Slim Willet, Abilene

TELLI W. MILLS - Sneaky Pete (Winston 1021)

Dean Beard and Slim Willet's song-writing association began in early '57 when Slim inked the Coleman native to his Edmoral label, but the two no doubt met when both were associated with Bill Fox's KRBC radio station in Abilene a couple of years prior. As Slim opened up the Winston label in 1957 he and Beard became heavily involved in 'co-writing' songs. I'm not sure how much involvement ol' Slim actually had with some of the Telli W. Mils releases on Winston other than vocal stabs here and there, most notably on "Ain't Going Home", but his name is certainly there.

According to Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies (Willet listing HERE) the session for "Sneaky Pete" and it's flip "Benguela" featured what was essentially Dean Beard and his Crew Cats with Dean on piano, James Steward on guitar, Jimmy Seals on sax, Dash Croft on drums, and Hop Ealim on bass. It would be released in March of 1958. Minus Hop and James, this would be the group that would head out to California in the next year to join Dave Burgess's reformed Champs. Seals and Croft would stay on and Jimmy would even release a few solo sides for the Challenge label ("Grounded" was stomped HERE). Dean himself would record a few sides as well, including the great unreleased rocker "My Roberta", before being fired for reportedly putting his hand a bit too far into the kitty. Slim managed to get Carlton to pick up both sides and they were reissued as by the Jimmy Seals Orchestra.

HERE'S a slim little site on Willet with involvement from Joe Specht of McMurry University in Abilene. Great photo of Slim setting down as dee jay from around the time of this recording.


Thanks to reader Howard DeShazo who was around when guys like Slim Willet and Ben Hall were recording West Texans. Howard even did a bit of recording and producing himself- including Dean Beard himself- when he wasn't out hot roddin' or drag racing his motorcycle. Visit Howard's website HERE. Lots of great photos and stories. Thanks, Howard!