 [email protected] 903-758-8181100 W. Hawkins Pkwy., Suite C., Longview, Texas 75605

Sign up for our newsletter by going to our website: PineyWoodsLive.com© 2012 by Piney Woods LIVE. All rights reserved. This publication, its associated website and their content is copyright of Piney Woods LIVE. Any reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher is prohibited. www.facebook.com/PineyWoodsLive

PINEY WOODSLiveLive

Publishers / EditorsTracy Magness Krell & Gary Krell

Advertising DirectorSuzanne Warren

Public RelationsRandi Garcia

Contributing WritersJim King, Tony McCullough, Jan Statman,

Dawn-Renée Rice, Fallon Burns, Jimmy Isaac, Randy Brown,

Suzanne Warren, Kari Kramier Graphic Artists

Tracy Krell, Joni Guess, Mary Hernandez, Jeremiah ShepherdSales

Randi Garcia, Donna Vincent, April Harlow, Fallon Burns Kathy Hollan, Cookie Bias,

Suzanne Warren, Carolee Chandler

Like a lot of photographers, Jim King started as a young enthusiast snapping pictures for fun with his Kodak Brownie camera when he was 8 years old. A lot has changed since then. Later, his enthusiasm for photography turned into a desire for perfection requiring a blended mixture of education, experience and a dedication to excel in the fi eld. During King’s thirty years of experience, equipment and processing techniques have changed drastically, but the principles are still the same. A good photograph is like a piece of fi ne art; it will stir the emotions. King takes sincere pride in his ability to listen closely and understand his clients so that he will know exactly what a photograph needs to “say.” King writes often for Piney Woods Live magazine. His stories mostly feature musicians, a passionate interest to him. Since he became a photojournalist for Piney Woods Live magazine, he has also become an event photographer for the Great Texas Balloon Race. Last summer, Jim photographed the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival, and the photographs were incredible! It be-came another part of the show to watch Jim in action as he did everything he needed to do to get the perfect shot. Jim says when the time comes for him to go, he expects to be buried with a camera in his hand, and somebody better get a photo!

We are so glad you have asked that question! Our new website, pineywoodslive.com, offers many opportunities for artists, writers, and musicians to increase their visibility and help advance their careers. Here we discuss only one of those ways: The Events Listing. Let’s talk about how you can get your event (whether it is a concert, exhibition, book signing, meeting, etc.) on our Events Listing. Doing so is very simple. First, sign up as a user. It is quick, and you only need an email address and a password. Go to the Home Page and click “Sign Up” on the top left above the Piney Woods LIVE logo. Fill in the form. Click “Submit.” (Later, if you want, you can go to your profi le and pick your own user name or add other details.) Second, submit the event information. Mouse-over the “Events” menu item and choose “Add an Event.” Fill out the form on the right side of the window and click “Submit Event.” Once we approve your entry, usually done within 24 hours, your event will appear on our Events Listing page. If you represent an organization, a theater group or a performance venue, you may have a schedule for an entire season to enter. In that case, the best way for you to proceed is to email the schedule to [email protected] and let us do the work for you! Questions? Email us at

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Joanna Endsley by Jim King

music


Her family recognized her talent. They knew that it was probably raw due to her young age, but it was there nonetheless. Her mother began entering her daughter in various competitions at about the age of 8. According to Joanna, “Every chance she saw to get me up in front of people, she took it.” Joanna was a country girl, so she sang country songs because that was all she listened to and knew. Time has a way of changing things and sometimes people as well. In 1999, Joanna met a young man who would later become her husband. He told her that he’d be more likely to come to her concerts if she would start singing rock music instead of country. She says that until she met her husband, “I’d never

East Texas is home for Joanna Endsley, and she has lived here most of her life. Her local family roots run deep; her parents were born and raised in Carthage and Gary. Joanna has been singing all of her life. As a little girl, she would sit in the grocery cart while her mother was shopping and sing to people as they walked by. It is said that, even then, she was able to sing every country song that was playing on the radio.

even heard of The Beatles or Janis Joplin or The Cars or Bob Seger.” While in graduate school in 2002, she began sing-ing rock. She points out that her husband did start coming to more concerts just as he told her he would! Joanna’s voice is her strength. While she can play both the piano and the gui-tar, she is quick to say, “I mostly just use instruments to write songs.” She admits that she enjoys playing an instrument live for one or two songs but then she is ready to just get back to singing. About playing an instrument while performing, she says, “I think it really distracts me from the overall performance I am used to doing.” While talking about her musical training, Joanna says that as a child, “My mom

would take me for piano lessons, but I’d always just end up wanting to sing the songs instead.” Her mother realized this and Joanna adds, “So, she quit taking me and got me voice lessons instead.” Joanna admits that she really didn’t start playing in bands until she was an adult but that she loves the cama-raderie of a group performing together. “I was in a rock band for seven years and had the time of my life.” During that time, she and the band were fairly successful and toured nationally. “We played everywhere from Austin to New Orleans to Las Vegas.” They were doing very well with their music, but something just seemed to happen. They had recorded two albums with the second one getting some radio play, but Joanna says, “One day, there came a very distinguishable point in my life when it was no longer going to work for me hanging out in bars and clubs every weekend.” Time does have a way of changing some people. Joanna had been playing with her band, Magdalene, for years. During that time, she and her husband had two chil-dren. To earn a steady source of income, they opened a physical therapy practice in Tyler. Changes come both good and bad, and during that same seven year period, Joanna had to deal with the emotional loss of her mother and the physical loss of her home due to fi re. “I began to deal with some really grown-up issues in my life, and I felt like the Lord was leading me to go to work for Him.” Faith comes slow to some while quick to others, but faith will change a person’s perspective. “I was surprised and so were my band mates,” says Joanna. “I took a different road at that point in my life, and it’s been totally different ever since.” Her musical style changed, and it was not well-received by her band. So, with two of her friends, Randy Morrison and Mike Harper, Joanna formed a new band. She says, “I didn’t have anything to be angry about anymore.” She describes their music as family friendly and hopefully inspirational. Her latest album, Fallen Angel, Come, is available through the band’s website at www.joannasmusic.com or on iTunes. Joanna is very proud of this latest project.

She says, “The album is really personal about being forgiven and relying on God for your needs. The songs are easy to relate to in that they address the struggles of growing your faith and the diffi culties that go along with it.” Life is good in the Endsley house-hold. Married now for 15 years, Joanna and her husband have a 6-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. Al-though her other family members are not involved in the music business, she feels very blessed that they are all very supportive. The band is currently booking concerts for the fall of 2012 at colleges, churches, festivals and youth camps in and around the East Texas area. Joanna says, “My target audience isn’t devout or righteous Christians. It’s people who are living their lives and looking for in-spiration and encouragement to follow the Holy Spirit. There are some people that feel that spirit and just aren’t sure what it’s all about.” With obvious enthusiasm for her music ministry, she says, “Everyone can relate to the songs in some way.” Personally, it sounds like a great afternoon or evening of music to me!

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Of all the great musical talent available to us in East Texas, and there is a lot, the list gets considerably shorter when you start looking at long-running professional musicians – the men and women who, night after night, year after year, hit the road touring and take their own brand and style of music to the masses. On that list has to be the name of Wes Jeans.

Wes Jeans by Jim King

Born and raised in Marshall, Texas, Wes comes by his musical talent honestly. His dad was a career fi refi ghter, but he was also a drummer. His uncles are guitar players, and he says, “My sister plays just about everything.” Wes wasn’t one of those kids that started play-ing music because his family played. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Wes loved baseball and was considered to be quite the athlete until an eye injury affected his vision. It was about that time he found himself learning and playing the guitar. His reason had less to do with the musical background of his family and more to do with him being a 14-year-old teenage boy. “I started playing because I got grounded,” says Wes. Confi ned to his room and bored, he took a guitar from his closet. While listening to the radio, he began playing chords. It wasn’t long until he left his room proclaiming to his parents he had learned the intro to “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream. They were pleased, reminded him he was grounded and sent him back to his room. From that moment on, he was a guitar man. Wes Jeans is a self-taught guitar player and musician. Relentless in his desire to learn, four months after picking up that guitar he and some friends started their own band. Wes studied, learned and developed his own unique style and brand of music by following the lead of some of the greatest guitarists: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top. He refers to them as “the power trio.” In 1996, Wes entered the International Jimi Hendrix Competition in Austin. Over 1500 young guitar players and enthusiasts submitted audio and videos, each hoping to be recognized as the best in the world. In time, fi nalists were narrowed down to ten and were invited to perform before the Hendrix family and former band members. At age 16, Wes Jeans fi nished 2nd in the overall competition. Afterwards, Al Hendrix, the father of Jimi Hendrix said to Wes, “In my eyes, you won because you played straight from the heart like Jimi.” In 2000, Hands On, his debut album, was released. Recorded in 1999, Wes used Al Green’s band as the rhythm section and found it to be well-received. This fi rst release climbed to #2 on the National Blues Sales Chart. This young Texas guitar player was quickly getting the reputation for shows full of energy, and pounding guitar licks were making his mark. He was 17 years old. By 2003, Wes was getting national recognition. In 2004, Guitar Player Magazine published the results of a reader survey where they were looking for the Young Gun Guitar Players in America. Wes was pro-

claimed as #3 in the nation along with Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Wes continued to stay busy with the 2006 release of his second CD, Forest of the Pine. In 2009, fans got to experience his live album, Live at Music City Texas, which was recorded to a packed house at the famous Music City Texas Theatre in Linden. Since then, Wes has released 2 DVDs and appeared on another “10 or 12 CDs.” He still has much more to come. “I’ve got this new project, and I’m really excited about it,” Wes said. Having been work-ing with a new band since January, he believes he now has the perfect mix. “I’ve been doing this blues/rock thing for years and years.” While there is no denying his love for the genre, he is quick to point out that “music is changing constantly,” and he is going to make some changes with his music as well. His bass player, Syd Hydro, has been with Wes for 13 years and says, “He’s my rock.” Johnny Lenix plays the drums and sings. He came from the band Kul and sounds “exactly like Sly Stone with a Lenny Kravitz style.” Adding a female voice to the band is Kayla Reeves, a great tal-ent who has spent the last two years touring with the Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO). The new band has new songs as well as a new set list. “75% of our live stuff is original, but people still want to hear cover songs as well,” Wes says. “The band has an infusion of a lot of different styles from different places, mixing our own infl uences into our music. It’s going to be a blues, funk, soul, R&B, and we are going to call it rock and roll.” With several new songs already written, Wes is hoping to release his new CD, Blood, Sweat & Years, be-fore the end of the year but quickly points out their grueling tour schedule. During the next few months, they are performing in several cities throughout Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Always happy to return home, Wes Jeans is excited to be appearing at Charlie’s BackYard Bar in Marshall on June 16. It will be his fi rst show there since New Year’s Eve. “Charlie’s is my favorite venue in the Ark-La-Tex. Most places sink money into all the other stuff and skimp on the PA and stuff for the band. Rudy went about it the right way. All the musicians I know who have played it love it.” The stage setup and confi guration can easily impact a bands performance, and Charlie’s has “plenty of stage, a nice green room and a great sound guy.” Now at age 31, he has been playing profes-sionally for 17 years. Music is such a huge part of his life. He says jokingly, “I never had a real

