A Texan in Tinseltown

This afternoon I was listening to an old country 78 by Doye O'Dell, an artist from Gustine, Texas, who moved to California and became one of the Sons of the Pioneers. Out in LA he had his own western themed television show, and he was in movies with stars like Ronald Reagan and Jack Lemmon. I love the idea of a man from a town of 409 inhabitants (according to the 1940 census) making it in Hollywood.

My upcoming book of short stories includes a story about a couple of small town Texas boys aiming to make the big time out in Tinseltown. Reading about Doye O'Dell made me think about the two characters, and it made me realize that some of the same thoughts that cross my characters' minds must have occurred to Doye O'Dell back in the heyday of the singing cowboy.

Here is a link to Doye O'Dell playing "Diesel Smoke," an early trucker classic.