DEAN BEARD & THE CREW CATS

Dean Beard, One Of The Most Popular Entertainers From West Texas, Was Born In The Little Town Of Santa Anna.  In 1953 Dean Moved To Coleman. (8 Miles Away) This Was The SameYear Ronnie Dunn Was Born In Coleman.  It Was Here Where Dean Began Putting Together Some Great Rockabilly Bands...James Steward On Lead Guitar, Jimmy Seals On Sax & Dash Crofts On Drums. Dean's Dad Had Bought The Family A Piano Back Then & Dean Pretty Much Took It Over Learning To Play By Ear.  "Dean Beard & The Crew Cats" Appeared On The Bill Fox Show & Slim Willet's TV Show In Abilene Eventually Getting Their Own Show On KRBC.  When "Tequila"  Became Popular, In 1958, Dean, Jimmy Seals & Dash Crofts Became Members Of  "The Champs".  Before All Of This Dean Beard & The Crew Cats Played Regular To Large Crowds At The American Legion's, VFW's, The Boots & Saddle Club, The Wayside, ODHS Hall Rowena And  Even The San Angelo Youth Center Teen Dances.  When Western Swing (Fiddles & Steel Guitars) Ruled The Honky Tonks In The Fifties...Dean & The Boys (Bill Graham, From Brownwood, On Bass, Cris & Paul Herrara On Horns, Jack Smith On Guitar & Marilla Rocha On Drums) Wouldn't Hesitate To Give You A "Shot" Of  "Wesfailia Waltz" With A R&B Sound.  Dean & The Crew Cats Had The Honor Of Being The Only Band From The Area To Open Shows For The King, Elvis Presley, (Breckenridge & Stamford).  Meeting Elvis, In Brownwood, Dean Invited Elvis To Coleman Where They Would Ride Down Main Street In That Famous Pink Cadillac.  When Dean Later Joined The Champs Bill Graham, Joined Up With Glen Campbell's Weekly National Network Show "The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour" As Their Bass Player.  This Show Was Highly Rated And Although He Didn't Have Lines Bill Was Always Highly Visable.  Dean Beard, Slim Willet  & Ray Doggett Wrote "Got You On My Mind Again"  That Was Recorded By Actress Gale Storm, Country Star Billy Walker & Of Course By Dean. With The Champs Dean Wrote "Keeper Of The Key" Recorded By Wynn Stewart.  In 1967 A Rich Texas Oil Man Produced Dean's Last Recording Session, In Nashville, That Included Chip Young, Scotty Moore, Pete Drake, D.J. Fontanna Plus The Jordanaires.  The Record Was Never Released.

Dean's Regional Favorites:

"Party Party"
"Rakin' & A Scrapin"
"On My Mind Again"

          THE CHAMPS           
Included Area Musicians Dean Beard (Top Right) Dash Crofts (Drums) Jimmy Seals (Sax)

            Dean & Rick Sikes  (Houston)