job, ever. I’ve played music profes-sionally since I was 15.” He is quick to tell you that it is not all fun and good times. “Most people just see the 90 minutes of glory when we are on stage.” The fans are what keep him working and paying the bills. When they are on stage, Wes and his band give everything for a great show. What those fans don’t see is the “14 hours of driving, the setting up and tearing down and everything that goes into us being there for that show.” It’s obvious that Wes was meant for the stage. That was never more obvious than when we were doing photos. He put that guitar in his hand, and I think for a moment he forgot I was even there. His hands immediately went to working the strings and, though not plugged into an amp, Wes was in his own world. His rep-utation for both talent and work ethic has enabled him to play and perform with many of the other great guitarists as well. People such as B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan, David Lee Roth, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and many more. Of course, this only really works with a good support system, and Wes certainly has that. In past years, his wife Kristal served as his road manager and took care of merchandising. They have been together for 10 years and have a young son, Warren, who is now 2½. When not playing or on the road, he loves to spend time with his family and also has a fondness for rebuilding and racing Corvettes. He recalls when, “My phone was full of pictures of motors, cars and guitars.” He laughs telling me, “It’s full now of pictures of Kristal and my son.” But there are still the guitars. Musicians collect instruments the way photographers collect cam-eras, so I asked Wes how many he owned. Quick to laugh, he said, “I don’t know; I really don’t know,” but followed up with, “Probably not as many as people think.” He does have some favorites, and when you attend one of his shows you will surely see at least one of them: a ‘56 Strat, a ‘60 Strat, a ‘67 Gibson V and a ‘58 Les Paul. A smile came over his face as he recalled a memory: “Man, I hung wallpaper with my mom, mowed yards – anything to earn money to buy my fi rst Strat.” While he does love his gui-tars, they are not simply showpieces. The wear on them is obvious. He smiles as he proclaims, “I can love on it and make it sound sweet but a lot of times I do attack it.” Coming home is always a good time for Wes when spending time with family, seeing old

friends and making new ones. “When I’m home, I try to make it out to Telegraph Park in Mar-shall to play with local musicians. I like to jam and hang out with everybody.” He likes positive people. “Negativity is like a cancer, it spreads from one person to the next.” There is no denying the man’s talent. With a guitar in his hands, all he needs is 60 seconds to convince you of that. Is it possible that his real success is the combination of that talent, his seem-ingly constant positive attitude and the fact the guy is humble? He’s living his dream and having fun but seemingly has never taken his success too seriously. The guy drives the van to shows. He carries his own equipment on and off of the stage and takes the time to talk with anyone that wants to talk to him. I asked him why. Smiling, he looked at me and said, “I do it because I love it. It makes me feel good, and I play because I love playing.” For more information about Wes Jeans, where you can see a live show, photos and samples of his music, go to

www.wesjeans.com

music

The day the music diedby Tony McCullough

radio


Let’s return to the past for just a moment… Girls, you’re 13 years old, and it’s Fri-day night. You’re at the anxiously awaited slumber party at your best friend’s house. Eleven

girls wearing pajamas, eating pizza and gig-gling the night away are gathered around the radio in excited anticipation. You recognize the song immediately, and your heart begins to jump as you hear the DJ come on and say, “The latest hits heard here on KLUE. Hear there’s a big slumber party going on in town tonight. Okay girls, as requested, here’s a song for Jill, Lisa, Carolee...” You’re overcome with excitement that your name was just on the radio for everyone you know to hear. This moment has been brought to you by radio of the past - not iTunes, not Serius Sat-ellite, but a local celebrity on the air of the local radio station just across town on the second fl oor studio of a local offi ce building. I guess this could have been more ap-propriately titled, “The Day the Guys Who played the Music Died.” I feel lucky to say that I was once one of those “guys who played the music.” I became a DJ in 1989 at a local radio station. It was a changing time in an always changing industry. In my 13 years as an “air personality” as we preferred to be called, I witnessed the decline and near death of the local radio DJ. To explain this extinction, I must lead you through some of the perhaps not so exciting technological facts of radio broad-casting. In 1989, radio stations were being introduced to the new media of the compact disc. Up until that point, a DJ showed up for his shift with a playlist and an armload of either records or carts (similar to a one song 8-track). It was a simple time in radio where the DJ had basic responsibilities: keep ev-eryone informed of time, temperature, news and weather; intro the songs played; play ad-vertisements; and entertain the listener when possible. But change was on the horizon. As we progressed through the 90s, com-puters became as common in the workplace as the coffee maker. Computer and radio technology was advancing rapidly when someone realized, “We can put all of those songs into a computer and do away with records, carts, and even digital CDs.” It was not long before an innovative software writer copyrighted a program that would do it all: play music, play commercials, even re-cord the DJs voices so the whole show could be pre-recorded. Instead of paying a live DJ to be on the air for full shifts and full sala-ries, station managers could pay someone to

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work a couple of hours recording a whole week of shows. The best part? The radio lis-tener might never know the difference. In the age of downsizing, this was very appealing to company owners. But it was at the cost of the radio listener. Without an onsite DJ, who would tell us about bad weather or breaking news? Who would play our requests or even give us the time and temperature? As computers began to rule the airways, radio began to use program syndication like television. Instead of listening to local talent on a low budget show, why not syndicate the large market shows with big contests, celeb-rities on air, or great prizes to be given away? With new computer programs to play com-mercials on the air, no one even had to be in the local studio to merge the network with the local station. The thought of the owners and managers was simple: higher quality of entertainment and, with the exception of playing a few local commercials for the company being syndicated, no out-of-pocket cost. The only expense was to the listener who would now be competing with thou-sands or millions of other listeners across the nation calling to play that contest, win those tickets, or just request their favorite song. At the risk of sounding like one of those old guys sitting around the table of a local coffee shop in the morning talking about the good old days, it makes me sad to drive by many of the radio stations I grew up listening to knowing that there is no longer anyone in the control room interacting with the audience. With a few broadcasting rebels throughout the nation, you may still fi nd a live DJ outside of the larger cities, but in my opinion, for most, the heart is gone and replaced by a pacemaker. A pacemaker that still pumps it out but without care or emo-tion. Today, I can listen to any song, any time, anywhere right on my cell phone, and that is fi ne for many. But, for some of us, radio was much more than an unprogrammable MP3 player. Our favorite station played our songs by request, looked out for us in bad weather, and provided us with a friend alone in the car or when we couldn’t sleep at night. Even if we never dialed the number one time, we knew someone was just a call away. To those that know the difference, it somehow just leaves an empty feeling. The day of the live, local disc jockey is now on the shelf some-where between the old 45 rpm records and the cassette tapes. Yes, we have national ce-lebrities on the air giving away trips around the world, but I would love to hear just one more time, “This is Gary Mason on KYKS. It’s 4:33 p.m. and 85 degrees on the Loop as we get ready to go home. Come join me at the fair tonight as I’ll be broadcasting live...”

and opening for top Nashville artists and capacity crowds. Many would say that she was “living the life.” Several record companies approached her with contracts and offers to help her live the dream of a country music superstar. While it appeared as though she was certainly on her way, Shelby Downing is a Texas girl and longed to come home. “Texas is where I want to be. Nashville has given me so many great opportunities, but if there is anything I have learned in life, it is to follow your own heart because it’s never going to lead you the wrong way.” So she came home to Texas. She was 17. Shelby has a huge soft spot in her heart for the elderly, children with health issues or disabilities and veterans. In fact, Shelby is well-known for her benefi t concerts and performances for children and veterans. When performing for such groups, she does so for little or no monetary reim-bursement. In fact, most of the time the band gets the money. “My band does all the work. They put it up and do every-thing for that stage. All I have to do is put on my makeup and get up there and sing.” Recently, after one of her shows, Shelby was asked how much she got paid for a veterans benefi t. “Freedom,” she replied, “they have already paid.” As with each of us, life will have its ups and downs, and even a rising star isn’t exempt. The past few years have been diffi cult on both Shelby and her family as they have had to deal with both physical and emotional pain, heartache and loss. She lost her friend and vocal coach Bart Barton to cancer. Two years ago, Shelby was involved in a horrifi c motor vehicle accident when another vehicle ran a red light. I’ve seen the photos of the wreckage, and they will take your breath away. With numerous injuries to her body includ-ing spinal and chest injuries, a dislocated jaw, as well as having her hand and leg crushed, this young lady knows that she is lucky to be alive. While still recovering from her own injuries, her dear friend and mentor Charlie Craig also passed away last year at age 73. It was obvious just in the way she talked about him that his loss is still felt today. During all the healing and rehabilitation process, Shelby has had a lot of time to think about life, love, her career, her future, and what’s really impor-tant to her. Shelby is now just taking some time to “step back and try to get myself focused again.” I have known of Shelby Downing and her music for a few years. I have asked around about her and even downloaded some of her music. You can learn a lot

