RONNA REEVES

Ronna Began Her Music Career At An Early Age By Entering (And Winning) Talent Shows In And Around Her Home Town Of Big Spring, Texas.  She Sang, Tap-Danced And Played Guitar Up Until The Age Of  11.  A Short Time After This She Began Performing Professionally Traveling Around The Country With A C&W Band That Opened For Ronnie Milsap, Steve Wariner, The Judds & Garth Brooks.  Moving To Nashville At 16 Ronna Was Eventually Signed By Mercury Records. In The Nineties She Became A Regular On The Statler Brother's Weekly TV Show On The Nashville Network.  Not Being A Country Girl Nor Into Rock She Struggled With 4 Or 5 Records Before Finding Her Place Recording A Pop Album Entitled "Day 14".  Ronna Reeves Was Not From A Musical Family (Father Was A Banker And Mother Worked For The Electric Company In Big Spring) Her First Professional Award Was At Age 8 When She Won Little Miss Big Spring.

JACK TEAGARDEN

Weldon Leo Teagarden was Born Into A Musical Family (1905) Where His Mother First Started Him, At Age 5, On The Family Piano.  At Age 7 He Became Interested In Playing A Horn And By Age 10 He Was Learning The Trombone. The Family Moved To Chappell, Nebraska From Vernon, Texas In 1918 Where Weldon Would Appear With His Mother At Local Events And Theaters.  Next He Spent Time In Oklahoma City And Then With His Uncle Joe Moved To San Angelo,Texas.  Joe Worked As A Blacksmith For The Railroad And Played The Fiddle In Local Hillbilly Bands.  While in San Angelo Weldon Got A Job At The Crystal Theater As A Projectionist.  It Was During This Time Period He Met Ora Binyon Who Would Later Become His First Wife.  Weldon Leo Would Soon Be "Discovered" While He Was Playing Some Type Of An Engagement In San Angelo.  When A Jazz Quartet, Based In San Antonio Led By Drummer Cotton Bailey, Came To Town And Heard Weldon Leo Teagarden They Signed Him Up.  The Jazz Quartet's Home Base Was "The Horn Palace" In San Antonio And It Was Here That Cotton Gave Weldon His Nick Name "Jack"  Jack Teagarden's New Name Would Later Become A Household Word During The Jazz & Big Band Era.  Other Talented Members Of His Family Joined Jack's Band In Making Recordings And Some Are Available Today. During His Career Jack Played With Benny Goodman, Red Nichols, And Paul Whiteman's Orchestra.  He Later Became The Only White Member Of Louie Armstrong's All Stars.  In 1979 Time/Life Books Released A 3 Album Tribute Entitled "The Giants Of Jazz" That Included A 50 Page Photo/History.  Jack Teagarden Is Considered To Be One Of The Greatest Jazz Trumbonest Of All Time.