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From: TOM BURGESS
Date: February 28, 2008
ON MARCH 3, 1958, WHICH WAS A MONDAY, BOB WILLS AND THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS, PLAYED JUMP'S ROLLER RINK IN FAIRFAX, OKLAHOMA. THE HOME OF THE THEN, MIGHTY FAIRFAX RED DEVILS. IN THE FAIRFAX CHIEF NEWSPAPER, TODAY, IN A COLUMN ENTITLED "THE WAY THINGS WERE" DATED FEBRUARY 27,1958, AND SPONSORED BY THE LOCAL HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, THE ARTICLE STATED, BOB WILLS "IS CONSIDERED THE MOST COPIED WESTERN BAND LEADER IN THE NATION TODAY". THE ARTICLE FURTHER STATED THAT, "FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, THE MAGIC "NAME OF BOB WILLS" HAS LURED MILLIONS OF PERSONS TO STAGE SHOWS AND DANCES-MORE THAN ANY OTHER WESTERN ENTERTAINER IN THE HISTORY OF SHOW BUSINESS". ALSO, THE COLUMN MENTIONED THAT, "BOB WILLS HAS CUT NEARLY 1,500 RECORDS FOR MGM,COLUMBIA AND DECCA COMPANIES". THE PAPER SAID A RECORD- BREAKING TURNOUT WAS EXPECTED FOR THE DANCE IN FAIRFAX, THAT NIGHT. WELL, ALTHOUGH I HAD WENT TO SCHOOL IN FAIRFAX, I DID NOT ATTEND THE DANCE ON MARCH 3, 1958. WHY, YOU ASK? WELL, I WAS IN LINCOLN,NEBRASKA,GETTING READY TO SHIP OUT TO THULE,GREENLAND. HOWEVER, LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER (LATE 1960) I WOULD MEET MY WIFE OF 47 YEARS, AT JUMP'S ROLLER RINK IN FAIRFAX, AT A DANCE. LIKE I SAID,"I WENT TO SCHOOL IN FAIRFAX, OKLAHOMA, AND I LEFT THERE IN 1955 FOR THE MILITARY. IN 1956, MY FOLKS MOVED FROM FAIRFAX TO PAWHUSKA, ABOUT 30 MILES AWAY. JUST A LITTLE HISTORY NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO. THANKS FOR THE READING. OH YES, AND LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT MY GRANDSON WOULD GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AND JAM WITH SOME OF THE PLAYBOYS. TIME CHANGES EVERYTHING EXCEPT "BOB WILLS MUSIC" !