Shelby Downing by Jim King


music

A person 20 years old is young by almost any adult standard. In the en-tertainment industry, many performers and hopefuls spend that long waiting for that one big break. At just the age of 19, Shelby Downing has already accomplished in the music world more than many are able to do in a lifetime. Singing at age 6 and writing songs before age 13, Shelby was destined to be a performer. “Every song I write is about something I’ve experienced in life,” she says. “As a teenager, most kids talk to their best friends about things,” says Shelby. “I wrote mine down instead.” She turned her life into songs. By age 14, Shelby was playing a guitar, putting melo-dies with her words and creating songs. Shelby began working with the famed vocal coach Bart Barton in Dallas (he also did vocal coaching for Leann Rimes) and was working hard to perfect her craft. It was working, and more importantly, she was getting noticed by people in the music industry. Through an exchange on MySpace, Shelby and her family were contacted by a prominent Nashville singer/songwriter. Having heard some of her music, he wanted to meet with her. That person was Charlie Craig, a member of the Hall of Fame and a man with over 300 recorded songwriter credits. Craig had worked with some of country music’s greatest art-ists and legends including Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Travis Tritt, B.J. Thomas, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Par-ton, Lorrie Morgan, Tanya Tucker, Aaron Tippin and many more. Charlie thought Shelby could be a star and wanted to meet with her. Two weeks later, Shelby was in Nashville, Tenn. Shelby says that the times she spent in Nashville with Charlie were some of the best in her life, and while he was a mentor to her, “he was more like a grandfather.” She credits him as having “taught me ev-erything I needed to know about songwrit-ing” and during her time there, Shelby and Charlie wrote thirteen songs together at BMI. Nashville proved to be a great train-ing ground for Shelby. It was there she was able to fi ne-tune her songwriting skill. With the help of Renee Grant-Williams as her vocal coach, Shelby was able to take her singing to a new level. She was on the fast track. Shelby did two CDs in Nashville: Nothing Else To Do at Blackbird Re-cords and Rebel Child with Funky Time Records. She saw what was happening to her career and so did Nashville. She found herself being compared to Shania Twain

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about a person through their lyrics and presentation. Shelby is a simple girl, and by that I mean she isn’t driven by fame or money. I asked her if she thought she made a mistake leaving Nashville. With no hesitation or waver in her voice, she replied, “It’s never been about the money; it’s never been about singing on stage to thousands of people. I want to write songs that people can relate to, and I want to be happy. I stand for what I believe in and most record companies and labels want to own you, not just promote you.” Shelby is very adamant when it comes to her music. Her songs are written and performed as inspiration to others. They are not about numbers or how fast they will climb the charts. “Life is a gamble, and you just have to follow your heart,” and Shelby gives all appearance that she is happy with her de-cisions. With an internet fan base of over two million, it’s obvious that she is doing something right. All I know is that I can’t wait to hear her perform again!

artistprofi les

Article submissions: Articles are accepted and reviewed by a panel. Photos may accompany articles. Space, relevance, writing and appro-priateness play a huge part in the decision making process. Individual artists are more likely to have fewer than 100 words plus a photo published. Deadlines are the 5th of the month prior to publication.

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Violinist Jamie Reason is one of the very few Tyler area locals that still plays with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra. As an ETSO “oldie” who joined the orchestra in 1981, Jamie is encouraged and blessed to see the organization grow from a good community orchestra into a fi ne professional symphony. Jamie is in her twelfth year as Orchestra Director at the Brook Hill School in Bullard. She is also a violinist with the Texas Shakespeare Festival, violin-ist/violist with the Tyler String Quartet, operates a private string studio, and freelances throughout the Tyler and East Texas area. Jamie was the 2010 recipient of the Tyler Youth

Orchestra Noted Circle Award for Music Education & Service and continues to serve as a clinician and adjudicator for orchestras, music festivals, camps and contests. Her past orchestra membership has included the Fremont Philharmonic and the Hayward Sym-phony in California. In Texas, she has also performed with the Longview and Marshall symphony orchestras. A California native, Jamie earned her bachelor of arts degree in music education and her instrumental music teaching credential from Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif. She completed graduate courses at Kansas State University and San Jose State University. Jamie and her husband Steve, a State Farm claims litigation rep, live in Whitehouse and enjoy church/Christian ministry activities and visits with their three adult children.

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Jamie Reason Tyler Blake Johnson was born November 4, 1993, in Dallas, TX, to Laurin McConnell. In 2000, he moved to Lufkin where he now resides. Tyler’s biggest musical infl uences are Kings Of Leon, Mumford and Sons, Damien Rice, and The Beatles. In 2010, Tyler joined a Christian rock group called the redWall band for a short time as the lead singer. In 2011, the band split ways, and Tyler started writing his own acoustic material. He’s been picking the guitar every day and singing sweet tunes ever since. “I never thought I would fi nd my nitch in the world, but when I sing and play, I feel fi nally at peace with myself.” In February, he started a new band called Revelry with James Nicholas. “James has improved my sound so much, and we work great together.” Tyler will be doing shows in our area very soon, so look for him!

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Tyler Blake Johnson

While still a small girl in love with horses, art and photography, Karen White started with number two pencils and small plastic cameras. Although she graduat-ed as valedictorian at Union Grove High School, she didn’t take an art class until Kilgore College where she graduated at the top of the Applied Arts division with an associate degree with Phi Theta Kappa honors. Karen’s studies there included fi ne art, commercial art, drafting, printing and photography. This all led her to the Macintosh computer and graphic design and later to Canon DSLR cameras and rodeos and, of course, horses. If you are at a local rodeo, race track or barrel race, chances are you’ve seen Karen on the sidelines or wandering around the livestock lots with one camera at her eye and another hanging from her shoulder. “I try to capture the horse’s essence, intelligence and beauty. The horse is prob-ably the most beautiful animal in the world. And a horse will work and give their

heart, trust and strength to its true owner and rider,” Karen says. “Photography is based on two Greek words loosely mean-ing paintings of light. That is what I do... create paintings of horses with my cameras.” Karen White, equine and rodeo photographer, will be participating in the Western Art Round Up to be held at the Art Elite Gallery, 110 North Main, Gladewater, June 2-9 from 3-7 p.m. daily. The reception is open to the public on Saturday, June 2 from 3-7 p.m. The Western Art Round Up is being presented by the Gladewater Center for the Arts, Inc.

gladewatercenterforthearts.webs.com/upcoming-event

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Karen White


artists

A professional touring musician for 54 years, Jack Williams’ original songs, fi nger-picking guitar style, engaging stories, and energetic performance have earned him a fi rm place on the US Folk Circuit and the respect of his colleagues. In his early years, he played jazz - as a trumpet-player; rock and R&B - as an electric-guitarist; classical - as a pianist, lutenist, and classical guitarist; along with country, blues and folk music on the acoustic guitar. All of these infl u-ences merged into the music he writes and performs today. Many of Jack’s songs can be found on nine

CDs and a DVD on Wind River Records. His music and stories refl ect his South Carolina roots. His songs have been recorded by Tom Jones, Chuck Pyle, David Clayton-Thomas, Cindy Mangsen, Lowen & Navarro, and Ronny Cox. As a guitarist, he has accompanied Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow, Harry Nilsson, John Lee Hooker, and his late partner, legend-ary Texas singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury. Find information on Jack, his music and videos at

www.JackWilliamsMusic.com

Jack Williams

Daniel Foster has loved country music most of his life. He remem-bers the day when he was 12 years old and fi rst heard Johnny Cash singing “Ring of Fire” on the radio. “When I heard Johnny Cash for the fi rst time, I was mesmerized!” Daniel picked up the guitar for the fi rst time just fi ve years ago. He then began writing music. Some have said that if Johnny Cash were alive today, he would want to re-cord Daniel’s music. Daniel humbly disagrees. He would rather leave that for his audience to decide. Local radio legend Diane Day says, “I believe in Daniel! He’s a free spirit with a good heart. I par-ticularly like the song he penned, “Finish The Bottle,” because I’m a traditional country fan and it incor-

porates three legends.” (Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and George Jones) Daniel grew up in Denton, moving to East Texas in 2009 to look after his grandparents. He started playing at local venues as a solo artist, and his hunger to perform grew from there. His dream was to form his own country band where he could showcase his talent as an original artist and also pay tribute to his late grandfather, Jim Akins, who was the leader of a family country band in the late 60s, 70s and 80s called The Travelin’ Texans. Daniel’s search to form a band was started after meeting Mitch Musslewhite, his lead guitar player. Mitch was the anchor musician that he needed. As things DO happen for a reason, Mitch had also auditioned for a former musician friend of Daniel’s a week prior to their initial meeting. Through Mitch, Daniel was reac-quainted with Alton Risinger, and Risinger soon joined the band. Risinger enjoys covering “Texas Country” favorites, adding to the range of songs covered. Later, Darrell and Tina Cook joined the band after answering an online ad posted by Foster. Darrell’s experience in the music grind and skills on the bass added to the band’s classic sound. Amy Beavers, along with Tina Cook, provide the band with a beautiful backup vocal sound. Drummer Bobby Tacket is the newest member to complete the band. Bobby is excited to be a part of an awesome group of musicians who enjoy sharing their talents. Daniel named his band Gun Barrel Gray. Daniel has a very unique style of music – traditional country with a hint of early gospel exposure. Daniel and his band mates also cover many classic coun-try tunes, current Texas country hits as well as Daniel Foster “original” songs you are sure to love. Daniel is a very colorful and animated performer. Once you have heard him behind a mic, you will see his musical pas-sion come to life!

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Daniel Foster “My recent works reference the frailty of life using the juxta-position of water and fi re. A few steps of my process include painting a 2-D image over a traditionally stretched canvas and then destroying the object with fi re which provides a sculptural 3-D fi nish. My work utilizes smell as it’s four-dimensional qual-ity. I also enjoy the

content and symbolism associated with water and fi re, both conceptually and physically, and their relationships with mankind. Abstract expressionism has had a major infl uence in my life. I am concerned with materials and the expression of gesture along with mark making. Fire is closely associ-ated to each and every one of us. When a viewer experiences my work, I hope to spark a memory of how fi re has personally affected them or someone close to them. As a young individual underwhelmed by today’s social posts and electronics, I strive to create works of art that provide a prosthetic memory. I hope to tap into the viewer’s true self and arouse an appetite for awareness. Tomorrow is never guaranteed; we have to live in the moment. These individual bodies of work possess a presence of water and fi re, life and death. I view this act of destruction as an act of creation. Feeding off the avant-garde approach to picture making, the art that I create is destroyed for my genera-tion. I am part of a greater whole, a part of the NEO-AB-X movement. I believe there is no past. I believe there is no future. I believe there is only infi nite now. These are the thoughts of an Individual Genius Narcissistic Latteralist.”

