Nomadic Texan

For Tim McGee my brother from a different Mother.

We were into fast cars, beautiful women and classic rock n roll! We both loved the Byrds and found each other through their music. We bought all their albums and eight track tapes (don’t laugh that was the apex of music in your automobile in the late sixties). Tim came to live with us at the beginning of our senior year. I had no idea the trouble we would get into then. My parents both loved him as if he was their son. Tim definitely knew exactly how to charm people, especially women. Every good looking young lady at our high school would drool over him in the hallways.

He was a fashionista before anyone knew what it was. We both bought our clothes at the Eldridge Shop in Arlington and went to dances, etc dressed to the nines! He was a loyal customer long before I was and taught me in that day and time clothes make the man. I worked full time at Six Flags at that time and had a significant amount of disposable cash.  I can’t remember how many suits he talked me into buying, but it was a great deal! We always were outfitted with the latest haberdashery items.

As I stated above we liked fast cars. I decided that besides a wonderful wardrobe I needed a Muscle car. Given a Six Flags friend had a ’68 Camaro with a 327″ motor, I decided I had to best him and bought a ’69 Camaro with a 396″ engine and 475 HP. Tim had a ’64 Malibu with a 327″ engine. After picking us up we raced home and he waxed me very badly. I couldn’t believe it and neither could he. We took it back the next day to the Chevy house in Ft Worth and told them my issue. Chevy kept it a couple of days and called for us to pick it up. Again we raced home and again he waxed my behind. I was definitely getting frustrated. This went on for another few weeks and I must have taken it back to the Chevy house 20 times. Each time we raced home and I would lose by a significant margin. Finally another friend who raced (in those days plenty of young men had muscle cars and racing was a regular sport. Sometimes money was exchanged-LOL) recommended I take my new Camaro to the local Texaco station and have Woodrow look at it (thank you Gary Athans).

Woodrow looked at it for ten minutes and said you have a warped manifold. I remind you I had been to the Chevy house over twenty times and the high-priced mechanics couldn’t figure out my issue. You can bet your bottom dollar first thing the next day we drove to the Chevy house in Ft Worth and asked to look at my “warped manifold”. They could not deny it, Woodrow was correct. They first said they would order and I lost it. I told them, in a very raised voice we were not leaving until they replaced my manifold. They “found” one. This time we raced home and I had full compression. He was toast! I was thrown back against my seat and was in utter awe! Bring on the racing! Over the next two years I only lost one race and that was because I missed a gear. Paid for my first two years of college.

Tim and I would continually race and we would get speeding tickets out the wazoo. The only way we could do this was because a certain lawyer in Arlington would insure the tickets were lost in the system and never appear on our driving record. Otherwise we would have both lost our driver’s licenses.

I was lucky enough to see the Byrds in concert at Panther Hall in Ft Worth in 1969 I think, with my at the time girlfriend Susan. After the concert I thought maybe I could get an autograph or two and we walked around  the Hall to the back door, It was standing wide open and we walked right in. I don’t think this would be possible in this day and time. We immediately ran into Roger (Jim in those days) McGuinn and secured his autograph. We wound up talking with him for an hour about many topics including David Crosby, He finally decided to go pack up and turned us over to Chris Hillman, who talked with us for roughly 45 minutes.

I eventually wound up getting all of there autographs and showed Tim when I arrived back home. He blew a gasket as he had declined going with us. I kept the poster for decades, at least until my ex-wife tossed it with out asking. Urrrrgh! No telling how much it would be worth today. Tim never got over the fact that I had talked with the Byrds and he wasn’t there. Going forward I left town and on every visit back I would tell his admin to tell him Roger McGuinn was there to see Chris Hillman. Tim would let out a scream and come running out to see me with a big hug! This became a habit and we shared these nicknames until recently.

The talented Chris Hillman of the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, Souther Hillman Furay Band and The Desert Rose band to name a few of the groups he contributed to.

Roger McGuinn in the old days with his infamous sunglasses. No one could play a 12 string Rickenbacker like him!

We both loved to party and have a good time. Tim knew several musicians and played a little bass guitar. I attempted to play the guitar. We decided to have poster parties in my parents garage and he knew exactly who to invite to play music. I was amazed at the quality of these high school musicians. Thankfully the neighbors went along and we always warned them ahead of time and let them know we would not go past 10 pm with the music, Posters were different and we sometimes went on with them until midnight. I am fairly certain the legal drinking age was 18 at the time, so there was beer on hand!

