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.