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Joseph French


Music of the Sacred Harp by Jan Statman There is a harp that has been sounded in Henderson, Texas for more than 145 years. No, this is not the magic harp that once sang through ancient Tara’s halls, or maybe it is. Maybe it’s better and more beautiful. The East Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention was organized in 1868. It takes place in Hen-derson every year. The East Texas Sacred Heart Convention is the second oldest continuous singing convention in the United States. It is always held at the Henderson Civic Center at 1005 Highway 64 West on the second Saturday and Sunday in August. The Sacred Harp is the sound of the human voice as it sings hymns to God. It is a form of reli-gious fundamentalist folk music that took its name from Elisha J. King and Benjamin Franklin White’s songbook,The Sacred Harp, which was published in 1844. Sacred Harp music is sometimes called fasola music because of the names of its shaped musical notes. The unusual shape-note songbook uses four shaped notes as a way for singers who do not read music to learn how to read their choir parts. The songs are old-fashioned spirituals. The Sacred Harp tradition began as part of the singing school movement which started in New England before the American Revolution. Some say it started as far back as the 1700s. Others say it was earlier. The movement grew in popularity through America’s rural South and eventually found its way to Texas. It is interesting that the authors of the Sacred Harp songbook did not invent shaped notes. A legend says they were invented by a tenth century Italian Benedictine monk named Guido d’Arezzo. The brothers of his monastery had good voices, but they could not read music. Still, it was important that they learn melodies and chants for their church services. Fra Guido used a combination of shape notes and hand signals to teach them what they needed to know. He taught them an easily recognized scale that is now popularly recognized as “do-re-mi-fa-so-la-te-do.” Early English singing schools used the syllables fa, sol, la, and mi to represent the tones of a musi-cal scale. The method helped in sight-reading and allowed people to learn a singing part without knowing how to read music. To make the singing even easier, The Sacred Harp uses a 4-syllable sys-tem. A major scale would be sung fa, sol, la, fa, sol, la, mi, fa. A triangle corresponds to fa, a circle to sol, a rectangle to la, and a diamond to mi. The interval from a shape to its next occurrence in the key is always a perfect fourth, and there is always a half step leading to fa (la-fa and mi-fa). The repetition of shapes may make the system seem confusing at fi rst, particularly to those who read conventional music, but singers say it is not diffi cult and is actually helpful once they are familiar

with it. The shape notes are only important to the way the music is printed. When the music is sung, it sounds the same as it would sound if traditional rounded notes were used. The music has a lot of history in its rhythms and melodies. Many of them come from distant lands and distant times. Others come from the American history of the 18th and 19th centuries. A singing can include 18th century spirituals, ballads, and even the dance tunes of colonial

America and England. Some of the songs are 200 to 300 years old. The three types of Sacred Harp songs are the hymn or psalm, the fuguing tune and the anthem. The hymn is the simplest song where all voices are sung together. Fuguing tunes are more complicated. Anthems are the longest and most complex of the tunes. Early singers would learn how to sing a tune by fi rst singing the notes as sounds without words. When they knew the notes, they would repeat the song and add the lyrics. This is still the way to learn how to participate in a Sacred Harp singing. The singers arrange themselves around the room in a large square according to their voice. All the trebles face the basses. All the tenors face the altos. The leader takes the space in the middle of the square where the others can look for direction. The intention is for the entire group to work together to build a sound and spirit which can be enjoyed by all the singers. Because of its nature, the style of Sacred Harp singing is fresh and unpolished. It is religious music, and it is meant to be meaningful to every person who sings it. The singing is intended to be loud, fi lled with joy and enthusiasm, and to express the emotion of the singers and the songs. In recent years, the popularity of Sacred Harp singing has enjoyed a revival in many parts of the United States and is no longer limited to the rural South. Many East Texas communities once held monthly singings with dinner on the grounds and a friendly social time. All-day singings began early, at 9 or 10 in the morning and lasted until 2 or 3 in the afternoon with a break for lunch at the noon hour. The local singers and members of the host church traditionally provided dinner on the grounds. Several communities still hold monthly singings with or without dinner, and singers look forward to annual singings such as The East Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention in Henderson where large groups come together. Go to www.texasfasola.org/audio/newry.mp3 to hear how the music of a Sacred Heart hymn swells to fi ll a room. Then go to www.texasfasola.org/audio/stratfi eld.mp3 to hear a more compli-cated fuguing tune, and fi nally go to www.texasfasola.org/audio/easter.mp3 to hear the sound clip of a full anthem. Better still, go to a Sacred Harp singing and hear the music for yourself. If you would like more information, or to fi nd out more about the nearest singing, please call Robert Vaughn at 903-863-5379.

Figure from George Pullen Jackson’s White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands, p. 14.

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art & musicThe Gentrys - a father and son legacy of art and music by Dawn-Renée Rice When you meet Bob Gentry, the fi rst thing you’ll notice is that he’s a really nice guy who knows how to put a visitor at ease. Second thing you notice? He really loves what he does and is proud of his cozy studio located right next door to his charming home in the beautiful Azalea District of Tyler. Set amongst the distinctive homes, stunning scenery, and quaint red brick streets of this area, it’s no wonder musicians come from all over to record their music here. There’s so much charm and beauty that you can’t help but feel creative the minute you drive down the streets of this adorable neighborhood. As I pull into the drive-way, I’m absolutely delighted by the overhanging trees and shrubbery that seem to hug the house in a warm embrace. After making our introductions, Bob wel-comes me into his studio with a big smile and asks if I want to see the place. Of course! This is my fi rst experience in a music studio. Turns out, it’s not what you would expect at all! It’s charming, original, and full of character – not the sterile and modern environment you might see on television. As we walk past the recording studio, we step into a separate room fi lled with antiques and vin-tage equipment. If you’re an antique lover, then you will appreciate the absolute charm of this place. Off to my right, I spot a staircase going up and my eyes light up in obvious curiosity. Bob notices with a grin and asks, “Want to see what I’ve got upstairs?” So, up the stairs we go, and to my surprise and complete delight, we walk into the coziest above-the-garage apartment I’ve ever seen. I literally can’t keep the smile off of my face as he shows me around. Set up for visiting musicians to stay in when they record at his studio, the apart-ment is the perfect setting to inspire creativity. After a delightful tour of his studio, we sit down to discuss how he was inspired to get into the music business and to talk about his career and future plans. As a multi-faceted musician, his career spans 30 years as a studio musician and live performer. More recently, he has begun producing. “I really get involved with the process of producing because you can guide the musicians as they record their music,” he explains. “You can only go so far playing in a band where you’re working for someone else.” How did he get started in the music business so many years ago? As a child, he had always been interested in mu-sic and was always playing on his grandmother’s piano or picking up a guitar to play. As a young adult, he began playing keyboards and bass guitar and sang with various bands in the area. Once he made up his mind that he wanted to pursue a career in music, he talked to his parents about his plans. His father, local award-winning artist A.C. Gentry, was reluctant to let him go down this path out of concern that he wouldn’t be able to support himself. However, he eventually won his

dad over, and after seeing that his son was serious about music as a career, the elder Gentry gave his stamp of approval. Bob began working in music commercially as a studio musician. He supplied background mu-sic for radio programs and musicians and toured regionally with local bands. Eventually, like many commercial musicians, he reached a point where he had to take a step back to fi nd his creative spark again. “There was a time when I got burned out on commercial work. So, I put together a 3-piece band called The Civilians. We played an eclectic mix of rock, soul, reggae and jazz,” he explains. After that, he turned to producing and has been doing that ever since. “One of the most reward-ing things in my job is to see artists fi nd joy in the results of our creative work and mutually gain from it artistically and spiritually,” he says. So, what is he up to now and what are his plans for the future? “I am currently working on a new compilation of original songs for a future solo project,” he says. As well-known and well-liked as Bob is in the East Texas area, we will be wait-ing with bated breath to see what he comes up with next! With our interview wrapping up, it is time to head a few streets over to his father’s home so I can interview Tyler’s beloved local artist A.C. Gentry. We arrive a few moments later at Mr. Gentry’s house to see him waiting on his studio porch. We walk up a short fl ight of stairs and step into the cozy art studio where he spends his time creating the nostalgic East Texas art that many around here have come to know and love. As we settle into our seats to begin talking, I look around the room in amazement at the enormous amount of artwork hanging on walls, fi led in boxes, and propped up on the fl oor. “So, what

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led you to create art refl ecting rural East Texas?” I ask. “The only thing I ever knew [as a child] was this area,” he says. “When I was about 13, a lady came to Tyler to teach art, so my parents sent me to her for lessons.” As he learned to draw, sketch, and paint, he began to see that maybe he could make a living as an artist. As a young man, he assisted a local artist by the name of A.D. Greer and through that experi-ence learned many things including how to paint fl orals. Mr. Gentry eventually delved into oils but found that once he had a family, it was much easier to deal with watercolors. The kids were always getting into the paints, and watercolors are obviously easier to clean up! When it came to learning how to paint with watercolors, it was a process that this talented artist taught himself. Speaking of children, I ask him if he feels that his artistic talent was an infl uence on his son in any way. Mr. Gentry says that maybe seeing him become successful as an artist might have helped him see that you can have an unconventional career that still puts food on the table. “I remember he came to me one day and said that he could play music and wanted to make money as a musician. I advised him that I felt it wasn’t in his best interest, but if he wanted to go that way, then I would support him,” he refl ects. As father supported son, the son has also supported the father. Between Mr. Gentry’s nostalgic, rural art and Bob’s eclectic mix of musical talents, the Gentry’s have helped keep the arts alive in the East Texas area and, for that, we continue to be grateful!

If you would like to see more pictures from this article, go to www. PineyWoodsLive.com and search for “Gentry.”

