Cass County musical heritage

The following are musicians who were born or lived in Cass County before they went on to seek fame for their talent. Many were known nation-wide before their fame ever reached home, we now know and are proud of their achievements.

SCOTT JOPLIN (1868-1917)

Note: The Scott Joplin Story was told in detail in the article “Scott Joplin, American Composer” published in this paper Feb. 19, 2020.

AARON THIBEAUX “T-Bone” WALKER (1910-1975)

Aaron Thibeaux Walker was born near Linden, Texas of African American and Cherokee descent. His parents were Ranee Walker and Movelia Jimerson. His stepfather, Marco Washington, taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin, and piano,

When a teenager. Walker moved to the Oak Cliff section of Dallas where he became a street musician. His mother and stepfather formed the “Dallas String Band” Blind Lemon Jefferson, a well-known blues singer, was a family friend. Walker joined him on the blues circuit. Walker recorded a single for Columbia Records, “Wichita Falls Blues/Trinity River Blues” He was billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone.

By age 26, Walker had moved to Los Angeles where he joined the Capitol Records label. Rolling Stone magazine reported that Walker shocked everyone with his distinctive sound on the release of “Mean Old World” Walker went on to record for Black & White Records and finally Atlantic Records. He won a Grammy Award in 1971 for his “Good Feeling” recording.

He appeared from time to time at blues festivals until his death in March of 1975, He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery In Inglewood, California The T-Bone Walker Blues Festival each year at Music City Texas Theatre in Linden honors his memory and his music.

THE CASS COUNTY BOYS (~1911-~2010)

The Cass County Boys began their musical career as a trio at Dallas radio station WFAA about 1935 where they were staff musicians. They were first called The Early Birds and then The Cass County Kids, after the home county of accordion player Fred Martin who was born in Linden, Cass County on June 22, 1916. He died at Concord, California on November 16, 2O10. Another member of the trio, Jerry Scoggins, was born September 20, 1911 in Mount Pleasant, Texas. He died in Los Angeles, California on December 7, 2004.

Western movie actor and singer Gene Autry heard the trio in 1940 and hired them for his “Melody Ranch” Radio program. They were with Autry on the radio and on the screen until 1945- Jerry Scoggins later sung the theme song for the “Beverly Hillbillies” television program.

NAT STUCKEY 1934-1988

Nathan Wright “Dudge” Stuckey II was born in the Salem Community near Atlanta, Cass County on December 17, 1934, He was the son of William Perry Stuckey (1905-1968) and Estelle Graves. He had one sibling, Allene (Mrs. Bill Law). He was the grandson of Nathan Wright Stuckey I. Nat married Lottie Burson. After a degree in radio and television, he worked as a disc jockey for radio station KALT in Atlanta. He later moved to KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, While in Shreveport Nat began to entertain at local clubs and on KWKH’s Louisiana Hayride radio show with his band “The Cornhuskers” Veteran KWKH broadcaster Frank Page, who managed Stuckey’s early career, said “He was a very talented young Man. He was almost too good”

Local music store owner, Stan Lewis and also owner of Paula Records recorded Stuckey’s first hit, “Sweet Thang” In 1968 Stuckey moved to Nashville, Tennessee and began recording for RCA. He eventually recorded twenty top hits, including “Oh woman”, “My Can Can’t Keep Up With Your Want To”, “Plastic Saddle” and “Cut Across Shorty” Stuckey teamed up with country music legend Connie Smith for “Young Love”” and “Whispering Hope” He continued to record into the 70s with such songs as “The Days of Sand and Shovels” and then his records began to disappear from the charts. In the 1980s he played minor venues and worked as a jingle singer for commercials.

Stuckey was also a successful songwriter He wrote “Waiting in Your Welfare Line” for Buck Owens and “Pop A Top” for Jim Ed Brown.

Nat Stuckey died in Nashville on August 24,1988 of lung cancer.

ARZELL”Z, Z.” HILL (1935-1984) Arzell Hill was born on September 30, 1935 in the Geth

Arzell Hill was born on September 30, 1935 in the Gethsemane Community in the northwest part of Cass County to Mathew Welton Hill (1902-1974) and Malisia Woods {1903- 1973) Arzell was the grandson of Moody Hill (1877-1953} and Ida Ophelia Doss. Hill moved to Los Angeles, California and in 1958 married Vivian J. Hubard. They were the parents of Liza Kaye, Bridgette and Arzell, Jr.

