Bois d'Arc Bottom Band - Part 5

When the band felt that they had a good list of songs to play, they began to look for a venue where they could perform. It just so happened that there was a place just north of Commerce. An old movie theater had been there sometime before and the only thing that was left was a building that was the previous concession stand. The building was now a club called the Shorthorn. The band was eventually invited to perform at the Shorthorn and it was their first gig. As time went by the band could be found playing at just about any place. Below, the band rehearses at Lake Crockett north of Honey Grove.

The original group plays in Ladonia Texas

Bois d'Arc Bottom Band - Part 4

As Gary and Boyd continued to play music on banjo and guitar, they would sometimes find themselves in the strangest settings for music. One particular time found them under a bridge overlooking Sulphur river near Flat Prairie between Honey Grove and Ladonia, playing music as the water passed under the bridge. Maybe there were movie people behind some of  bushes and they got the idea for "Deliverance!"

As Boyd and Gary stopped in Ladonia one particular evening for gasoline at Johnny and Billie's Mobile Station, some other guys walked in. Johnny and Billy introduced the guys who were from Wolfe City. They had been playing music in another small band and were somewhat disgruntled with the leader. After talking about music for a while and getting to know these guys, they decided to get together in the near future and have a jam session. That eventually took place at Bob Robinson's home in Commerce. The guys immediately jelled and decided to find a venue to rehearse their music.

The quest for a rehearsal place took the band from Wolfe City to Honey Grove and some community centers in-between! At one particular community center, the band was asked to leave because we were playing too loud.

Above the band rehearsed in a building near Goss Implement in Honey Grove and took this photo.

Bois d'Arc Bottom Band - Part3

Gary and Boyd continued to play music together whenever they could. They began to run around with J.T. Bryan, Joe Julian and Dr. Stuart Anderson. Boyd was attending Paris Junior College at the time and one of his instructors, Bennie Tschoerner was also a fan of bluegrass music, so Boyd would ride to Salt Creek Park with Tschoerner. Bennie had seen Jimmy Hendly (who also appeared with Roy Clark on TV) and stated that if "that twelve year old kid can play a banjo, I can too. Bennie bought an Alveraz banjo and eventually found out that it wasn't easy to play and Boyd eventually bought that banjo from Bennie and it was the first good banjo Boyd had ever owned.

                           Bennie Tschoerner shortly before his death on November 2, 2014

Bennie was a fine rhythm guitar player and accompanied Boyd and Gary at various events and faculty parties at Paris Junior College.

Boyd and Stuart would also travel to Salt Creek Park in Hugo every August to enjoy the fellowship of other friends, play music and watch the stage shows at the "Biggest Blue Grass Festival West of the Mississippi". Bill Grant of Hugo hosted the festival at Salt Creek Park and it drew many bluegrass musicians and fans ever year.

Boyd continued the trips to Texas Fiddling Contest around the state with Joe and J.T. Joe and J.T.had  no equals when it came to backing fiddlers and they also won recognition for their ability to play any old-time fiddle tune that came their way! On one particular trip to Bowie, Boyd and Stuart rode in the back seat of the car. It was either Joe's car or J.T's. Joe's doghouse bass was laying across the seats from the back seat all the way to the front windshield. As they traveled, Stuart would pass tablature under the bass for Boyd to study. Stuart and Boyd could not see each other because of the doghouse between them. Boyd learned a lot of banjo tunes from Stuart!

Bois d'Arc Bottom Band - Part2

It wasn't long after Boyd won the banjo contest at Salt Creek Park when an old friend of his, Gary Moreland returned to Honey Grove from his stay in Los Angeles. Boyd and Gary happened to meet on the town square of Honey Grove one evening. It just so happened that Boyd had his banjo in his 1969 Mustang when Gary drove up. Gary was unaware that Boyd played the five string banjo. Gary mentioned that he had a guitar at his parent's house and quickly went to get it. It wasn't long before they started play music together on a regular basis.

Bois d'Arc Bottom Band - Part 1

In 1973, Boyd Hudgens was painstakingly learning to play the five string banjo on Fourteenth Street in Honey Grove Texas by slowing down an album of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in order to learn every lick that Earl played on the banjo. Of course the song was “The Foggy Mountain Breakdown”. Hudgens began to reach a level of proficiency on the banjo and was noticed by Ross Whit who lived two blocks from him. Whit apparently told J.T. Bryan (guitar) and Joe Julian (Dog House Bass) of Paris about Hudgens and his banjo playing. It wasn't long before Hudgens was playing banjo with the trio at county fairs around the Fannin and Lamar County areas. Julian and Bryan were known throughout Texas as being the best accompaniment players for Texas fiddlers, and they had won multiple awards for their skills.

It was during this period that Hudgens met Dr. Stuart Anderson, head of the Mathematics Department of East Texas State University. This began a friendship between two banjo pickers that endures to this day! Anderson was instrumental in bringing a Bluegrass Festival to the campus of East Texas State University (Commerce Texas) in 1976. During that festival, Hudgens won First Place in the banjo contest, playing a tune Anderson had taught him. The duo of Hudgens and Anderson continued to travel with Julian and Bryan to Texas fiddling contests around the state.

During this era, Bill Grant of Hugo hosted what was known as the largest bluegrass festival west of the Mississippi! Hudgens and Anderson would make the trek from Texas to Salt Creek Park Oklahoma every August and spend the weekend enjoying bluegrass music, sharing their banjo skills and learning more about banjo playing during the festival. In 1979 Hudgens won First Place in the Banjo Contest at Salt Creek Park. 

Catherine Bryan, J.T.Bryan and Dr. Anderson

Boyd and Joe Julian play bluegrass in downtown Paris (right)

Retirement Income

Now that I don't have steady income from the company I used to work for, I now teach music at my studio in Paris. The musical instruments I teach are  Ukulele, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Dobro, Banjo and Pedal Steel Guitar. I use the GoRendezvous system for booking appointments. A student can visit www.stringbendermusic.com and click on "Click here to book online". This sends me an email and puts their preferred appointment time on my calendar.

I also have another job that I enjoy doing...and that is converting VHS tapes to DVD. Most of the businesses in Paris, such as the drug stores and Walmart charge $25 to $30 for these services. See their ads below.

I charge a fee of $10 to convert the VHS to DVD. Extra copies are $3 each.

I also convert cassette tapes and vinyl records to CD format. At this time I do not convert movie reels, and can also convert MiniDVs. If you need any of these services, give me a call at               903-784-7436.