One of the Friday nights he asked me to take a drive and I agreed. Tim stopped just short of our house on the way home and asked me if I wanted to try something. Yes that is what it was. We were the Doobie Brothers before the group, Snoop Dog and Bill Clinton. Yes we inhaled and were experimental. Out of respect for his wonderful wife and children, I will stop there!

As our families grew we naturally drifted apart and we didn’t see each other that much over the first few decades of our marriages and raising our children. We both have always loved baseball and Tim was a huge Texas Ranger fan. I was able to have a birthday, I think it was my 51st, but I can’t be certain, at the restaurant in the right field area of Globe Life Park, before Globe Life Field was built. My father was still alive and had come along with my brothers I believe. My memory isn’t the best.

As we began looking at the menu Tim and his lovely wife Rheka walked in. I was flabbergasted as we hadn’t seen each other in many years. It was a spectacular evening and he and I were able to quasi catch up. Afterwards we went back to the McGee’s house and continued interacting. Somehow we drove back to Austin after this celebration and survived. Things got busy and we lost contact again.

Two years ago I was contacted by an old friend who lived next door to Tim and said he wanted to talk again. I was elated and we have stayed in contact since. In July of 2023 my friend notified me that Tim had cognitive issues and was referred to UTSW. They found masses in his brain and thought it could be glioblastoma, which it was. This is a very aggressive cancer and medical friends told me that he probably wouldn’t last the year. Thankfully he flew to San Francisco and had an experimental AL surgery which added months to his life.

I have made several trips back and have had conversations with him. Most have been lucid and we shared tremendous memories. Tim recently told my friend that he and I had some wild times and got into a lot of trouble over the years. He was placed in hospice care roughly a month ago and I flew back to see him one last time. We could only talk for about 30 minutes and both laughed about his remark over the trouble we used to get in. I could only understand 25% of what he said. I had to leave and give him space. That was the last time I saw my brother. Tim passed on Monday August 12th at 2:45 pm surrounded by his family. RIP my brother and know you will be greatly missed!

Eight miles high, and when you touch down

You’ll find that it’s stranger than known

Signs in the street, that say where you’re are going

Are somewhere just being their own

Nowhere is there warmth to be found

Among those afraid of losing their ground

Rain gray town, known for its sound

in places, small faces unbound

Round the squares, huddled in the storms

Some laughing, some just shapeless forms

Sidewalk scenes, and black limousines

Some living, some standing alone

On December 3, 2015 I wrote my first blog post on Liberty Hall in Tyler Texas, an intimate music hall in East Texas, that is now a live music gem after the city refurbished The Liberty Theater. It has been renovated in an art-deco style for a considerable sum of money and is now a hub of downtown Tyler, which resonates with music and the arts. It is also the home of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, who performs its “Noon Notes” events and smaller chamber performances at the venue.

Liberty Hall Exterior

After visiting and writing about several Texas Towns, I have adopted several. One of my favorites is Tyler, the “Rose Capitol of the United States”! The “Vision” of this fine city is “To be the standard for performance excellence in local government”. The “Vision” of Liberty Hall is “To support the City of Tyler’s efforts to revitalize downtown by creating an arts and entertainment culture, thereby attracting residents and visitors to the downtown district. This post shares a few of my favorite Texas musicians and I wish I had the time in my schedule to see all three upcoming artists.

Liberty Hall Interior

I apologize for the brief window of the first act, but I guess its better than overlooking the upcoming acts. First up, this Friday night March 4, 2016 is Austin Texas based musician and former leader of the “Ugly Americans” Bob Schneider, raised in El Paso Texas and Munich Germany. After a two year stint with “The Scabs” Bob went solo in 1999. His career has genuinely blossomed ever since. This is Bob’s fourth time to perform at Liberty Hall. If you reside in the Dallas Ft. Worth area or east Texas, the brief drive will definitely be worth it to hear this virtuoso play.

Austin’s Own Bob Schneider

Schneider has an eclectic and diverse musical style and writes unconventional off-the-wall songs, with diversified genres of funk, country, rock, and folk compositions, lyrics and melodies. After recording or participating on over thirty albums, his latest release, The King Kong Suite, was released in three 5-track EPs over the course of 2015: King Kong Volume 1 in February, King Kong Volume 2 in June, and King Kong Volume 3 in October. Bob continues to display a stunning and talented array of music. His sensitive lyrics about estrangement, drug addiction, and lost love has enabled Bob to gain a international fan base and he continues to blossom in the industry. Bob Schneider is not only a gifted singer-songwriter, he is also an accomplished visual artist–his sculptures, paintings, prints and, most recently, collages rivaling the creative genius of his musical compositions.  We are quite proud Bob calls Austin home!

