Local Talent

Sometimes the local talent makes it to the big times. Here are a few of the fortunate talented people I was acquainted with.

Local Talent

 

When I was in the 7th Grade, I lived on 13 Stark Street in Phillips, Texas. H. F. Ritchie and Melvin Webb were older than me and also lived on lived on our street. They were members a a band and a singing group called “The Five Bops”. They played at a lot of the local dances and even cut a nationally released record called “Jitterbuggin”. Three of the Bops were from Phillips. H. F. Ritchie and Melvin Webb as mentioned earlier,and there was Billy Baker who lived on one of the streets of off Phillips Avenue. I believe Bill Dees came from the Fritch-Sanford,Texas area and attended school at Phillips, Texas. They practiced at the Webb’s House and out in their garage. I often watched them singing their hit song that went something like this “Me and my gals going Jitterbuggin, Well I took my lovin Kitten on a date last night……..”. I don’t remember the other Bop’s name.

 

Later in life Bill Dees consorted with superstar Roy Orbison in writing many songs including the smash hit “Oh Pretty Woman” and later had his own singing career. Not bad for a Fritch area boy. Below is Bill Dees with Roy Orbison, The Five Bops ( the sixth is the Guitar player) and the record they cut.

 

Top:  Roy Orbison with Bill Dees

Bottom left: The Five Bops plus guitar player in 1950’s.

Bottom right: The 45rpm record they cut “Jitterbuggin”.

 

 

I went to high school at Phillips with a kid from Sanford named Barry Stegall. He was one of Red Stegall brothers. My wife Pam also dated one of Red’s brothers named Carole Stegall. He gave Pam about 20 copies of Red Stegall’s hit 45 rpm record, ” Party Dolls and Wine” which she gave me for my collection sometime after we got we married. I have a Red Stegall song, “Lone Star Beer And Bob Wills Music ” on the ringer for my iPhone today. It was either him or Ernest Tubb’s “Waltz Across Texas. Red was one Sanford boy that made the big times. He also gave Reba McEntire her break to get her into the big times. Red Stegall still has a radio show on Sunday evening called “Cowboy Corners” on Tulsa’s Big Country 99.5 on the FM dial. It’s a good show give it a listen.

 

Red Stegall came to Caney, Kansas, for an outdoor show. We visited with him and Billy Parker on the stage after the show

 

 

We also got acquainted with Becky Hobbs from Bartlesville when she performed at Denim and Diamonds in Bartlesville. She did her hit single “Jones On The Jukebox” and several other of her hit songs that evening.

 

Becky Hobbs, a local Bartlesville girl playing her home town when she came home to visit.

Thanks for reading Local Talent,

Hawg Jaw Bill