Hit Parade

Roma Jean Turner · January 15, 2008, 08:44:34 PM

How fun. Maybe I can make a trip through for that sometime. I'd love to bring my Strunstick and pick and grin with them for a while.

Jo McDonald · January 15, 2008, 09:13:37 PM

Wow !!! Helms Club was where the good western dances were held --- and we did go, quite often, but I don't remember going to Babes -- I guess we were away from Elk County by that time. We went to Fredonia to The Avalon Club. Bob Wills - Johnnie Lee Wills, Leon McCalluf and Hank Tompson all played there. I loved Bob Wlls music, BUT he played every song through twice and if you got stuck with a bad dancer -- you were more than ready for the dance to end long before it did. There was a club called The Hilltop at the junction of 160 and 99 highway. It was on the west side of the road that is now the widened intersection of the junchtion. I went one Saturday night with my cousins "The Workman Brothers - my brother Jack, andd Aliene Howell Cannon. Well my cousin Gene Workman was engaged to Dixie Dugan from western Kansas , and she had asked Mama if I could stay all night with her at Uncle Roy and Aunt Clara's house that Saturday night and I had permission to do so. When we all drove into the yard to take my brother Jack home, Daddy came out the door and told me to get out of the car, that I was not going to stay the night with Dixie -- I was so disappointed, but his reason was --- I did not have permission to go to Hilltop -- I was so mad, there was nothing wrong with anything about going, but he was pretty darn strict with me, so that never happened again. But when Fred and I were married I got to do a whole lot of things that I was never allowed to do when I was home. I always loved to dance and still do.
Bonnie, he was with me a little like your Dad was with Doris when she wanted to date Woody. A lot of Daddy's thinking was ok for him, but not for me.

Bonnie M. · January 15, 2008, 09:53:54 PM

You have that right, friend!

You know, when you think about it, we both got married "right out of High School," so we didn't have a lot of years to be under the jurisdiction of our parents. I was lucky, though, because I could go to the dances with Doris when I was in High School, and, "that was O.K.!" Also, Mother and Daddy always liked Bob (I always said they liked him better than they liked me,) so I really didn't have a lot of problems with what I did, or didn't do. Obviously, you and I both married "keepers!"

Rudy Taylor · January 18, 2008, 07:00:51 AM

My parents didn't allow dancing, so I grew up "wishing" I could go to dances. I had total respect for my
parents but if I had life to live over again ... by gosh, I would dance!!!

frawin · January 18, 2008, 07:15:47 AM

Wow, you girls bring back a lot of memories. I've danced at a few of those places! Loved the music of Hank Thompson, Wanda Jackson, Bob & Johnnie Lee Wills. We used to go to El Dorado to the Locmoor Club as well once in awhile. I didn't get to go to the Avalon very much until I was out of school. Mom & Dad were pretty strict and I was only 16 when I graduated. After I was out of high school, I went to Wichita to a secretarial school. On Friday night, some friendws who were older had a western band (they were actually from Severy & Fall River originally) would get together and play and sometimes they would play for dances out there or sometimes just get together for a jam session. Anyway, I would pack up my guitar and go and sing with them. What fun. The group was all couples (except for me) and they were just my chaperones. Frank & I went to a lot of dances when we were dating and after we were married--what fun. We still like to dance, but seldom go as he's had 2 back surgeries and has an artificial knee and I have a pacemaker. I still love my music, though. A few years ago, he got a Clavinova for me for Christmas and I love to play in the evening when I have time!

Jo, I loved your Uncle Roy & Aunt Clara. I stayed with them a few days when they lived in Howard. We had a lot of ice in the early '60's and it stayed on the ground for weeks. Mom & Dad didn't want me to drive back and forth from home all of the time, so I stayed at their house for a couple of nights. Soon got my own apartment so I could stay in town, as I was in a play that George Cox was directing and had to be at play practice nearly every night! What fun that was!

Myrna

Ole Granny · January 18, 2008, 07:57:53 AM

Hilltop was a fun place. Remember a group out of Winfield that played there. Joe _____ and something. A small group. Bobby Wiley (a young man still in high school) played Steel Guitar. My folks would go and I would get to go with them. One of the guys playing was a George Hayes. Both Joe and George had light hair and very curly. We would open the cafe and feed them after they played. Longton had dances in the fair building and they were usually fun. Cedar Vale had dances in an open air shelter. Did not go there to often. I cannot honestly say my folks knew I was going to Fredonia to the Avalon Club. But it was fun. Now we could go to Howard to the dance and that was okay. Was it Billy Parker that played "Good Night Irene" at the end of the evening?

flo · January 18, 2008, 09:14:20 AM

memories, memories, memories. Every saturday nite was dance nite. Didn't miss many at the Howard pavillion when I was in high school. Senior year dances were mostly at the Avalon in Fredonia. Then I married a guy that could not and did not dance. He seemed to have two left feet.

. After he passed away, I have done some dancing and just like riding a bicycle, the steps just never leave you. I've been known to waltz around the kitchen when a good one comes on the radio. Can't do those "fast" dances anymore, tho. $:-\$

Jo McDonald · January 18, 2008, 09:43:03 AM

Yes it was Billy Parker --- and Flo, Fred and I never missed going dancing on Saturday night. One time when we were at the Avalon Club, there was a very pretty lady sitting at another table, and they were with a couple of people that Fred knew, as they were propane customers of his. That couple was O'Neal and Wilma Smith from Fall River - and the lady and her husband were Buck and Doris Foulk, amd they owned the grocery store in Falll river. To make a long story short, Fred asked Wilma to dance, and I went to the table and told Doris that she looked so familiar. Come to find out she was my seventh grade teacher at Illinois School north of Longton. She was the prettiest teacher I had all through 12 years of school, we were both very surprised that we had met again, and at a Johnnie Lee Wills dance, no less.

Guess I really am getting old, as these memories are a lot of fun to dredge up and talk about.

Teresa · January 18, 2008, 11:07:07 AM

Quote from: Jo McDonald on January 18, 2008, 09:43:03 AM
Yes it was Billy Parker --- and Flo, Fred and I never missed going dancing on Saturday night. One time when we were at the Avalon Club, there was a very pretty lady sitting at another table, and they were with a couple of people that Fred knew, as they were propane customers of his. That couple was O'Neal and Wilma Smith from Fall River - and the lady and her husband were Buck and Doris Foulk, amd they owned the grocery store in Falll river. To make a long story short, Fred asked Wilma to dance, and I went to the table and told Doris that she looked so familiar. Come to find out she was my seventh grade teacher at Illinois School north of Longton. She was the prettiest teacher I had all through 12 years of school, we were both very surprised that we had met again, and at a Johnnie Lee Wills dance, no less.

Guess I really am getting old, as these memories are a lot of fun to dredge up and talk about.

So that is how you met Wilma and O'Neal...
And you all were forever best friends after that.
( Daddy sure must have made an impression on Wilma with that dance.. )

flo · January 18, 2008, 11:12:52 AM

O'neal and Wilma are wonderful people. Didn't meet them till I started working at the Severy Co-op. As for dancing, my high school "sweetheart" was a wonderful dancer and he was the one I went to the Howard dances with. Didn't see him for 40 years and when we met again, we still danced like we'd always been together. Still love to dance with him when he's around. Myrna is right. Music is always with you. I get so much pleasure out of playing the piano and organ. Good days I may play anything from Waltz Across Texas to something "long hair" - bad days I can really whail the tar out of Under the Double Eagle.