THE ROGERS TWINS and THE PRAIRIE SONS

1949-50

 

After graduating from high-school in 1949, my first full time job as a musician was with the Rogers Twins & The Prairie Sons, a western-swing band in Amarillo, Texas.  Working full-time with an established band  with a daily radio show and a DeSoto limousine band bus was "big-time"  for an 18 year old  wanabe musician.   I left the band to join the Army during the Korean War.  The Rogers Twins were later inducted into the Western-Swing Hall of Fame.

-1950 Photos

Gene Jones   Bernie Rogers   Jesse Bunch   Buster VanHooten   Boyd Rogers   Roland Herring.

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In 1949 I traded the two neck steel guitar shown in the picture above for this 1949 Fender three-neck. State of the Art for that era..

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My canary yellow 1941 Ford.  It used more oil than it did gas, but I thought it was cool!

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"Shoot low sheriff, he's ridin' a shetland" 

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(2002 photo)

Western-Swing Hall of Fame members Boyd Rogers & Bernie Rogers in Chula Vista, California

(photo courtesy of Cathi Parson.... President,  Southern California Western-Swing Music Society

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The Rogers Twins and Gene during a reunion in 2003

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Reunion Jam in 2003

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Korea/Viet Nam Vet

  United States Army 1950 - 1963

During my military service I was privileged to play in bands while off duty.

 In 1950 I was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training. While at Fort Leonard Wood I played music off-duty with the MACK BYRD band at the WAGONWHEEL on old US Highway 66 near Waynesville, Missouri.  

FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI

1950 - 1951

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In 1951 I was transferred to Wolters AFB in Mineral Wells, Texas, where our Army unit,  the 950th Engineer Aviation Group (SCARWAF) was attached to the Air Force.

1951 - 1952

WOLTERS AIR FORCE BASE

MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS.

Even in Texas this was NOT an authorized Army uniform

I played music off-duty at the WINTERGARDEN in Mineral Wells.

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In 1954 the Army transferred me to Japan where I worked with singer/guitar player HAROLD JENKINS, later known as CONWAY TWITTY.  Go to NEXT LINK for more about Conway Twitty.

 

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