Z. Z Hill moved to California in 1964 and recorded between 1970 and 1982 for Malto Records. His “Down Home” album (1982) stayed on the Billboard soul album chart for nearly two years. He also recorded for Unrted Artists and Columbia. Some of his records are; “You Were Wrong”, “Swamp Dogg”, “Faithful & True”, “Cheatin’ In The Next Roam”, “Bump & Grind”, “Get You Some Business” and “Love Is So Good When You’re Stealing It”

Z.Z. Hill was awarded a Grammy for “Best Album of the Year” and “Best Rhythm and Blues Artist of the Year” in 1983. The album title was “Down Homes Blues”

Hill died in Los Angeles on April 27, 1984 and is buried in the family plot at Gethsemane Cemetery in Cass County, His grave marker reads, “King of the Blues”

DON HENLEY (1947-____)

Donald Hugh “Don “Henley was born July 22, 1947 in Gilmer, Texas the son of C. J. Henley and Hughline MCWhorter. The family lived for a while in Daingerfield and later settled in Linden where Don finished high school. Henley attended Stephen F Austin State University in Nacogdoches and North Texas State University in Denton.

In 1970, Henley moved to Los Angeles to record an album with his early band, “Shiloh* His producer was Kenny Rogers After Henley met Glenn Frey, they both became members of Linda Ronstadt’s backup band. Later he and Frey formed their own act, The Eagles” with Bernie Leaden and Randy Meisner.

RICHARD BOWDEN (1945-____)

Richard Bowden was born in 1945 in Linden, Cass County, In his junior year in high school he formed a born called “Shiloh”, Don Henley was the drummer, He met Kenny Rogers and The First Edition in Dallas in 1968 and they recorded the album “Shiloh”. In 1970 the band worked as the backup for Linda Ronstadt. They left Ronstadt in 1974, Later Bowden replaced Clarence White in the “Byrds” and recorded one album, “Roger McGuinn and Band” for CBS, In 1978 Bowden began another band, “Blue Steel” and recorded the album “No More Lonely Nights” for Infinity Records, Between 19B2 and 199S, Sowden teamed with Sandy Pinkard as a comedy act and recorded four Warner Brother’s albums. After thirty years of recording, writing and touring, Bowden returned to Linden in 1998, and won a seat on the Linden City Council. In 2001, Bowden signed on with the “Eagles” for a European tour as the guitar/bass technician. Back in Linden he chaired a nonprofit organization for a concert venue, Music City Texas Theatre, Music City has been very successful drawing musical artist from all over the nation, Bowden performs as part of “Moon and the Starz” In 2007, they recorded their first CD, “Rising Over Texas”

HICKORY HILL BLUEGRASS BAND

The band takes its name from the original name for Avinger in southwestern Cass County, The original members were John Early, lead singer and guitarist, Ronny Singley, mandolin, Don Eaves, banjo, Bob Stegall, bass, and Rolsn Foster The band was formed in 1979, Jimmy Godwin joined the band as a musician and songwriter When Don Eaves retired from the band, Jake Jenkins joined. He too was a musician and songwriter Rolan Foster died May 8, 1996. He was buried in his hometown of Avinger. John Early also of Avinger is the son of Howard G. “Boots” and Billie Early. The present band members are John Early, guitar, Wes Perry, mandolin, Don Eaves, banjo, Bob Stegall, bass and Michael Morrison, guitar Morrison replaced Jake Jenkins who joined the group in 2009.

Throughout the years the band has won third place in the “Best New Band” category- “Most Entertaining Bluegrass Band of the Year” in 1985, Best Contemporary Band of the Year” in 1986 and East Texas “Band of the Year” in 1996 They have appeared at the International Music Association’s World of Bluegrass in Owensboro, Kentucky and host band at the Overton Music Bluegrass Festival since 1989,

The band’s first four albums were “Coyote Night’ in 1982, “Special Historical Edition” in 1983, “It’s About Time” in 1985 and “Reminiscing” in 1990. Their first CD was “The First Fifteen Years” on the Turquoise label. They released another Cd, “Good Times Again” in 1998. Their first all -gospel recording was “Thank You Lord” in 2000. Original Hickory Hill songs on this CD were, “Lost and Found”, “Red Roses”, “The Rock” and “Sharecropper’s Prayer* In 2006, they released “Old School” Wes Perry contributed his songs, “Old Red” and “Fly Like a Dove"

In 2013, the group will join Carnival Cruises’ Carnival Triumph as it makes its way from Galveston to Cozumel. Hickory Hill headlines the annual Winter Bluegrass Festival at Music City Texas in Linden.