A shy, seemingly unas-suming 15-year-old girl, Abby Stanley, at fi rst appearance, doesn’t look at all to me like a singer or a songwriter. But I learned a long time ago that a person’s looks can sometimes be deceiving, and this was cer-tainly one of those moments. Within ten minutes after walking into my studio with a guitar case, any doubt that I might have had was gone. Abby spent the early years of her childhood in Fort Worth. When she was 11 years old, her parents decided to escape the big city life of the Metroplex and move to Longview – the place where her mother was born and raised. Now, as a ninth grader at Hallsville Junior High and a member of the school choir, Abby’s world revolves around music despite the fact that her love for music began only a few years ago. She gives her grandmother the credit for igniting that passion when she presented her with her fi rst guitar as a Christmas gift. With a love of word and song in place, the guitar was the fi nal piece of the puzzle that al-lowed it to all come together for her. The guitar brought the melodies from inside her head to something she and others could actually hear. When she was only 12 years old, her uncle asked her to write a song for him. The song, her fi rst complete one, was entitled “Coming Home” and about family. When listening to the song which describes how “you can always come home” to your loved ones, I am quickly reminded that she is quiet and soft-spoken with-out any trace of that “look at me” attitude that can be seen in young people who are regarded with talent. Abby has been taking guitar lessons for three years. She just recently received her third guitar, an acoustic Takamine. She revealed to me that while she doesn’t time herself, she plays her guitar for about two hours every day. As for songwriting, Abby keeps a small stack of notebooks and binders. Within those pages are a little over 100 songs that she has written over the past few years. She opened her guitar case and showed me one of them. Worn and creased, the binder held within it page after page of words, notes, scribbles and mark-outs with each section becoming a new song. About a year and a half ago, Abby went into the studio and professionally recorded two of her songs. She made the CD for her own benefi t and only had enough copies made to give to friends and family. While proud of the work she did on the CD, she says that she wishes she had waited. “My voice has changed; I have changed; my music has changed,” she says. She

music


Abby Stanley by Jim King

is quite critical of her early work. But now, with a few years experience, Abby is ready to take her music to another level and a new audience. She is ready to perform in public. “I’ve only been on stage three times,” Abby says and quickly points out that, “I’m still learning about the ins and outs of show busi-ness.” She understands and believes that her personal success in music will not be defi ned by fame. “My goal is not to become famous, but I want this to be the rest of my life.” While she claims not to have stage fright, she says that she doesn’t really understand all of it. She writes songs and sings them for friends and family but has never dealt with the business side of the business. “I don’t have a manager or anything and don’t really know what to do,” she says with a smile. Last year she met Shelby Down-ing, a talented and well-respected singer and songwriter. With Downing’s help, Abby hopes to soon start performing publicly. When I asked her about her future plans, she is still unsure of the specifi cs. She wants to con-tinue with her music and certainly sees a music degree in her future. About the performance side of her art, she says, “I want people to like my music.” But there is no denying her love of what she does when she says, “I want to teach music to little kids.” Abby Stanley is young and talented. She is well-grounded, and if she continues this jour-ney, I’m guessing that we will be hearing from her again in years to come. She is fortunate to be surrounded by a family who loves her. She smiles proudly when saying, “My family is very supportive of my dreams and goals.” It was interesting to fi nd out that she doesn’t actually come from a musical family. Quite the opposite, actually. Abby, as one of a set of triplets, has two brothers. I asked her if they played musical instruments. She said “No, they just play golf.” Smart, talented and a sense of humor!

Driving to the Tyler Museum of Art, I expected it to be set in a busy metropolis of downtown businesses and noisy traffi c. Instead, I found the building quietly sitting amongst the trees and well-kept grounds of Tyler Junior College. Walking to the mu-seum, I passed several interesting sculptures and a perfectly manicured lawn. Once in-side, I was greeted by a friendly receptionist and, well, — artsy atmosphere! After giving my name and the reason for my visit which was to meet the new Public Relations and Marketing Coordina-tor for an interview, I wait and peruse the lobby area of the museum only to fi nd a cozy snack area, a gift shop, and a kids’ art corner. Hearing a sound from above, I look up the stairs to the second fl oor to see someone bounding down the steps towards me with youthful exuberance. Imagine my surprise when he introduces himself as Caleb Bell, the new Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator for the museum. Why the surprise? You don’t normally see someone so young in such a prestigious position! After the introductions are over, we settle in at a table in the cafe area and get down to business. I can’t wait to ask him all of my questions! How did someone so young get this job? How long has he been working here? What does his job entail? With a constant smile on his face throughout the interview, it’s obvious to see that Bell really loves his new position at the museum. In fact, he doesn’t see it as a job at all. He loves what he’s doing so much that it doesn’t feel like work. He has a bounce in his step and an unstoppable smile on his face because he gets paid to do what he loves and is surrounded by art that inspires him. Having only been in this position for a few weeks, he says that it’s one of those


artCaleb Bell joins Tyler Museum of Art by Dawn-Renée Rice

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things that just fell into his lap. “I took a lik-ing to art [at a young age], and I like meeting new people. I always wanted to work in an art museum and after graduating from col-lege, looked around in the bigger cities like Dallas for job openings,” he explains. “I was looking in the classifi eds, and the position for a public relations/marketing coordinator for the Tyler Museum of Art was available. So, I applied. Within a matter of weeks, I was accepted for the position.” After graduating in May of 2011 from the University of Texas at Tyler with a B.S. degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations and a minor in art, he realized that instead of working as a “suit” in a corporation, he would rather work for an art museum where he could help promote the arts. “Basically, I get paid to have fun!” he explains enthusiastically. Every day he spends time working on different projects that allow him to experience diversity, variety, and creative freedom in his job. For most creative types, that seems to me to be a must! So, what are some of the things he fi nds himself doing as a public relations and marketing coordinator? “I put together almost all of the print material, invitations to exhibits, and I write press releases about different things going on at the museum. I also maintain the website and social media and coordinate the museum’s advertising,” he explains. Even though he’s been in this position only a few short weeks, he already has several goals in mind for the future of the museum. He wants to help bring a greater awareness of the Tyler Museum of Art to the East Texas area and help people in outly-ing cities learn about the great artwork and exhibits that are showcased there. As he puts it, he really wants to “put the museum on the map.” Aside from his work at the museum,

Caleb is also an artist and has a wide range of interests in the world of art. “I became interested in art in high school. Since then, my love and passion for the arts has only increased. I tend to dabble in all media and art-making techniques,” he explains. “However, printmaking is probably one of my favorite areas. Most recently, I have got-ten into screen printing. Photography is also another area of great interest. Specifi cally, I am into instant photography. I have a wide variety of new and vintage Polaroid cameras that I use.” Citing Andy Warhol and Claes Olden-burg as two of his favorite artists, he fi nds inspiration in their bright, fun, and light-hearted pieces. Being surrounded by art on a daily basis adds to his creativity, but he ad-mittedly has not had as much time to devote to his art as he would like since starting his new position. “I haven’t really had the time because as soon as I started [this job], I hit

the ground running,” he says. However, he has some ideas brewing and several projects started that he’s anxious to get back to soon. He’s really into repurpos-ing things and making functional art out of interesting objects. One of the projects he’s working on involves a combination of wooden water skis, brackets, and as he admits with a shy grin, “various layers of paint.” He can’t decide which color he likes the best, so he keeps painting one color over another. I’m guessing that will only add to the complexity and overall theme of the fi nished piece! It looks like this young man is one of the lucky few who has found a job he loves to do and can get paid to do it. It also seems that the Tyler Museum of Art was lucky enough to grab him before someone else did. With sights set high on bringing awareness to the museum, I’m pretty sure this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Caleb Bell anytime soon!

Clark Langley is a man that wears several different hats. He is the type of person that likes to use his natural talent to produce extraordinary results in different ways. Because of his extreme passion and endless energy, Langley has become a family medical practitioner, a museum exhibited photographer, a professional musician, and a missionary – all rather unexpectedly. Langley spent his early adulthood doing many different things. For example, he once had a job as one of the electricians helping construct America’s largest land rig in Oklahoma City. But in his 30s, Langley had a wake-up call: “I was on my way home, and it started raining. My car spun, and I went from 50 to 0 directly into an embankment,” Dr. Langley said. “It was one of those classic ‘should have been dead’ wrecks, so I decided to do something with my life. When that happened, I knew it was time to straighten out.” Langley discovered a calling to be a missionary. But in order for him to do that, he had to have a college degree. At the age of 35, he was a fi rst-time freshman at the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Langley adamantly proclaims: “Never wanted to be a doctor! But one of my friends mockingly said to me, ‘I bet you could get into med school too.’” On that dare, he applied to medical school and was accepted the following Christmas. Langley’s wife Christy jokingly remembers asking him, “Why don’t you have a plan B?” After medical school, Langley got the opportunity to do a rotation with his wife’s long-time family doctor, Dr. Beats, in her hometown of Kilgore. When it was time for him to fi nd a residency, he took over Dr. Beat’s practice. With the invention of the digital camera, Langley became consumed by photography: “I re-member one night when a thunderstorm was rolling through, and I fi nally fi gured out you had to be on the right side of the storm to capture lightning. I just got in my car and drove. By the time I got back home around 4:30 a.m., I showered and went back to work.” Langley is best

Dr. Clark Langley by Fallon Burns

music & photography


known for photographing the derricks in downtown Kilgore. He has developed a following on Facebook which has fueled his passion to keep taking photographs. Suzanne Warren, wife to Darby Warren of the Darby Warren Project, noticed Langley’s photography on Facebook. A conversation started, and Warren discovered that Langley had a hidden talent for playing the upright bass. Mrs. Langley says, “Clark was instantly attracted to the band because it was all original music. Darby had a genius that he was attracted to.” Dr. Langley remembers, “My great grandfather wrote three hymns. My grandfather was a profes-sional trombone player during the Depression, and my grandmother played the organ for silent fi lms.” Langley’s father played with Patty Paige and other well-known artists including some big bands while working full time for Gulf Oil Company. The Darby Warren Project has become a local success and has played at the Kilgore Main Street Art Walk, Downtown Live at 5 in Longview, the AlleyFest, Party in the Pines and opened for Little Texas at Charlie’s BackYard Bar. Langley is a multifaceted man who still fi nds time to be an exceptional husband and father. He goes on a series of short mission trips throughout the year. His original plan was to attend college and get out as soon as possible to become a missionary, but his path took him on many unexpected routes, most of which were beyond his wildest imagination. Because of his passion and energy, he has been able to lead the kind of life most people only dream about.

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Meet at the Gazebo on Johnston St. and form groups or bring a group.

