Sad news from our friend Barb Martin of the Western Swing Monthly Magazine about
the
passing of a Western Swing icon:

==============================

Harry Coffman called me last night to tell me longtime Western Swing
bandleader Hurshul Clothier passed away yesterday. He was 83. Hurshul
fought a valiant battle against cancer these last couple years, Mabel
always
at his side as she was for 55 years. I talked with his wife Mabel who
is
doing as well as can be expected. Services are planned for him April
5,
Wednesday, at 1PM in Enid OK. at the chapel of the Ladusaw-Evans
Funeral
Home. Their number is 580-233-1408 if you need further information.

Hurshul was an excellent fiddler and singer, always in the Bob Wills
style.
He organized his first band at age 16 and played until 1942 when he
enlisted
in the Air Force. He was assigned to the USO, playing at bases all
around
the Pacific; he served as a medic at Hickham Field in Honolulu. He was
discharged New Year's Eve 1945 and immediately came home and got his
band
back together. They played 5 nights a week and had a radio show in
Enid.
His band played for years in Wynoka Saturday nights. And the place was
jumpin'!! He worked the Los Angeles circuit for a year.

Hurshul Clothier and the Oklahoma Travelers made quite a name for
themselves
and had a huge local following, a thousand folks a night attended their
dances. Over the years they worked with stars such as Lefty Frizzell,
Glen
Campbell, Roy and Dale, Bob Wills, many others. In 1972 he organized
another band which included many of the Texas Playboys: Frankie
McWhorter,
Curly Lewis, Gene Crownover, Eldon Shamblin, Benny Garcia, Blub Rees,
Jimmy
Benjamin, Clarence Cagle; other great musicians like Dave's Dad Ashley
Alexander, Pat Jacobs, Gary Bloxsom, Rudy Martin, Tommy Riddle, Tiny
Duncan.
I hope you had an opportunity to attend some of those shows at his
Belle
Starr Theater - what a band!!!

He worked at Beechcraft Airplane Company and sold stock and insurance
as a
sideline to his music business. In later years he owned seven
satellite
offices selling mobile homes and properties.

With sadness we say goodbye to our dear friend, a very kind and warm
man.

Barbara Martin, Publisher
Western Swing Monthly