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Pat Grogan,
a self described "side man" for such greats as
Tex Ritter and
Charley Pride, has performed with the South Texas Country Opry
Show for 19 years. The band appears at the Al Amin Shriner’s
Hall at 7:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month to raise money for
injured children. The Al Amin Shrine Center is located at 2001 Suntide
Road, (off exit 7 of Hwy 37) in Corpus Christi. The doors open at 6 p.m.
and the cost is $5 per person. It’s a real deal for an evening of family
fun toe-tapping country and gospel music.
Grogan is as colorful and funny as he
is talented on the lead, rhythm and bass guitars, fiddle, banjo, slide
guitar, drums, mandolin and piano. He rattles off story after story of
off-stage antics of
George Jones,
Minnie Pearl
and other
well known celebrities. He deadpans anecdotes of his native Texas family
with a twinkle in his eye, and you have to laugh even though you suspect
you're being had.
Beginning at the age of 14, he's played with
Ray Price, "Honky-Tonk
Hero"
Webb Pierce
and
Dolly Parton. "I was in the staff
band. They didn't have traveling bands back then. I remember Dolly when
she was just starting, before she was a blonde. He started in the
business in 1952 on KZTV Channel 10, and played with
Elvis Presley
in Corpus Christi in 1957.
He toured on the road with
Willie Nelson
for three years in the
1960s. "Those were wild times," Grogan remembers with a wide grin, "I
didn't drink and I didn't smoke, and a lot of the time I was sort of an
early designated driver." In 1966 he was the opening act at the Cow Town
Jamboree, broadcast live from the Panther Hall Ballroom in Fort Worth.
He became part owner of Panther Hall, the biggest nightclub in
Fort Worth, a precursor to Billy Bob's.
Bob Wills
was on the Cow Town Jamboree many times and
Leon
McCauliffe
did "Steel Guitar Rag." All the major country stars
played there, including the great
Bill Mack, who would often open
with his "Drinking Champagne" blues hit;
George Jones,
Lawton
Williams, and Purty Little Miss
Wanda Jackson. Grogan played
in the Desert Rose Band for 10 years and co-wrote "Hello Trouble, Come
on In" which
Buck Owens
recorded. "It's still just as much of a
thrill to hear it on the radio now as it was then. We made a good living
and had a great time," Grogan recalls. On many occasions Grogan played
in Nashville recording sessions with the great
Chet Atkins
producing the songs.
Pat later moved to South Texas and taught for 20 years at Clawson's Music
Store in Corpus Christi. Then, as now, one of his passions was to find
and develop young talent. He's justifiably proud of his students.
Zack Childs,
a protegé for 7 years, played lead guitar 3 years with
Brad
Paisley
and is now involved producing several projects in
Nashville with
Teri Clark.
Mr. Grogan is currently teaching
music lessons for Rod Raines at Southern Cross Recording Studio located
on Highway 77 in Refugio. Together they also compose custom music tracks
for songwriters and new artists. Later this year, Grogan is also scheduled to
appear in a documentary video about his musical life.
To book
Mr. Pat
for "live"
guitar concerts, please call
Southern Cross Studios at
361 - 526 - 4800. |
Mr. Pat's Bio
