Clyde Chesser and his Texas Village Boys
| Clyde Chesser and his Texas Village Boys | |
|---|---|
 Clyde Chesser (center) and the Texas Village Boys, ca.1954, members of the KCEN-TV Blue Bonnet Barn Dance |
|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Country Music ( Western Swing ) |
| founding | Early 1950s |
| Founding members | |
Moderator, manager |
Clyde Chesser |
| Eddie Spradley | |
Fiddle, vocals |
Okie Davis |
| Arnold Williams | |
| Gaylon Cristie | |
| Alvin Berry | |
| Later members | |
Fiddle |
Frankie McWhorter |
Guitar, vocals |
Leon Rausch |
guitar |
Curtis Williams |
guitar |
Ken Frazier |
Pedal steel guitar |
Lou Rochelle |
bass |
Tex Compton |
Clyde Chesser and his Texas Village Boys were an American country band from Texas .
history
Head and manager of the Texas Village Boys was Clyde "Barefoot" Chesser (born August 19, 1929 in Tahoka , Texas ), who grew up in Oglesby, Texas. Chesser had his first radio show on KWTX in Waco , Texas, and was first employed as a DJ at KCLW in Hamilton, Texas around 1951. Between 1951 and 1953 he did his military service and was stationed in Germany , among other places . In 1953 he found employment with KCEN-TV in Temple, Texas.
During this time he also founded the Texas Village Boys, which in late 1954 consisted of Eddie Spradley (fiddle), Alvin Berry (bass), Arnold Williams (guitar) and Gaylon Christie (steel guitar). Okie Davis and Eddie Spradley were singers in the band. Chesser himself did not play in the band, but managed it, moderated its shows and was still active as a radio host. In November 1954 the Texas Village Boys recorded their first single for Central Records, which was not followed by a second until 1957. Recordings were also made for the Telecraft label, but it is not clear when these songs were recorded. Chesser's song If Jesus Came to Your House was later covered by stars like Red Sovine , Tex Ritter and Porter Wagoner .
From 1954 the Texas Village Boys could also be seen in the TV barndance Blue Bonnet Barn Dance on KCEN-TV every Saturday evening. The show became a huge hit in the region and was on the air until the late 1950s. The Texas Village Boys became widely famous around Waco and Temple with their mix of country and pop songs in western swing style. Many different musicians played in the Texas Village Boys during these years, including Frank McWhorter (as "Frankie Quarter") and Leon Rausch (as "Leon Ralph"), both of whom were members of Bob Wills ' Texas Playboys in the 1960s .
The Texas Village Boys broke up in the late 1950s / early 1960s. Clyde Chesser then moved to Houston , where he organized country shows with Don Murphy, and then to Austin , Texas, where he worked at KOKE and hosted the CC Jubilee . In the 1960s he recorded a gospel album with the Kountry Boys .
Discography
Singles
| year | title | Label # | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Would I Be Satisfied / I'm Sorry For You Darlin ' | Telecraft 101/102 | ||||
| 1954 | Give the Devil a Little Rope / I Wish | Central 102/103 | |||
| 1957 | A Lost Highway / Smudges on the Wall | Central 119 | |||
| Unpublished titles | |||||
| 1955 |
|
[Status unknown] | |||
Albums
- 196 ?: If Jesus Came to Your House (Austin, with the Kountry Boys )