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Billy Beeman 1954 - 1968, Bobby Beeman 1959 - 1968,
Rachel Beeman 1957 - 1968, Dave Bourne 1959 - 1962
Jim Eisenberg 1954 - 1957, Eldon Eklund 1954 - 1968, Dick Goodman 1954 - 1959,
Bill Hazel 1961 - 1962
Vern Jackson 1958 - 1962,
Don Richardson 1956 - 1962, Chuck Strickland 1960, Harvey Walker 1954 -
1968
Dee Woolem 1954 - 1957
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In late 1954 while
under the leadership of Dick Goodman, we decided the name for our band would be
"The WAGONMASTERS." We put on more than 9,000 shows in Ghost Town's Wagon
Camp at Knotts Berry Farm. Dick Goodman modeled the vocal harmonization
around the sounds of his Idols, The Sons of The Pioneers. Dick would never
let us loose sight of a good vocal blend. Once a good blend was achieved, no on
in the group was ever satisfied with less.
I became Leader in 1959. My background was as fiddling leader and business
manager for my Family Band, "Shirley and The Beeman Brothers." I always stressed
the importance of excellence in musicianship. I insisted we practice our
instruments until all accompaniment parts became automatic. This allowed each of
us to concentrate on vocal interpretation and maintain eye contact with our
audience. I tried to teach the importance of becoming a fine entertainer.
We were never pleased to be just a "good performer." Dick and I were inspired by
"The Sons of The Pioneers," Andy Parker and The Plainsmen," "Foy Willing and The
Riders of The Purple Sage," "Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys,"
"Spade Cooley," and others. A lifetime of Successful Music Careers attests to
this desire for excellence in all who were proud to be known as "The
WAGONMASTERS."
>Billy Beeman January 24, 2004
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The
Wagonmasters 1990 Reunion Concerts in The Wagon Camp
Celebrating 40 Years of The Wagon Camp and 50 Years of Ghost Town at Knotts
Berry Farm
Click
http://www.westernmusic.com/hall-of-fame.html to visit
Billy Beeman, Smiley Burnett and The Reinsmen
Induction into The Western Music Hall of Fame at Old
Tucson Movie Studios, Arizona, November 5, 1998
Legendary fiddler Billy Beeman, born in Memphis, Texas on Dec. 19, 1926, passed
away in California on the afternoon of April 5, 2011. For over seven decades
Billy Beeman impressed his friends and fans with his unique fiddling and
songwriting ability. As a child, Billy's first music teacher was the legendary
Woody Guthrie, who also started Billy in radio. At first, Billy played guitar,
but before he was born, Billy's father had bet Bob Wills that Billy would play
the fiddle, and since 1933, he has played fiddle like no one else. As Billy was
growing up, Bob Wills was one of his greatest influences, as were Stephan
Grappelli, Hugh Farr and Spade Cooley. Cooley once invited Billy to play twin
fiddles with him on stage, a great thrill for the youngster. Perhaps as a result
of the guidance and friendship he was shown by his musical heroes as a boy,
Billy was always been ready to pass along friendly tips to today's youngsters,
all of whom greatly admired him.
Performing with his brothers and sister Shirley, Billy appeared on the same bill
with the Paul Whiteman Orch., the Original Dixieland Band, Eddie Foy and the
Seven Little Foys, Kay Kyser, Ted Lewis, the Hoosier Hot-Shots, Patsy Montana,
Tex Williams, Stuart Hamblen, Roy Rogers (Trigger danced to Billy's music!),
Eddie Dean and a host of others. They performed numerous times on the National
Barn Dance and worked with Tex Ritter for several seasons. They once played a
special request for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the 30s and 40s, they
worked with all of Hollywood's leading stars contributing their Western music to
raise money for the British War Relief. Billy and his family were instrumental
in bringing Western music to Knott's Berry Farm in California, where it thrived
for years. From 1959 until 1968 Billy led the Wagonmasters at Knott’s Berry Farm
and recorded several albums with the group which are highly prized by collectors
today and have been re-issued on CD. The family also contributed much to
continuing the western music tradition in radio in the 1930s and 40s.
Billy and his late brother, Bobby, were a major force in the creation of the
Western Music Association. For the first years of the Association's existence,
Billy and the Lobo Rangers were annual headliners at the WMA's festivals, with
Billy's fiddle and compositions making up a significant portion of the Rangers'
repertoire. CHRONICLES OF AN OLD FIDDLER, Billy's autobiography, documents the
extensive career of this spellbinding fiddle player. He was inducted into the
Western Music Hall of Fame in 1998.
by O. J. Sikes
Contact Information
- Telephone 951-440-9998
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- Electronic mail:
thewagonmasters@msn.com
 
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This web site is dedicated to
the life and music of Billy Beeman founding member of The Wagonmasters of Knotts
Berry Farm 1954 and Leader from 1959 - 1968.Ghost Town Knott's Berry Farm, Buena
Park, California. All Photographs from 1940s - 1960s by Billy Beeman &
Clyde Finley. Proceeds
from the purchase of any and all merchandise listed on Products pages 1 and 2 of
this web site are used to maintain the site; for research and restoration of
photographs and recordings of The Wagonmasters. Some money is used to research
each individual Wagonmasters contribution to our Uniquely American, ”Cowboy or
Western Music. ”All items either are or will become a part of the: Billy Beeman
collection # 20388 Southern Folklife Collection -
C. B.
#3926 Wilson Library -
University North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, NC 2751– 8890 phone
(919) 962 – 1345