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Kasey Lansdale is a writer of songs, novels and other story forms. Her long, blonde locks and friends-for-life eyes accentuate what could be a career focused on modeling. Her fi rst love, though, is singing and performing. As she told one music critic, “My true passion is singing. The stage is where I feel most at home. That is where I want to be.” In most families, such an energetic talent who has opened for country music legend Ray Price, made two European music tours, and in 2012, will release her second full album while writing the fi nishing touches of a novel would be the star with her parents and brethren living in her shadow. It is a tough sell, however, when her father, award-winning author Joe R. Lansdale, proudly and lovingly says, “We’re in her shadow.” Acknowledgements for Joe Lansdale’s family read like candidates for a Hall of Fame induction, literally. Joe has written at least thirty published books mostly in the genres of horror, science fi ction and fantasy. His novels, short stories, chap-books, comic books and novellas have earned him multiple Bram Stoker Awards and honors from at least ten other literary conventions. He also founded and teaches his own Shen Chuan martial arts school, is a member of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and serves as writer in residence at Stephen F. Austin State University. His wife, Karen Lansdale, has made lasting contributions to the literary world as well. On

A novel story: Joe & Kasey Lansdale by Jimmy Isaac


music & writing

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March 31 in Salt Lake City, she received the Hor-ror Writers Association’s 2011 Richard Laymon Award in recognition of being one of the group’s founders. While their daughter Kasey is full-fl edged into a career of music, writing and more, their son, Keith Lansdale, has his own resume. The former Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel journalist now oper-ates his own online newspaper, everythingnac.com. He has sold comic adaptations and co-edited Son of Retro Pulp with his father. “They’re scaring me a little,” Joe, 60, said of Keith and Kasey, both in their mid-to-late 20s. When I was their age, I was still trying to fi gure out how a sentence is put together.” Their four careers have lines of demarca-tion. Despite growing up in the same house with parents who worked from home since their kids’ pre-teen years, Keith’s and Kasey’s respective writ-ing styles vary, Kasey tells us. “It’s funny that you grow up in the same house,” Kasey said, “and you both have com-pletely different writing styles. I thought that was interesting.” “And they were smart enough to go their own way,” Joe said of his children. “They naturally gravitated toward writing. They are not trying to compete with me … I want to be in their shadow.” Each member of the Lansdale clan has a world of experiences. Kasey has visited about as many countries as the number of years she has been on this earth. Yet, the Lansdales proudly call East Texas home. “Because I’ve done that [traveled all over the world], I really appreciate home because you see what other people live in,” Kasey said. “There’s something I love about East Texas more than anywhere else. I think some of the best, most hardworking, honest people live here, and that prevails all the time.” Joe is a Gladewater native with what he describes as a love-hate affair with East Texas. More than spending his life in this region, he has used East Texas communities and landscapes for many of his literary works including his famous Hap and Leonard series. Hap and Leonard are two friends – one a middle-aged white working class laborer, the other a gay black man – solving crimes in a fi ctional East Texas town. His latest novel, Edge of Dark Water, is a Depression-era tale of a teenage girl named Sue Ellen, her two best friends and her mother. They fi nd stolen money and travel the Sabine River on a raft to reach Gladewater and eventually travel

to Hollywood, Calif., to honor their deceased friend, May Lynn. Their journey brings them face to face with racism, violence and guilt. In April, one month after the re-lease of Edge of Dark Water, Lansdale told a New York Times reporter that he drew on his memories of growing up in Gladewater. Joe and Kasey have joined together at numerous recent book signings for Edge of Dark Water, with Kasey performing a same-titled song she wrote from May Lynn’s perspective of leaving her small town in search of movie star dreams, all revealed in May Lynn’s diary discovered by Sue Ellen and her friends. “I felt like Sue Ellen got 300-some-thing pages and May Lynn was dead before the story even began,” Kasey said. “I could relate to May Lynn’s character. As a writer, you want to write what you know. The Lansdale family works together often despite their separate careers. One year ago, fi lming began in Nacogdoches on Christmas with the Dead, a movie based on Joe Lansdale’s short story. Keith Lansdale wrote the screenplay, Joe was among the production team, and Kasey played a role in the movie. “I just saw the premiere. It is headed for festi-vals and, hopefully, distribution,” Joe said. “It’s a chance for us to all spend time together and get paid for it. You can’t beat that.” Of course, for Keith and Kasey, working together is nothing new. At age 12 and 8 respec-tively, their early writings were part of a Random House published anthology of stories from the children of writers. The Lansdales’ resumes continue to grow. Joe averages about one novel a year. Kasey is plan-ning a return to Europe for a musical tour. She is also writing the last chapter of a women’s fi ction novel while releasing her anthology, Impossible Monster, through Subterranean Press later this year and shopping another anthology around to publishing houses. “If anyone went into it [her novel] expecting a Joe Lansdale type of novel, they are in for disap-pointment,” Kasey said by phone recently. But statements she made in a recent short biography reveal that she does not shield herself from her father’s infl uence. “Being fi rst and foremost a country singer,

monster stories may not be the fi rst correlated project that pops into one’s mind,” Kasey said about Impossible Monster, “but I am a Lansdale after all!” For those who believe that growing up in the household of a horror/sci-fi /fantasy writer would be a unique, adventurous rearing, both Keith and Kasey have said publicly that their upbringing was about as pedestrian as most families. “I think the main thing was that my parents were always home,” Kasey said. “We were always like a team. It was not like they went to work during the day. By the time I was 5 or 6, they were working at home, and I didn’t know the difference.” Joe remembers those times with his young, songstress daughter. Kasey has been a profes-sional performer for better than fi ve years, but Joe recalls their younger days when he would attend writing conventions or book signings and tell organizers that his daughter could sing. “They would hear me and say, ‘Well, let’s set something up,’” Joe said. Before long, they were performing together at musical and literary events. The Lansdales have many avenues in which to fi nd their works or track their careers. Updates on Kasey can be found at kaseylansdale.fanbridge.comwww.kaseylansdale.comor fi nd her on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook To learn more about Joe, visit www.joerlansdale.comof fi nd him on Twitter and Facebook


downtown Kilgore

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downtown Kilgore & newsT-Bone Walker Blues Festival lineup of performers This is a brief description of some of the musical performers that will appear at the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival in Linden Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23. For a complete listing of the lineup including performance times and artist performance videos, go to our website www.PineyWoodsLive.com and do a site search for “t-bone”.

Keb’ Mo’ - Guitarist/vocalist Keb’ Mo’ draws heavily on the old-fashioned country blues style of Robert Johnson while keeping his sound contemporary with touches of soul and folksy storytelling. A skilled frontman as well as an accomplished sideman, he writes much of his own material and has applied his acoustic, electric, and slide guitar skills to jazz and rock oriented bands.

Bill Lynch & the Midwestern Icons - Kansas Music Hall of Fame inductee Bill Lynch along with his stellar rhythm section featuring Rick Moors on bass and the legendary drum-mer James Gadson will bring an amazing blend of blues, roots rock, jazz and originals. Lynch has recorded and performed with most of Los Angeles’ “A-Listers” and toured exten-sively with Bonnie Raitt.

Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials - From smoking slide guitar boogies to raw-boned Chi-cago shuffl es to the deepest slow blues, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lil’ Ed Williams is an

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awe-inspiring master bluesman. He and his blistering, road-tested band, The Blues Imperials, are celebrating 20 amazing years together. Live, they simply can’t be beat as Ed breaks out the deepest back-bends, the highest toe-walks, and the most authentic electric slide guitar blues being played today.

Texas Johnny Brown & the Quality Blues Band - Brown is a major talent who sim-mered on the blues scene longer than all the beef stew cooked in the ‘40s, the decade when he fi rst began playing and recording. He did not get a chance to record a full album as a leader until he had been in the music business more than half a century.

Rocky Lawrence - A walking persona of the country bluesman Robert Johnson from the moment he approaches the stage sporting his matching suit, Dobbs hat and two-toned shoes playing a Gibson “Robert Johnson” well-worn at the fi ngerboard. He plays and sings with incredible conviction.

Also appearing are: Kirby Kelley, Jonathon “Boogie” Long, Robin & The Bluebirds, Buddy Flett, Emily Elbert, The Peterson Brothers Band, Matthew Davidson Band, and the Pleasant Hill Quilting Group.

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art

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Artist’s World by Jan Statman

Artists are a controversial bunch. We honestly don’t have the sense to stick with only one thing at a time. Just when we get comfortable working with one batch of materials, we discover some other materials that are new

and inviting, and we just have to fi nd out what we can do with them. Picasso once said, “I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it.” He was right. Just when people start to recognize us by what we do, we have already started doing something else altogether. If you are familiar with my big earth tone abstract paintings, you are probably going to get accustomed to my new small blue works. But don’t get too comfortable with them because there could be big, bright red paintings waiting for you just over the horizon. If you like my fl owers, you will probably like my landscapes. If you like my acrylics, you will probably like my watercolors. If you like my watercolors, you should take a look at my new collages. Change is a part of artistic nature. Artists are experimenters and innovators. We do so many different things, it can sometimes be diffi cult for collectors to keep up. This is nothing new. Back in the 15th century, Leonardo Da Vinci worked in oils, tempera, gesso, charcoal, ink and pencil. He also sculpted in metal and carved in stone. When he wasn’t doing that, he was writing music and designing buildings, fortifi cations, water sys-tems, weapons, and airplane models. In his spare time, he was an inventor, geologist, mapmaker, botanist, and poet. So, let’s look at different kinds of art and art-ists’ mediums: Sculpture is made from every possible three-dimensional material. It can be as solid as stone or as fragile as paper. It is either additive or reductive. That means it is either made by com-bining things like different parts of clay to form a shape or by reducing something like a solid block of wood or stone into something else altogether. Stone sculpture dates back before the beginning of history. Cast-stone sculpture is created by molding an image from stone in a resin base. The ceramic sculptor forms the image out of clay and then fi res it in a kiln. Creating an image in clay or plaster and then having it cast in a metal such as bronze can make metal sculpture. Metal sculpture can also be made by combining and shaping metal then welding it together. Wood sculpture is made by carving and whittling wood. Glass sculpture can be made by blowing glass or assembling cut glass or by fusing molten glass. Various kinds of paper sculpture can be made by shaping or forming paper. Oil paintings are probably the most popular and the easiest to recognize works of art. The paints are made from natural and artifi cial pig-ments in a stabilized oil base. While the artist is working, the paints are thinned with oil, damar or copal varnish, and turpentine or mineral spir-its. Oils are painted on stretched canvas or on specially prepared masonite or wooden panels. They are framed without glass, and if they are painted on some kinds of stretched canvas, they can be left unframed altogether. Watercolor paintings are made with water soluble paint on heavy paper. They often have

