Hank Thompson School of Country Music

[Larry Jamieson]

From August of 1974 to May of 1976 I attended and graduated from the Hank Thompson School of Country Music at Claremore College, Claremore, Oklahoma. At that time, George Highfill and Bill Cheatwood taught most of the courses related to the country music industry. I played steel in a country band made up of students. We performed at events at the college, and at Oklahoma area high schools in assemblies designed to recruit new students. I had an excellent music theory teacher, Ken Downing, who was a Tulsa area jazz musician and composer. Bill Cheatwood organized the "Funny Band," which was made up of more students and played mostly Bluegrass. I had private steel lessons from Gene Craine.
I am wondering if there are any Forum members who also attended the school and what your experience was like.

[Erv Niehaus]

Larry,
Sounds like that would be a fun school to attend.
Erv

[Larry Jamieson]

Hi Erv, Yes, I really enjoyed my time there. I played with the school band, and also two different outside bands, one with my instructor George Highfill. I sang in a school chorus and we took a summer trip to Mexico where we performed several concerts. I also played valve trombone in a school jazz band conducted by my theory teacher, Ken Downing. It was a small college at the time, about 1500 students and I got to know many of them well. I met my wife there in the music theory class.
Later, the school morphed into Rogers State College, and is now Rogers State University, much bigger than it was when I was there. At some point, they dropped the country music studies.

[Erv Niehaus]

Larry,
Anything connected with Hank Thompson had to be good!
Erv

[Brett Day]

Junior Brown taught guitar there, that's where he met his wife and guitarist Tanya Rae Brown. Junior played some showcases there with guitarist Eldon Shamblin, and steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe. He would spend a lot of time at Eldon's guitar workshops and he was amazed hearing the college bands featuring kids playing Bob Wills songs on the four-necked steel guitar.

[Craig Stock]

Larry, Was Rogers State college at all connected to Will Rogers?

[Larry Jamieson]

Craig, There is no connection that I know of. There is a Will Rogers Museum at Claremore Oklahoma, and I believe Will was born at Oologah, Oklahoma which is near Claremore. Before becoming Claremore Jr. College, the school had been a military academy. When I first arrive there, there was an old Army tank on the grounds, which was later removed.

[Darvin Willhoite]

I was born and raised in Claremore, Ok. but never went to the school. I remember when the school was still a military academy and when they changed it to a college and started the country music school. I moved to Texas in 1980.

The college is across the street from the Will Rogers memorial/museum and about 15 miles from the ranch where Will was born and raised.

[Daniel Dickie]

A country music school... That is such a great idea!
Wish I could have gone to one!!

[Joachim Kettner]

Was it this George Highfill who was a singer with a recording contract?
Just curious.

[Larry Jamieson]

Yes. George had originally been a song writer for Tree Publishing, then came back to Oklahoma to be the head of the Hank Thompson Music Program. He later went on to have a record contract. He was never a big star in the states, but became very poplar and headlined concerts in Europe. He played guitar, bass, and was an excellent harmonica player.

[Don R Brown]

George Highfill has been on my listening list for some time now. Here's a sample, with a mention of some names we know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vCtX4JDuC0