I grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma right outside of Tulsa. I remember hitching a ride into Tulsa on Saturday nights with my older brothers to go dancing at Cain's Ballroom on Archer Street at the tender age of 14. My mother always had KVOO radio tuned in when I was growing up and the western swing music filled the house. I was ranch manager for True Ranch, Broken Arrow, OK in the late 1980's booking Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn, Clint Black and The Turkey Mountain Troubadours among others for dances following the True Ranch Rodeos.

I was also co-owner, along with Joyce Miller, of Big Balls of Cowtown, a western swing nightclub in the Fort Worth Stockyards from 1997 to 2003. I booked all the greatest western swing bands I could, hoping to draw attention once again to western swing music.

I am co-founder, along with Joyce Miller, of Cowtown Society of Western Music and Hall of Fame Museum in Mineral Wells, Texas.

In 2002 I was named an Honorary Hero of CSWM.

I was a disc jockey, along with co-host, Joyce Miller, at KBEC in Bridgeport, Texas for two years doing radio show every Saturday from 1-5 called the Honky Tonk Therapy Show.

I am currently serving my second term as President and Board Member of Cowtown Society of Western Music.

Larry Lange was born in Beeville Texas, August the 17th 1948. Music was in his home from the time he could remember. His mother and dad were musicians singing on many live radio shows throughout the South Texas area.. He has two sisters and both played instruments and the entire family sang in church.

His family moved to North Texas (Burkburnett) in 1956 and Larry’s interest in music began to grow. He began to play guitar at the age of 13 and formed his first band while in Junior High School. Though active in school athletics his desire for music never faded. A traveling Western Swing Band once came to his school and he was hooked from that time forward. The band was the “Light Crust Doughboys” and Larry fell in love with not only the singing harmonies but also the twin instrumentation.

Singing in the Burkburnett High School Choir and later the Lubbock Christian College Choir kept his love for music alive. Although too young to perform in honky tonks an occasional party or dance would keep his love for Country and Western Swing music going.

Larry joined the U.S. Air Force in 1968 and played music all over the world primarily in NCO Clubs, Officer Clubs, and local honkytonks. His musical aspirations began to take off while stationed at Cannon AFB, Clovis New Mexico in the middle 70's. He was the lead singer and guitar player in a local band from Clovis that was booked by the famous “Sam Gibbs Agency” of Wichita Falls Texas. They played all over Eastern New Mexico and West Texas sometimes seven days a week. Once assigned to England AFB, Louisiana, Larry’s career continued to expand. His band once opened for Conway Twitty and backed Ronnie McDowell. When Larry retired from the Air Force in 1990 he moved to Wichita Falls Texas and stopped playing semi-professionally but always longed for the day to get back into it again. The time came in 2001 when he met his now # 1 fiddle player Grady Smith. They formed their current band “The Lone Star Troubadours” and once again, are playing all over Texas and Oklahoma. While performing with the Lone Star Troubadours he has shared the stage with many noteworthy musicians including Bobby Boatwright, Tommy Allsup, Leon Chambers, Bill Adams, Leon Gibbs and the great steel guitar player Ralph Mooney.

Larry and his entire band are all active members of the Western Swing Society of the Southwest and the Cowtown Western Music Society. His band continually performs at numerous Society functions including Turkey Texas, Wagoner Oklahoma, Yukon Oklahoma (Hall of Fame Show,) Amarillo Texas, Ft. Worth Texas in the Stockyards.

By the time this Bio is reviewed Larry will have gotten to perform with his long time inspiration, “The Light Crust Doughboys” in Quitman Texas.

Larry is a 2007 Seattle Pioneer of Western Swing Hall of Fame recipient, 2008 member of the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame, and 2008 Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall of Fame member. He plans to perform with the Lone Star Troubadours as long as the people enjoy their style of music. Texas honkytonk and Western Swing is as popular as ever and they intend to keep the dancers a dancing for a good long time

I have always been interested in western music and memorabilia. Growing up in Muskogee, Oklahoma I remember Leon McAuliffe playing steel guitar on TV live from Tulsa.