delicate shadings and transparent washes. They should have a clear, fresh, spontaneous look. Watercolor artists will often tell you it isn’t EASY to make watercolors look that EASY. Since the paint and the paper are both fragile, watercolors need to be protected by being framed under glass. Clear glass is best. By all means, keep watercolors away from direct sunlight. Acrylic paints can be used as if they were oil paints. They can be thinned and treated as if they were watercolors, or they can simply be treated as acrylics. They offer the artist a lot of freedom. Acrylic paints are water soluble while the artist is working, but they become permanent when they dry. They have the advantage of being extremely tough and long-wearing. One paint company says they left an acrylic painting out in the sun on a beach in a place where the tide washed over it, and it has kept its original colors. I don’t believe them. Please do not do this. Paintings are not supposed to be left out at the beach. Drawings are sometimes called “the shorthand of the artist’s mind.” Some drawings are quick and sketchy. Others are detailed and complicated. They often display rich contrasts of black and white, and they sometimes use color. Draw-ings are made with pencil, pen, crayon, pastel, charcoal, brush or pen and ink on various kinds of paper. Graphics is a catch-all term that includes every possible kind of printed image. Graphics can be wood or linoleum cuts, etchings, intaglio, lithographs, and silk screen prints as well as giclée prints, monotypes and collographs to name only a few. Monotypes are the most painterly of the printmaking forms. In a monotype, only one print is made from the original design. Graphics can be done in black and white or they can have lots of colors. Sometimes a black and white print can be hand-tinted with different colors. Giclée prints are done on the computer and are often enhanced after printing. The original designs for some prints are simple and dramatic. Others are so detailed they can take hours to enjoy. They may be printed in limited editions or in editions that number in the thousands. In unlimited or extremely large edi-tions, the artist’s signature is printed right on the plate. In limited editions, the artist’s signature, the print numbers, and other information is hand penciled onto each of the completed works. Collage and mixed media pieces are often exciting and experimental. They can be made of anything the artist’s imagination chooses. Artists not only use paint but also use glued on objects. They are almost always fragile, so be careful when handling them. No matter what kind of art you choose to own and live with, be sure it is something that speaks to you. It doesn’t have to match anything. It doesn’t have to “go” with anything. After you hang it on a wall or stand it in a space, you should want to say “WOW!” every time you look at it. That’s when you have connected with the artist. That’s when the artist’s work is completed. Award winning artist and writer, Jan Statman’s paintings are owned by museums in Italy and Spain and by corporate and private collections across the USA. Best known for her colorful acrylic and her delicate watercolor paintings, she also paints portraits, judges area art exhibits and teaches painting classes. See her work in area art galleries or on-line at: janstatmanamerica-nartistwebstartscom.webstarts.com/index.html or on Facebook at Artist’s Studio of Jan Statman American Artist.

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"That’s What Friends are For" That’s what friends are for For good times and bad times I’ll be on your side forever more That’s what friends are for

“That’s What Friends Are For” by Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager

This month’s lyric is from a song covered by artists as diverse as Rod Stewart and Di-onne Warwick. Dionne’s version is listed as #61 in The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs. It is about the power and responsi-bility of friendship. Coincidence? That just so happens to be what this month’s column is all about. Huh, I wonder how that hap-pened? You may be a talented artist creating art that does exactly what you want it to do. However, maybe you aren’t quite as talented and competent in all aspects of this art business. For example, let’s just say that you are not the master of self-promotion. Okay, I know that really isn’t the case in your case, but let’s use self-promotion as an example. Why? Because I personally suck at it. However, please rest assured the ideas put forth here can apply to any part of your art business where you feel your talents fall short. For me, that weak area is marketing, so that will be my example. It could be ap-plied to keeping records for your business, computer issues, producing promo shots, editing videos, recording or any area you feel less than comfortable with. Let’s say that no matter how hard you try, you cannot become comfortable tooting your own horn. Perhaps, regardless of how much you want to, you simply can’t raise the courage to hand out business cards, make cold calls and promote your shows, sell CDs or simply market yourself and your art. I would just venture to guess that many of you share my dislike for this particular aspect of business. If you are anything like me, the creation of new art is something you have a pretty good handle on. While it is never easy, we are familiar with the highs and lows of our chosen artistic endeavor. That said, I bet that most of you aren’t com-fortable with the highs and lows of self-pro-

motion. How did I know that? Well, I am not bad at it myself. Nope – I am abysmally bottom scraping, god-awful at it. Often solving a problem is initiated by fi rst realizing that you have a problem. Okay, so I want to call the venues and toot my own horn by telling them how good and entertaining I am. But the reality is, in the end, I simply don’t make that call or don’t send that email because I am afraid I might be turned down, because I feel egotistical pushing myself off on others, and mostly because I am a little afraid of rejection. Isn’t it really funny that someone who has spent years in front of audiences feels overwhelmed by one-on-one encounters? So, now you know another of my secrets. In reality, I am not as outgoing and gregarious as it might seem but, instead, I am really quite the introvert. I can hear all my friends laughing at that statement, but it is true. Now, I am sure none of my readers have that problem. But I do, and since this is my column... please excuse me while I talk to myself about a serious problem I have. What I need is a promoter, a sales staff, cheerleaders and a booster club. Folks who can say and do all those things I am not so good at. Where can I get those? I don’t know anyone like that, do I? Well, what about the folks who come to my shows, pay good money and sit there for two hours while I play songs they probably will never hear anywhere else? Those guys are pretty loyal; they show up a lot and bring friends. Hey, maybe I could ask them. They might just think it was fun, and it might just make them a bigger fan to feel they have some skin in the game, that they are a player and could make a difference. You need someone to help promote you because you aren’t really a good self-promoter, and who is? Find a friend or fan: someone you can trust, someone who believes in you as a person and an artist, someone that will listen to what you want and help you fulfi ll your dreams without compromising your art or your integrity. Give them the tiniest amount of encourage-ment, free tickets to shows, their name in your CD liner notes, a pre-release copy of your newest recording, a limited edition

MusicMusicby Randy Brown

The “B” Side ofT-shirt – just about anything you can do for them in order to make them feel special and appreciated. Will they sometimes get overzealous? Will they sometimes over promise or under deliver? Sure they will; absolutely they will. But let me ask you one little question. Who would you rather have out there promoting you? Someone who really, really believes in you and your art or some bozo who doesn’t give a fl ying fl ip about your art but only wants to make his booking commission? So, I have a suggestion for you to ease the self-promotion blues or any of those “I’m not good at that part blues.” Talk to your friends and fans. I’ll bet they get excited when you ask them. I’ll bet they become even bigger and better fans and friends. For some of us, asking for help isn’t very easy, but hey, what have you got to lose? You won’t be disappointed; they’ll love it. After all, isn’t that what friends are for?

By the way, if you have comments, sug-gestions or criticisms about this or any of my columns, feel free to send them to me: [email protected]. If you ever simply get curious about what the heck this rambling old man does, then go to www.reverbation.com/brownrandy. Listen to a few songs and let me know what you think. See you next issue. Randy Brown is a small business owner and singer/songwriter living in East Texas and has been involved with many sides of the music business over the years from be-ing a sideman, a sound man, touring song-writer, venue operator, and a recording studio owner/engineer. He wishes he had a friend with a real penchant for promotion; most of his are hermits.

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Darby Warren Project, A musician’s wife’s story by Suzanne Warren They say behind every great man there’s a woman. And if this is true, I will be glad to share with you why I felt compelled to encourage my husband to form a band and share his music with others. My husband is Darby Warren, and he’s a songwriter and rockabilly blues musician. When I fi rst met Darby Warren in 2003, I was amazed at his quiet talent for songwriting. He wrote songs one after another on anything he could fi nd: cardboard boxes, paper plates, napkins... you get the idea. I was fasci-nated with his talent for words and the way he created the sounds of a song. It’s like the whole song would come to him all at once. He would write these beautiful love songs, one after another. For the fi rst time in my life, my heart was fi lled with music. Also for the fi rst time in my life, I fell in love with a musician. To truly appreciate Darby’s talent, I must tell you his story. When he was only 6 years old, he fell from a rooftop severely breaking his left arm. The accident left his arm and fi ngers with permanent nerve damage and no feeling at all. For 15 years, he would pick up the guitar, try to play, then set it back down in frustration. He could hear songs in his head, but he had no way to express them. One day, a man showed him how to tune his guitar chord open. That lesson changed his life; he fi nally could play the guitar. Once we were married, I would often beg him to share his songs with our friends and family. Sometimes he would, but most of the time he would not. It would tear at my soul. I wanted so badly for others to hear what I was hearing... beautiful music!! One day, I met the owner of Mojoe’s Coffee Shop, Travis Driver, in downtown Henderson. This isn’t an ordinary coffee shop. It’s more like an upscale art gallery which happens to sell amazing coffee. I noticed the coffee shop had a small bandstand. Travis let me know that he encouraged local musicians to perform on the weekends. I told him about my husband and showed him some YouTube music videos that Darby had produced. Travis loved Darby’s unique style of music and imme-diately invited Darby’s band to perform. There was only one problem: Darby had no band. Darby had recorded alone with Levi Kitchen who owns a garage-based recording studio. Thus began our quest to form a band! I fi rst contacted David McElhaney. I had known David for many years and knew he was a fantastic singer and played the acoustic guitar. Next, through a friend, I became ac-quainted with Clark Langley. Clark plays the stand-up bass. He was invited into the band, and a trio was formed. The trio began to per-form regularly at different East Texas venues, and their popularity grew. The band was invited to open for a well-known local musician, Mark Cooke. The event would draw over 400 people, so the band needed a drummer. Clark knew a tal-ented drummer from his church, Mark Wynn,

who joined. Later, they completed their band with an awesome lead guitarist, Dave Stopani. Soon the guys were booked every weekend even though people had told Darby that on a local level he would never be able to book gigs singing original songs. He was told venue owners only wanted cover bands. Darby refused to accept this, saying, “I am not going to be just another cover band that sings ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ If people don’t like my mu-sic, so be it.” But people did love his original music, and his fan base grew. Darby likes a cool retro-styled attire. He wants stage presence! He recently said after seeing a performance by Bruno Mars, “You see, baby. Look how cool his band looks, all of them wearing gold jackets just like Elvis.” People often ask, “What kind of music is this?” I’ve told Darby I think he’s created his own genre of music with a mix of many dif-ferent eras... 40s blues, 50s rockabilly, and a touch of the groovin’ 60s. In a few short years, the guys have played all over East Texas performing in the company of some very well-known musicians including Mark Cooke, Ricky Lynn Gregg, and Little Texas. The highlight would certainly have to be opening for Little Texas. Sometimes the guys refer to me as Momma Partridge. I am the one that keeps up with the band calendar, buys them cool shirts, cooks them dinner on practice night, photographs and videotapes their live performances, up-dates their Facebook band page, sells T-shirts and CDs, contacts the press, negotiates fees, straightens their ties, buttons down their col-lars, and I attend most every concert. Whew! It can be all consuming at times, but it is still worth it. I am very proud of my husband and his band. I am amazed at what they have ac-complished in such a short time. They are not youngsters by any means. But the beauty of Darby’s talent is that he is a songwriter, and songwriting is something he can do the rest of his life. Maybe he will be discovered one day for his songwriting talent. But in the mean-time, the guys are truly enjoying the wave, riding it while it lasts. So, I guess the moral to this story is, “It’s never too late to reach for your dreams... and it never hurts to have a loving and supportive wife by your side.”

