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Topic: Hank Thompson School of Country Music |
Larry Jamieson
From:
Walton, NY USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 6:21 am |
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From August of 1974 to May of 1976 I attended and graduated from the Hank Thompson School of Country Music at Claremore College, Claremore, Oklahoma. At that time, George Highfill and Bill Cheatwood taught most of the courses related to the country music industry. I played steel in a country band made up of students. We performed at events at the college, and at Oklahoma area high schools in assemblies designed to recruit new students. I had an excellent music theory teacher, Ken Downing, who was a Tulsa area jazz musician and composer. Bill Cheatwood organized the "Funny Band," which was made up of more students and played mostly Bluegrass. I had private steel lessons from Gene Craine.
I am wondering if there are any Forum members who also attended the school and what your experience was like. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 7:10 am
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Larry,
Sounds like that would be a fun school to attend. 
Erv |
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Larry Jamieson
From:
Walton, NY USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 10:13 am
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Hi Erv, Yes, I really enjoyed my time there. I played with the school band, and also two different outside bands, one with my instructor George Highfill. I sang in a school chorus and we took a summer trip to Mexico where we performed several concerts. I also played valve trombone in a school jazz band conducted by my theory teacher, Ken Downing. It was a small college at the time, about 1500 students and I got to know many of them well. I met my wife there in the music theory class.
Later, the school morphed into Rogers State College, and is now Rogers State University, much bigger than it was when I was there. At some point, they dropped the country music studies. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 11:41 am
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Larry,
Anything connected with Hank Thompson had to be good!
Erv |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 3:15 pm
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| Junior Brown taught guitar there, that's where he met his wife and guitarist Tanya Rae Brown. Junior played some showcases there with guitarist Eldon Shamblin, and steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe. He would spend a lot of time at Eldon's guitar workshops and he was amazed hearing the college bands featuring kids playing Bob Wills songs on the four-necked steel guitar. |
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Craig Stock
From:
Westfield, NJ USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 3:15 pm
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Larry, Was Rogers State college at all connected to Will Rogers?
_________________
Regards, Craig
I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.
Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days |
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Larry Jamieson
From:
Walton, NY USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 4:58 pm
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| Craig, There is no connection that I know of. There is a Will Rogers Museum at Claremore Oklahoma, and I believe Will was born at Oologah, Oklahoma which is near Claremore. Before becoming Claremore Jr. College, the school had been a military academy. When I first arrive there, there was an old Army tank on the grounds, which was later removed. |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 12 Sep 2022 7:58 pm
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I was born and raised in Claremore, Ok. but never went to the school. I remember when the school was still a military academy and when they changed it to a college and started the country music school. I moved to Texas in 1980.
The college is across the street from the Will Rogers memorial/museum and about 15 miles from the ranch where Will was born and raised.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks. |
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Daniel Dickie
From:
Queensland, Australia
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Posted 13 Sep 2022 3:27 am
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A country music school... That is such a great idea!
Wish I could have gone to one!! |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 14 Sep 2022 3:17 am
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Was it this George Highfill who was a singer with a recording contract?
Just curious.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Larry Jamieson
From:
Walton, NY USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2022 5:45 am
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| Yes. George had originally been a song writer for Tree Publishing, then came back to Oklahoma to be the head of the Hank Thompson Music Program. He later went on to have a record contract. He was never a big star in the states, but became very poplar and headlined concerts in Europe. He played guitar, bass, and was an excellent harmonica player. |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2022 5:53 am
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George Highfill has been on my listening list for some time now. Here's a sample, with a mention of some names we know:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vCtX4JDuC0
_________________
Many play better than I do. Nobody has more fun. |
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