Old woman had band 'captive' http://www.reporter-news.com/reality/brazosbill/bill050696.html

....By Bill Whitaker
Folks who love folk and gospel music might heartily disagree, but H. Taylor Rankin says the Catclaw Creek Boys aren't worth a dry creek bed." We're worth just what we're paid," he quipped, "and that's nothing."

Meet the Catclaw Creek Boys, a rustic-sounding, good-humored group that's been gaining attention the past decade or so. Its core group: A bunch of academicians, mostly from Hardin-Simmons University, who simply like getting together and making music.

"It gives us a chance to show we're not stuffed shirts but real people," explained group founder Paul Madden, 55, head of HSU's history department and a 12-string guitarist with the band.

That fits fine with all the activity going on downtown Tuesday. If folks can tear themselves away from the Western Heritage Parade and usual Artwalk frolicking that evening, they'll find a busy arts festival mounted at North 3rd and Mulberry by Harmony Family Services, now marking its 30th anniversary.

Dominating the clowns, art and food at Harmony: Some harmonious playing and singing by the Catclaw Creek Boys.

"We haven't had time to practice, but I don't think anybody will notice the difference," Taylor joked last Friday. "That's how we sound."

By Sunday afternoon, though, the band had gathered and I got to meet them, including Abilene High science teacher Bill Casey, local pharmacist Greg Young and HSU biology and environmental management instructor Herb Grover. Missing was Ronnie Prevost, HSU's professor of theology.

"We don't read music, we make music," explained Taylor, 62, a longtime HSU biology teacher and the Catclaw Creek Boys' dulcimer player. "Since I play the mountain dulcimer, we do a little mountain music, some gospel, even a little country."

Garth Brooks might be lost in this group; Ricky Skaggs would join right in.

Taylor Rankin and Paul Madden started the group to help with HSU's annual Western Heritage Day on campus more than 10 years ago. The group had so much fun entertaining for youngsters swarming over the Forty Acres they resolved to continue with it.

"It really started with Dr. Madden and I sitting out on those bales of hay, playing for students," Taylor said. "Over the years we've gotten invitations from other groups - civic clubs, the Goods Sams, even the Society for the Preservation of Quaint Old Homes."

Almost always, they play for nothing. At the same time, they play for the joy of it.

Granted, weird things have happened during their gigs. Taylor recalls when they were invited to play at the old train depot during the Abilene Railroad Festival, "and everytime we started to play another train roared past.

"We couldn't even hear ourselves play."

Paul Madden remembers the time the band played for the Texas State Historical Commission during its meeting in Abilene. Catclaw Creek Boys were awestruck at the number of highfalutin folks in attendance - so much so Taylor began playing "Dixie" a bit too fast.

"He played it so fast we were panting with exhaustion when it was all over," Paul said.
Commission members broke into applause.

"I think they realized 'Dixie' was never meant to be played that fast by human fingers."

The Catclaw Creek Boys know plenty of tunes but there's always one more to learn. They're game for anything but still have scary memories of the time a woman approached them during Western Heritage Day at HSU.

She had a song for them to learn all right. It concerned a cowgirl from Idaho who tries to stop a stampede, only to be trampled to death.

"This lady who wanted us to learn the song - all 400 stanzas - was about 90 years old and had tobacco juice dribbling from her lip," Paul said. "She had Taylor by one arm and me by the other and, well, we thought about getting away but couldn't.

"We stayed there for a half-hour, too, while she tried to teach us all 400 stanzas."

By the time she was done, the Catclaw Creek Boys felt like they, too, had been through a full-scale stampede.

Mercifully, they have yet to play all 400 stanzas to any crowd of listeners.

Now you can e-mail Bill Whitaker at WTWARN@aol.com.
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