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Chet was
born
in Amarillo but grew up in
Texas
and
Colorado where
he
learned to sing,
play guitar ,
fiddle,
and bass
at an
early age, He performed on
his own
radio show at age
10. Chet's career
in Western Swing started when he was
asked to Join a
band, the "Ark
Valley
Ramblers" in
Lamar,
Colorado,
where he played guitar, fiddle,
bass and was one of the
band's vocalists.
After finishing high school, Chct
started College and
went to work with
another western swing band, the "Colorado
Rangers" in
Pueblo,
Colorado.
After
a
couple of
years he
Joined the staff
at KCSJ Radio/TV as a
radio DJ
and had
his own TV
show in
Pueblo.
During this time, Chet organized his own Western Swing group,
the “Ark
Valley
Playboys”
playing
shows and dances in
Pueblo
and the
southeastern
Colorado
area.
In
December,
1958, Chet was
offered
a
job
as bass player and vocalist
with
Leon
Mc:Auliff's
..Cimarron
Boys"
in
Tulsa,
Oklahoma
and for the
next four
years traveled the
US
and
Europe.
They performed at shows and
dances through out 46
states
and
played
6rand
Ole Opry
tours through
the
Midwest
plus
headlining shows at the Golden Nugget and
Showboat
in
Las
Vegas.
One of the most inspirational moments of Chet's career was
a
battle-of-the-bands appearance In
Wichita,
Kansas
with "Leon
Mc:Aulliff's
Cimarron
Boys"
and
"Bob Wills
Texas
PIay Boys"
with Bob Wills leading both bands
on the bandstand and at the same
time.
In
1962 Chet
moved his family to
Amarillo
for a
quieter
lifestyle and to raise a
family
.
He organized “The Classics" in 1972
and
worked
as
the house band
at the Country
Barn
Steakhouse in
Amarillo
for
more than
twelve years. Chet and
Vic Ashmead
organized "Texas
Rythum" in
1981,
and
booked
dances
and shows around the
tri-state
of
Texas ,
Oklahoma
and
New Mexico.
Chet
now
keeps very
busy
working
as
bassist with several groups in the
Amarillo
area such
as
“Charlie
Phillips and
the Sugartimers".
which also includes some great
Hall of Fame
musicians, Vic Ashmead. Jimmy Young, Kemy Williamson
and
Tiny Duncan.
During this
past
year Chet
had the privilege of playing
bass on
several
dates with "Bob Will's Texas Playboys", which features Tommy Allsup,
Leon Rausch and
some of the best
western swing musicians in the country .They played the
1st
Annual "Carnival Texas Cruise Jam" in Nov/Dec, 2006 cruising to
Cozumel, Mexico. Several other Jobs with the
"Texas
Playboys'. are coming up
.
Chat
was
inducted into the
'Western Swing Hall of
Fame..
in
Sacramento.
CA
on
October
3
1999
He
was
also inducted
into the "Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame" on
July 16, 2005,
in Oklahoma City.
Chct's
plans are
to keep
playing
bass and promoting
Western Swing
music as long as
the
good
Lord will let
him,
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