Poteau High School Alumni Reunion will take place this Sat. 30 at the Don Reynolds City Center. Doors open at 4pm. Dinner is served for registered Alumni at 6 pm with the dance to follow at 7 pm. After supper, all Pirates and guests are welcome for the dance. Come visit, take pictures, do the Boog-a-loo and have fun. “Sierra Bravo” – Billy Hoffman, Scot Francis, Felisha McKenzie and Dennis Dooley will entertain and provide several decades of hits songs. Bring your dancin’ choos! There will be a Pirate Party on Friday 29th at the Shop Dog Brewery on Dewey. “The Old Dawgs” – Larry Taylor, Mark “Poss Adams, Ronnie Bill Barber, Burl Spears, Marshall Brence, Steve Clay and more will play the Top of the Chart tunes to put ya in a dancin’ mood. Good friends, Great music in an awesome venue complete with custom brews. Music starts early 5’ish so come on down. Pirates Forever! But even the Public’s invited to join in.
Billy Hoffman- I had a sit-down with Billy at the Coffee Cup and it turned into time well spent from his musical start-up to Present. Billy followed his Dad’s advice and Mom’s push to take a shot at the music business. He had the talent, the drive, the business sense and the personality(bs) to mix it up with the other entertainers and singers that were competing in an open ended Music Market in the 90’s. So, with the help of some start-up financial assistance that give “Billy Hoffman and the Asphalt Cowboys” a place in the business that usually requires several years of payin’ dues on the road. It was a dream opportunity for the young Singer/Songwriter/Entertainer for Poteau. But it wasn’t an easy start. Billy had a problem with his hands and his Family Dr. prescribed Piano or guitar as PT. Well, Piano was out. It wouldn’t fit in the house, so guitar it was. A common thread for most of the talented musicians that I know was an early start, joining bands that your parents didn’t particularly care for and trouble finding a place to practice(Turn it Down). There were Jr. and Senior High dances at the Civic Center and a 4-H contest winning band with a cute piano player-Mandy Rogers Fellman(Current Alumni President) that went all the way to State Champs. Time spent in the Army after HS(Thanks for your service) followed by several hundred miles of road building experience in the family business, JOB Construction, gave him a sound way of conducting business, a sense of logistics, team spirit and common sense leadership abilities that certainly carried over into the Music business. There are way to many stories that I would like to tell, some I swore not to tell but all true.
Here is just a snippet of a couple. Breaking out in OKC, coming home to hire local musicians to hit the road, recording self penned songs, getting charts hits and playing up to 200 days a year for the duration. Meeting some of the most honest, some not, folks in the business, Nashville included, that strengthened his resolve to make it and find contacts that could be trusted by a handshake on scheduling and promotion. Early out at a stop on tour, being ask”Say, ain’t you Billy Hoffman”? “Well, yes I am. How did you know that”? “Easy, It’s written in BIG letters on the side of your bus”. Here’s your sign. There’s a joy of putting a band together with just the right musicians. “The Asphalt Cowboys” formed in 1996 were mostly local. Bubby Patterson, Chuck Hvamstad, Gary Wackerly, Wesley Trout and Shawn Coyle were a good start. But ya know , ya gotta have a fiddle in the band so Sandra Dismuke joined and added a lotta color and excitement to the band. Too many stories- Playing Billy Bob’s, Playing Fan Fare in Nashville, Nominated for New Male Artist 1999, Playing OpryLand and The Grand Old Opry in the Ryman Auditorium, Opening for Neil McCoy-Charlie Daniels and Tanya Tucker and lots more. The latest musical project, “Sierra Bravo” started getting Billy outta the house a lil’ more when he started playing with Scot Francis/Red Oak, also an Army Vet(Thanks for your service), Dennis Dooley/bass plays when the gigs allow and Felisha McKenzie joined recently and adds Keyboards and vocals. The three singers have so different styles and texture to their own vocals and song selection that they compliment each other and are a real treat. They will be a hit at the 2025 Poteau All-class Reunion Dance. I hope to see ya there.
Live Music this Week- “The Stagemasters” will bring the music, you bring your favorite Fiesta flavored side dish to the Party. Sat. 30 at 7pm, the music starts, the dancin’ starts and the pot luck supper begins. Doors open at 6 pm. Bring some friends and hightail it to Muldrow City Limits!
“Oklahoma 59 South” will take the stage at the Ft. Smith Senior Activity Center on Cavanaugh Rd. on Friday 29th. Country Music will be heard with a R&R song for flavor now and agin. Joining Randy Fennell will be Terry Barnes/drums and Earl Hearon/ guitar and vocals. Big Dance floor, good turnouts, Great music add up to a fun nite! It all starts at 7pm.
Dusk til Dawn Blues Fest in Rentiesville, Ok, just up the road will be August 29th, 30th and 31st. This will be the 35th year for the Festival. This year in loving memory of D.C. and Selby Minner. For a schedule of acts, ck out the fb page.
“Rhythm Coalition” will be at JJ’s/Ft Smith on Sat. 30th from 7-10pm. Awesome band at a great venue. Make plans on being there.
“Movin On” will be the entertainment at the Sallisaw VFW on Sat. 30th. This band is exciting and makes it fun to dance. So bring your dancin’ choos and join in the party. Music from 9pm til 1am.
That ain’t I got to say BUT I’ll save some for next week. If I left anybody out, I apologize. Blame it on my ancient age. Contact me at 918-649-5736, fb or tj.wiles61@outlook.com. Thanks for supporting Live Local Music!
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