One of my dad's passions was music. He was in a few different bands. The picture below was one of the earlier bands my father was in, Colonel and The Majors.
Later, my father teamed up with an upcoming Country & Western music artist, regionally known as Bobby Wyld. Bobby Wyld was quite talented. He was well-received regionally and had already made records when my daddy joined his group.
Bobby Wyld had already worked with artists such as Jeannie C. Riley and Lefty Frizell. The photo above was just one more accomplishment to his career and my father, Colonel, was a part of it. The Grand Ole Opry above took place at the Tuolumne County Fairgrounds in Sonora, CA. It was quite the success and as noted in the announcement, there were several famous music personalities there.
Below are a couple of pictures of Bobby Wyld and The Chaparrals.
In the band, my dad played lead guitar, bass guitar and sang both lead and back up vocals. He also did a radio program with Bobby Wyld on a local radio station in Sonora, CA. The band toured extensively on the West Coast and throughout the Western U.S. They even recorded a few records. The group was on the verge of making it big, but it didn't pan out. The business is "make you or break you" and perhaps it was just not meant to be for the group. Bobby Wyld suddenly left the group and even though the group continued singing for several years after his departure, it just wasn't the same. Bobby Wyld took with him a bundle of talent and years of music savvy that just could not be duplicated again.
My dad, the musician, Colonel George Freels.
