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From: Buddy McPeters
Date: September 28, 2003
Booger, Eldon told me about Henry Boatman, who played great fiddle with Johnnie Lee Wills for years and later on played with Hoyle Nix. Bob 'borrowed' Henry from Johnnie Lee one night when he needed a fiddler to play a dance in Ft. Smith, AR. Sure enough, Henry got on the bus and played with the Playboys and returned back to Tulsa in the wee hours of the morning. Later that day Henry showed up for Johnnie Lee's broadcast at Cain's and he told him, "Henry, you've graduated! Bob wants you to play for him now." Henry wasn't thrilled with this news and he told Johnnie Lee, "I don't want to play for Bob, I like it just fine right where I am!" Insistent, Johnnie Lee told him, "What Bob says goes. Now you'll have to go play with him now." Henry was indignant by now and he told Johnnie Lee, "Oh, is that so? Well, I'll just quit then!" and he walked out the door and went home. A few hours later Bob and Johnnie Lee both went to see Henry to tell him he didn't have to play with Bob and he still had a job with Johnnie Lee. Bob never asked Henry to play with him again. In the late 50's he was part of Hoyle's band out in Big Springs, Texas which included Louie Tierney, Eldon Shamblin and Millard Kelso.