October/November/December 2020
Vol. 38 , Issues 10-12 NorthWest Western Swing Music Society October - December 2020 PO Box 14003, Mill Creek, WA 98082 Preserving the music that is too country for Jazz and too jazz for Country Included In This Issue 1 Winter Reading Suggestion: Twentieth- BILLY (CHAMP) RAY CHAMPION - A LIFE WELL-LIVED Century Honky-Tonk Billy Ray Champion was born on May 6, 1928 in 4 Cherishing the Memories: Barbara Holdenville, Oklahoma, the second of eight children born to Chester and Ada Champion. As music was an important Martin (HOF 2011) party of Billy’s life, he wanted his life honored through the Western Swing Forum Western Swing Forum lens of his music career. 5 Thoughts from Behind My Bass, Phil In 1935, at seven years old, Billy started playing rhythm Mitchell guitar and singing with his two brothers, James and Joe. In Cherishing the Memories: their hometown of Holdenville, Oklahoma, a local minister Billy Ray Champion (HOF 1999) heard that the brothers wanted to play music and offered to give them lessons. It wasn’t long before they were performing Gene (Geno) Burbank at local lodges, political rallies, and churches. They even 6 Stage Safety (Check those vintage amps) 6 Stage Safety (Check those vintage amps) entered and won a few amateur contests. About 1938, the 7 2020 - 2021 . Shelley McNaughton brothers played on their first live radio broadcast over KADA in Ada, Oklahoma. Billy (Champ) Ray 9 Cherishing the Memories: Ed Bischoff The song, “Texas Plains” was their favorite song and Champion (HOF 2014) their favorite band was Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.
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