BIG BILL LISTER

"Big Bill Lister turned his early 1950's stint as Hank Williams' opening act and rhythm guitarist into several hits when he recorded versions of Williams' songs,"Countryfied," "The Little House We Built Just Over the Hill," and, most memorably, "There's a Tear in My Beer. His skill as a performer kept his career afloat long after he stopped producing hit songs, and his honky-tonk style drew from across the country spectrum. His somewhat raw sound may have kept him from being a commercial smash, but his nearly 50-year career kept soldiering on anyway." (CMT.com ~ Stacia Proefrock, All Music Guide)www.bigbilllister.com Jeremy Brown is a family friend of mine he has a book coming out where he interview me for "Branding The Band - storys from inside the electric rodeo" www.myspace.com/brandingtheband heres part of the story of my history The legend of Hank Williams Sr. has survived for over 50 years and one of the biggest parts of Hanks legend still stands 6.7 ½ feet tall. Big Bill Lister, Hank Sr. best friend and supporting act for two years from 1951-1953 is still standing as truly the tallest man in country music (even Trace Adkins looks short under Big Bill).I walked into a beautiful home of the country music legend around 12 noon on a Monday. Bill and Lila Lister invite me in the living room that was full of gold records. I asked Bill about my grandfather in-law and how he got into playing music. Big Bill went on to tell about life in Kenedy TX. Bill said his uncle Claude Sims owned a restaurant by the train tracks in Kenedy which Bills parents would come down from Brady TX. to visit.“There was a jut box in there, that’s where I started listen to music it had some Jimmie Rodgers songs playing on it .”I asked him about the post card from the 1940’s that my former mother-in-law had gave me, Big Bill said he had a radio show in the mid 1940’s on Kenedy Texas station and on San Antonio stations the post card was from KABC station. “The little cowboy in the picture with me is David Carroll Kerby he is my nephew.” David Kerby started on his Uncle Bills Radio show at age 4 and went on to fallow in his uncle Bill’s foot steps. Dave Kerby played in Willie Nelsons band for years, wrote the 1 hit single for Charley Pride / “Is Anyone Going To San Antone”. Kerby also wrote songs for Rengo Star, and over 10 songs for Merle Haggard, Norma Jean, and just about every country music legend.Big Bill Lister started out as a radio dj in San Antonio TX in the 1940’s in 1951 he moved his family to Nashville Tennessee to work for the Grand Ole Opry. Big Bill wasn’t taken in by the Opry at first, he would have to go through the levels of politics in the music business. The Opry told Bill he had to land a record deal before they would bring him on. Big Bill went down to Capital Records but was turned down until legendary Tex Ridder(John Ridders dad) told the A&R rep at Capital to sign Bill. KEVIN COFFEY states the story on www.bigbilllister.com“Lister cooled his heels hunting and fishing, and fortunately Tex Ritter soon came through town. Ritter found out that among those who had turned down Lister was Dee Kilpatrick. Capitol's Nashville-based country A&R man. "Dee and I later became very good friends." Lister says, "but Dee had turned me down, and Tex told me, 'Well come on. Let's go back out there.' So we went back out to the Capitol office. Texas was pretty powerful stuff with Capitol at that time, and Tex just told Dee, 'I want you to sign this boy'. And Dee whipped out a contract and signed me."Bill landed the record contract, then landed the Opry, and Capital set him out on his first tour as the supporting act for Hank Williams Sr.. and the Drifting Cowboys. Big Bill reached his goals and was headed out for tour with the biggest act in the world. Bill toured with Hank Sr. off and on for two years, Bill said “We toured in Catalaics back then only a few acts were touring in buses. I wish our labels would have thought of touring in buses.” Hank and Bill had come off the road for a few weeks and both went into the studio. “Hank was recording for MGM and and I was recording for Capital, Capital Records had told me to record a beer drinkin song but I didn’t have one, so one night while in the studio I told my problem to Hank and Hank handed me this record” (the infamous song “there is a tear in my beer”)” Hank said he just recorded the song but wasn’t going to use it. That song did really well for me on radio and on the jut box.”By July 1952 things started to go down hill for Hank as his drinking was beginning to affect his career. Bill said “Hank wasn’t a drinkin man, I didn’t see him take a drink for the first six months I knew him” Big Bill went on to talk of the good times with Hank, before his drinking became a problem. “Things in the Hank Williams camp really began to unravel. He and Audrey split, he disbanded the Drifting Cowboys, had back surgery that kept him out of action for awhile, and slipped deeper into a alcohol and drug induced decline that culminated in his death at New Year, 1953. Lister says he hung on in Nashville until about July '52 before heading back to Texas” KEVIN COFFEY states on bigbilllister.comyOU CAN READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THE NEW BOOK spread the wordBRANDING THE BANDLIFE INSIDE THE ELECTRIC RODEOBYJEREMEY J. BROWNIS THE BOOK THAT EVERY BAND NEEDSWITH INSIDE SUCCESS STORIES FROM BANDS ON EVERY LEVEL FROM 1000 RECORDS TO 20MILLION RECORDS. FIND OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO TURN YOUR BAND INTO A LASTING BRAND,GET YOUR COPY FROM THE ONLINESTOREBranding The Band Online Storewww.myspace.com/brandingtheband