When the Bob Wills crowd pulled out of Turkey on Sunday, their RVs left ruts. It was a muddy few days.
But the stormy weather didn’t keep die-hard fans of the King of Western Swing from having a good time in Turkey, despite cancellation of the Saturday morning parade.
“The weather didn’t deter them at all,” said Allsup’s clerk Will Boyston. “Not even the tornado. They just kept going.”
Tornado? That was Thursday night at nearby Flomot and should have been too close for comfort but wasn’t.
Not that most visitors, especially those camped in RV’s, didn’t try to stay abreast of the uncertain weather. Many went to the Methodist Church (a designated shelter) Wednesday night for a different kind of prayer meeting when strong winds blew. But most of the time, the RVers gathered after dark around cheery fire pits to visit under the threatening skies while keeping track of storms on their phone radar apps, ready to scurry for shelter if necessary. Unless they were dancing the night away at the Bob Wills Center or the Church of Western Swing, or at both.
A sign posted at the Hotel Turkey front doors named both the Baptist Church and the Methodist Church as designated shelters. But despite severe weather watches and warnings, Turkey was hit with only strong winds, heavy rains and a little hail.
The Bob Wills Center (the old Turkey High School) was a commodious venue for the Saturday afternoon concert, traditionally held outdoors at the old football field. The packed crowd was openly appreciative, standing at times when thrilled with the band’s rendition of a favorite tune. They expected no less from Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.
The moisture was a big blessing for Hall County farmers and ranchers. On Sunday morning, local worshippers gave thanks for the moisture.
“Lord, thank you for the beautiful rain,” was the opening sentence in a prayer at the Turkey Church of Christ.
Baptist Linda Corbett confirmed that Sunday morning sentiments were the same at her church down the street. No doubt she spoke for all the faithful of Turkey, who felt blessed by the rain.
“We need every drop we can get,” Corbett said.
Festival attendees danced through it all, taking the weather-related changes in stride and repeating their mantra, “There’s always next year,” knowing the rain, needed or not, isn’t likely to fall again soon on their parade.
For Bob Wills devotees who missed a new feature at the Bob Wills Museum, there’s always next year. The new touch-screen “kiosk” didn’t catch everyone’s eye — or ear — although Sandie Ward, museum
curator, did her best
to showcase the device.
Set to kiosk mode, the monitor can retrieve and play almost every song Bob Wills ever recorded, including some on 16-inch transcription disks of songs broadcast on Armed Forces Radio. Eventually, the new display may be installed in the attention-getting guise
of juke box.
Bob Wills researcher Rob Graves of San Antonio, architect of the information display, has seen similar computer screens set up to look like juke boxes — a mix of technology and nostalgia that strikes chords with all ages.
Musician Jody Nix, who treasures his historic ties to Bob Wills, didn’t miss the kiosk. He perused the song list.
“He said there are some songs on here I’ve never heard of,” Ward said.
Graves’ dogged pursuit of Wills’ recordings and his friendship with the late Charles Townsend, Wills’ quintessential biographer, have enabled him to compile the many recordings, including some that are incomplete takes — sometimes because the band broke up laughing at a prank.
Graves is still searching for some missing recordings.
When he finds them, they’ll be added.
“I’m missing three songs for sure,” he said. “I’m looking for four more of those transcription disks.”
Meanwhile, not everybody got a free haircut, beard trim or shoeshine at Ham’s Barber Shop on Bob Wills Day. But there’s always next year.
Ham’s owner Mike Goldsby shows no sign of losing his enthusiasm for keeping Turkey history alive through the barbershop — Goldsby can point out the locations of Bob Wills barber chair when the event’s namesake once barbered there — and his other vibrant restored historic landmark, the old Phillips 66 station up the street. Musicians played there Friday and Saturday from a flatbed trailer.
And not everybody made it to the Gem Theatre on Friday afternoon to watch Mike Markwardt’s masterful documentary “The Birth and History of Western Swing.” Repeat viewers were treated to some new segments at the free showing and heard Markwardt say his documentary should air soon on public education television.
But there’s no place quite like the Gem to see it. Fingers crossed, there’s always next year.
