Boyd Hudgens and Gary Moreland at KFYN Studio in Bonham Texas, 1976
In 1976 I had recently won first place in the banjo contest at East Texas State University in Commerce Texas after struggling with the four-string banjo for a few years. A friend of my parents, Roy Free, had a five string banjo and brought it to the Bicentennial celebration that was current going on in my hometown of Honey Grove Texas. It wasn't long after that a friend of mine who had previously lived across the street from me returned to Honey Grove after living in Los Angeles for a few years.
Gary Moreland happened to find me on the "square" in H.G. one evening and I had my banjo with me in my 1969 Mustang that my parents had given me. Gary noticed my banjo and said that he played guitar. I believe he drove back to his parents home and quickly came back with his guitar. In the months that followed, Gary and I would play music whenever we got a chance. Here's a few pictures of us playing music...
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| Christmas Pickin' |
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| Hats |
I don't recall how we were able to get a spot on KFYN Radio. I know that we played on the air before and after Christmas that year. My mother recorded the on-air performance and here is a picture of the cassette tape dated Jan, 10, 1976.
Below is a picture of us in the studio. Notice the 12 string guitar Gary is playing!
In the picture below we are standing outside of the studio.
Last but not least, when Gary and I returned to the studio for the last time, someone had stolen my Old Craftsman guitar that Roy Free gave me. I had left it there knowing that we would eventually pick it up on our last visit to the studio.
