I stayed with them in the winter and went to school. In the summer Mom would send for me and I would fly out to meet them in whatever town there were in at the time. It was a little scary flying alone at that age, but it was a different world back then. I had a sign around my neck that showed which flights I was to be on and the airlines would make sure I got on the right plane.

I was back with the show for the summers and I could play Moms guitar again. Tex was still popping cigarettes out of Mom's mouth with a 20-foot bullwhip. One night he missed. Instead of popping a cigarette out of my Mom’s mouth, he popped Mom’s front teeth out. That ended the bullwhip act on the spot.

They made enough money to buy a ranch in Bivins, Texas. While in Bivins, Mom and Tex were hired to play with the Louisiana Hayride. Not long after that, Mom and Tex got a recording contract with Globe records. Their records got some good airplay, and times were good.

They played the Hayride for about a year while I went to school in Bivins. But, like all road musicians, they got the itch to go back on the road. This time they sent me to Tampa to live with Big Momma and Big Daddy while they went back on the road. They eventually hooked up with T. Texas Tyler. Mom and Tex put together another western swing band for Tyler. My stepdad did the booking and my Mom played guitar in the band.

I only spent one summer with Tyler and his wife Claudia. Tyler was an ex-baseball player, and we played a lot of catch. Tyler was a fun guy. He had 2 big hits at the time; “The Deck Of Cards" and "Remember Me". Like all popular songs sooner or later, his songs fell off the charts, and so did his popularity. It was time to move on again.