I was co-owner along with Gary Beaver, of a western swing night club in the Fort Worth Stockyards called Big Balls of Cowtown for seven years until 2003. We booked some of the finest western swing and western music talent in the world at the club. In 1998, Gary Beaver and I co-founded Cowtown Society of Western Music to promote and preserve western music. The Society's mission is to educate the public about western music by organizing special events such as music festivals, dances, seminars, etc. We also started the Cowtown Society of Western Music Museum and Hall of Fame, orginally located in the Stockyards in Fort Worth, but currently presiding in Mineral Wells, Texas.

In 2002 I was named an Honorary Hero of CSWM.

For two years, Gary and I were disc jockeys of a radio program on KBEC in Bridgeport, Texas called the Honky Tonk Therapy Show that aired every Saturday from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm. I am still very involved in promoting western music as Treasurer and Board Member of the Cowtown Society of Western Music.

• 2004 CSWM Disc jockey of the Year
• 2004 CSWM Hall of Fame
• 2004 Academy of Western Artists Disc Jockey of the Year
• 2005-2007 Western Music Association - Board of Directors
• 2007 WSMSS Western Swing Music Promoters Hall of Fame
• 2008 Western Swing Music Society-Seattle Pioneers Hall Of Fame
• 2009 Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall Of Fame
• 2009 Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter-CSWM Publication Of The Year
• Artist Promotions: Backforty Bunkhouse Productions
• Artist CD Distribution: Backforty CD Chorale
• Website: www.BackfortyBunkhouse.com
• Hometown: Mineral Wells, Texas

Served as master of ceremonies for hundreds of events and festivals over the years. With his previous experience in media and promotions, Joe brings to the Cowtown Society of Western Music the know-how and positive creativity to make things happen. With his weekly Backforty Bunkhouse Show, which airs live on two 100,000 watt stations and covers all of New Mexico and West Texas, he plays only western swing, Texas honkytonk, cowboy music and poetry; it is his way of promoting and preserving our western culture. Joe's goal for the CSWM is to become "the" society for western music recognized throughout the world.

Jerry Tatum

• Born and raised in West Texas Oil Patches of the 40's and 50's.
• Was influenced by Radio Cowboy Music and Western Swing Bands of the Pre-T.V. era. (Saw my first Hoyle Nix Concert at the Snyder, Texas VFW Hall in 1954.)
• Began my own performing in 1955 and retired from same in 1995 due to health reasons.
• After retiring from the City of Haltom City (1997), went to work for Craig's Music,Inc. in Weatherford, Texas, where I currently hold down the chair in the Acoustic Room.

Chuck Curtis
Having coaches like Bud Grant, Vince Lombardi, and Tom Landry, Chuck's world of football was set. Chuck is the only Texas High School football coach to win 3 consecutative state champions in 2 different divisions. With his coaching and playing the game, this enabled him to have the honor of being a member of the 1) Texas High School Hall of Fame 2) TCU Hall of Fame 3) Oil Bowl Hall of Fame 4) Garland Hall of Fame. Chuck started his music world with his father and sister, Ruth, in church. He started playing the upright bass and this led to tremendous coaches in the music aspect. Having the pleasure to play along with Tommy Allsup, Leon Rausch, Billy Dosier, Durwood Strubbe, and Brady Bowen. Brady is the one that sparked his desire to get back into music again. Chuck is now playing with the Palo Pinto County Cowboy Church band on Sunday and is making a joyful noise to the Lord. Chuck is a valuable member of Cowtown Society of Western Music and has been very involved in the past several years promoting the society. He is an avid fan as well as player of westen music and western swing and CSWM is very fortunate to have Chuck on our advisory board.

Tom Lee
Tom Lee resides in the Panhandle of Texas and grew up appreciating western swing and western music. He is a solid supporter and promoter of all things western, especially music. He travels far and wide to attend as many western music festivals throughout the year as he can. Tom is an asset to Cowtown Society of Western Music and we feel honored to have him sitting on our advisory board