Bob Schneider, “The King Kong Suite” volumes 1-3 in 2015

My next performer Junior Brown, is one I share a personal connection with and I have followed the man for over forty years. I guess that makes us both a little bit “on in our years”. It was in the 70’s at The Silver Dollar in Austin and I had heard his music on FM KBLJ and loved it. I was also starting to try and learn how to two step, even though I was more of a classic rock n roll guy. His music blew me away and I have been a fan ever since! Junior had stint with Asleep at the Wheel as a steel guitar player and other major recording artists like Hank Thompson, George Jones, The Beach Boys and Stone Temple Pilots, before branching out on his own. He and wife, Tanya Rae the rhythm guitar player, have settled in Austin. He honed his craft at the fabulous Continental Club on South Congress in Austin.

Jr. Brown and his Guit-Steel

Junior has played both an electric and pedal steel guitar throughout his career and combined with his unique voice and unique song writing ability has led him to a Country Music Association Award (CMA) and three Grammy nominations. In 1985 Junior invented a double necked guitar that is now called a “Guit-Steel” guitar. A fascinating invention for the music industry. Basically a compound of an electric guitar and a lap steel guitar. Junior plays mostly honky tonk and western swing with a little blues and TexMex usually at the finish, as well as surf rock. Junior with his one of a kind music is playing at Liberty Hall on April 9, 2016. The following two quotes represent the broad spectrum that Junior holds and demonstrates in his music.

“You don’t find stylists today like you did in the Ernest Tubb era. That’s what sets Junior aside from a lot of other artists. He’s got his own style. And his rapport with his fans, he draws a vast audience, from young college kids up to the older, traditional country music fans.”
–David McCormick, owner, Ernest Tubb Record Shop, Nashville

“Junior told me once that he was very impressed by Jimi Hendrix, by the way he was very wild, and yet he was very controlled. He knew where everything was going in a solo, and he (Junior), I think tries for the same effect, and I think he hits it virtually every time.”
–Mitch Mitchell, drummer, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Jr. Brown “An American Original”

My final performer is John Fullbright who will perform at the Liberty Hall on May 13, 2016. In his brief career, his debut album “From the Ground Up” was released just two years ago and this young man from Oklahoma has gathered substantial acclaim. NPR hailed him as one of the 10 Artists You Should Have Known in 2012, saying “it’s not every day a new artist…earns comparisons to great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Randy Newman, but Fullbright’s music makes sense in such lofty company.”

John Fullbright “From the Ground Up”

John Fullbright “ASCAP Foundation’ s Harold Adamson Lyric Award”

“What’s so bad about happy?” John Fullbright sings on the opening track of his new album, ‘Songs.’ It’s a play on the writer’s curse, the notion that new material can only come through heartbreak or depression, that great art is only born from suffering.

“A normal person, if they find themselves in a position of turmoil or grief, they’ll say, ‘I need to get out of this as fast as I can,’” says Fullbright. “A writer will say, ‘How long can I stay in this until I get something good?’ And that’s a BS way to look at life,” he laughs.

If you can attend any of these great performances, I would highly recommend you take advantage of the great acoustics and fantastic atmosphere associated with the Liberty Hall in Tyler Texas. Better yet, if you are resident of Dallas Ft. Worth, then by all means go see all three artists. I am positive you will have a wonderful experience and Tyler is an incredible weekend get away!

Antones “Home of the Blues” in Austin

Clifford Antone was a very ardent supporter of the Blues Genre and was raised in Port Arthur Texas. Over the years he grew to know and help many a musician down on their luck. Clifford would give a blues player a gig, whether he was popular or not and was the sounding board for many an artist over the years. Of course he wouldn’t turn down any legends that passed through town and loved to talk with them.

He was very instrumental in the career of Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmy. Them and the Fabulous Thunderbirds are the two best groups to hit his place, in my humble opinion. I know that will be debated! This is a photo of the plaque acknowledging his original club on sixth street in Austin. My home town! We lost Clifford on May 23, 2006, but the tradition he started, carries on!