Suzanne & Darby Warren


music

On stage is a gorgeous, tattooed, dark-haired woman in rockabilly garb. It’s Lauren Smith, better known to fans as LuLu VanTuckett, the frontwoman for LuLu and the Vipers. As she fi res the strings of her rhythm guitar, she is joined by the sounds of band members Al Nichols (guitar, slide guitar), Brandon Nichols (guitar), Billy Frankie (banjo) and Jeremy Baker (bass, percussion). Smith’s voice is unique to say the least. It’s smooth, classic, a little bit Southern, and it’ll quickly silence a room of unsuspecting listen-ers. She admits that those who show up to the band’s shows aren’t always sure what to expect. “I hear it a lot: ‘I never would have guessed you play this kind of music when looking at you,’” she said. “When most people see us, they see a bunch of tattooed misfi ts. They have no idea what to expect, and they are always pleasantly surprised.” Nichols said their ages add to the shock value. “I think some people may be surprised that a group of folks our age tattooed to the hilt are playing songs from as early as the 1930s.” The style of LuLu and the Vipers is a mix of musical infl uences that has evolved over the years. “I would describe us as ‘roots’ with a heavy infl uence of blues and honky-tonk,” said Smith. “My biggest inspirations for my music stem from 30s blues women such as Memphis Minnie and Lil Green, and the grandfathers of country such as Hank Williams, Sr. and Jimmie Rodgers. We try to capture that same feel of hard times.” “It’s old blues and western swing, maybe a little bluegrass,” added Nichols. “It continues to evolve. These are the styles that appeal to all of us.” The musical mashup has helped the band develop a wide fanbase playing bars and honky-tonks to receptive crowds that continue to grow. “I think it appeals to just about everyone

The sound of something different: LuLu & The Vipers by Kari Kramer

because it is fun,” said Nichols. “I think anyone could dig it,” added Smith. “It’s a refreshing glimpse into the roots of what we listen to today. No matter what our audience listens to, they seem to be touched by it. We have quite a diverse turnout.” For Smith, playing for large audiences is a fairly new concept. She admits that just a few years ago, despite a musical past, she struggled with playing for crowds. She’s been singing her entire life, and in her early 20s, she played in an all-girl punk band. In college, she began picking at her father’s 12-string as an accompaniment to her singing. “It wasn’t until then that I really found my voice,” she explained. “My last year of college, I had a handful of songs I would play in front of a select few people. I was too nervous to play in front of anyone else. Allen and Jeremy, while hearing me play, decided they should back me up to give me the nerve to play more. So, we started out as a three-piece.” Eventually, the other members completed the group, and they’ve pressed forward working on new music, originals and a few covers. “Most of our covers are ‘undercovers’ or covers that aren’t recognized by the general public,” said Smith. “When I hear a song that really moves me, I have to share it in my own way. The guys back me up in their own way, and it comes together as our very own gritty and fervent interpretation.” It’s been a journey for the close-knit band. Smith said they have grown over the years as musicians by learning to play new styles and instruments. “We’ve progressed as musicians, for sure,” she said. “None of us had ever been in a band like this. Jeremy had played bass before, but not the upright... I barely knew how to play the gui-tar, Allen had just gotten his resonator. He was used to playing a distorted electric guitar. Billy played electric guitar... When we told Billy he should join and play banjo, he said, ‘But I don’t

know how to play.’ We said, ‘That’s perfect, ‘cause neither do we.’” The effort has proved successful. The band’s gritty, yet polished and smooth sound is earning them fanfare around Texas. The group tries to maintain a good balance between their 9 to 5s and their musical careers. Still, Smith told us, they hope to branch out and play more often in different cities. “I hope to continue to grow as we have been,” said Smith. “I like our pace of slowly venturing out. I’d like to start playing in Mar-shall, Tyler, Shreveport and so on.” “I’ve always had a deep passion for the type of music we do. The whole band has. I would never have imagined that we’d get such a positive response and be where we are today. Three years ago you couldn’t get me to play in front of fi fteen people. Since then, we’ve opened up for David Allan Coe multiple times, we’re playing rallies, weddings and venues, and we’ve been fi lmed in a movie. It’s been a blast!” More information about LuLu and the Vipers, including videos of their live performances, is available on their Facebook fanpage:

luluandthevipers

Photograph by Bradley Hardin

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theatre


Renovation of downtown Kilgore landmarks possibleby Jimmy Isaac As professional actors and directors prepare for the Texas Shakespeare Festival’s 27th season, municipal leaders are discussing whether the festival has a place in downtown Kilgore. “It would bring a maximum number of residents and tourists to downtown Kilgore, which would provide an economic boost to downtown Kilgore, which would be fantas-tic,” city Main Street Manager Clara Chaffi n said, “but it would also showcase what we have.” Beyond the hopes of more cash registers ringing, there are other advantages not lost on Texas Shakespeare Festival Founder and Artistic Director Raymond Caldwell. Having a venue downtown and off the Kilgore College campus could open the door to year-round productions and a true box offi ce for the an-nual festival that attracts patrons regionally and internationally. “I don’t know a whole lot about it [the city’s plan]. I know that the City of Kilgore, which owns the Crim and Texan theaters downtown, has been interested for a long time in renovating those two historic buildings to put to some good use,” Caldwell said. Several plans hinge on the Crim and Texan, two theaters on the same west Kilgore Street block just across Main Street from the dozens of renovated storefronts, restaurants, offi ces and loft homes that have garnered mounds of recent publicity for the city’s downtown area. City leaders have intimated the possibility of turning the west Kilgore Street block into an entertainment district with wide sidewalks for music acts and more. Both theaters, however, are dilapidated.

The Crim sustained its last roof repair about fi fteen years ago, and the most recent building assessments are from 2008. City maintenance crews brought the theaters to usable condition temporarily on May 7 when a political forum was held at the facilities. “We know that for the Crim, for example, to get it to a point where it is occupied again, that’s $1 million. To restore it to the way it was, it would cost up to $4 million,” Chaffi n said. “We are renovating; we cannot afford to restore. If we spend $4 million, we might as well fl atten it.” Costs for renovating the Texan could run as much as $2 million, she added. “It would be fantastic to spend $2 million for both,” Chaffi n said. “We want these buildings used and occupied because they don’t have to be as they were in their heyday.” Chaffi n and City Manager Scott Sellers have asked Caldwell to meet with municipal volunteers to discuss the possibility of moving Texas Shakespeare Festival activities down-town. “Releasing a plan to the community might get the ball rolling on raising funds to renovate the theaters,” Caldwell said. There-fore, Caldwell is drawing up a proposal for how the Crim and/or Texan could be used by the festival, and he plans to present his fi nd-ings to the Kilgore City Council this month.For now, the Crim theater is an empty brick-and-mortar shell, Caldwell told us. There are leaks, and he remembers water on the fl oor during his last visit, but “The shell is sturdy,” he said. “From my point of view, I think the festival could use the facility certainly as offi ce space and for some performances, if it is renovated


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correctly and used as a live theater perfor-mance venue and not as a movie theater,” Caldwell said, “and there is a difference.”Caldwell does not want to be independent of Kilgore College, which has supported the Texas Shakespeare Festival since its inception with funding plus in-kind services such as of-fi ce space, insurance, maintenance, janitorial service and more. He does envision, however, an off-campus facility where productions such as the Daisy Bradford No. 3 could be held during the autumn, winter and spring months when the college is in full session. What makes summer the best time to host the festival is the lack of college students liv-ing on campus, making dormitories available for professional actors and others, “Which is why we have such a short season,” he acknowledged. “If we were able to use any place else, such as the Crim or the Texan, as a performance place, it is possible we could mount one or two productions in the fall, winter or spring, provided there is money to pay the actors, which is a huge thing,” Caldwell said. “The other step in that daydream process might be revising a proposal I made to the college several years ago: a conservatory.” “No performing arts conservatory exists in Texas or even in the South,” Caldwell said. Several years ago, he proposed that Kilgore College open such a conservatory to train young people interested in obtaining a two-year certifi cation to act for the stage, for movies, television or dance. Money remains

the obstacle, but he believes it could attract as many as 60 enrollees for each four-month training period, especially if the college of-fered scholarships. “If we had a performing arts conservatory, it would defi nitely generate revenue for the city because you would have plays year-round,” Caldwell said. “That’s a daydream, too, and it’s a complex issue and program that would take some careful work from people with the college as well as outside the college … I think there is a market for that. I can’t promise that, but I think there is.” Chaffi n sees the opportunity as more than another feather in downtown Kilgore’s cap. Simply put, she wants to see every downtown parking spot fi lled every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. “Imagine being able to come downtown Friday evening after work, do a little shop-ping, go to a restaurant, eat a nice meal and take in a Shakespearean play, or maybe another type of play, or the high school orchestra, or whatever,” Chaffi n said, “then coming back downtown, enjoying a glass of wine and walking downtown or underneath the derricks in the cool night air.” Chaffi n paints a scene, but she also has several ideas on how to raise the funds to make it happen. The city could obtain a loan or ask voters to consider a bond package. There are grants and private investors who could help bring the Crim and Texan back to life, and the city is reinstating its non-profi t status for the renovation project so donors

get the benefi t of tax write-offs. “If people want to start supporting or donating their time or ideas or want to say something about it, defi nitely give me a call,” Chaffi n said. She can be reached at (903) 984-5081. Meanwhile, the Texas Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2012 lineup after record-breaking attendance in 2011. Accord-ing to Caldwell, the festival sold 100 percent of its available seats, and he is hoping for two consecutive seasons at that clip. Lineup for the 27th season of East Texas’ only professional theatre includes two Wil-liam Shakespeare works: The Merry Wives of Windsor and Measure for Measure. Also scheduled this summer is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, a spoof of the playwright’s 37 plays that is performed in 97 minutes by three overzealous, energetic actors. The children’s play for this summer is Quest for the Lost Chalice, while the musical Blood Brothers, noted as the London West End’s longest-running production in history, makes its Texas Shakespeare Festival debut. For tickets or more information, visit www.texasshakespeare.com, visit the Texas Shakespeare Festival offi ce in person at 1100 Broadway Street in Kilgore, or call (903) 983-8601. Most major credit cards are accepted.

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