Scout Leader Dan Simonis

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Dan had to get out of the parent's house or he was going to lose his mind. He thought for about 2 hours for an escape. Then it dawned on him: the family tradition at this time of year was to join the Texas Scouts beginning at the end of the school year, or if old enough, be a Scout Leader.

Bingo! He remember his great-grandfather telling him what it was like back in the day. The above photo is the Scouts back in 1927, and since then every adult male was expected to do community service by taking on the duty of Scout Leader. Usually they went to Amistad National Recreation Area 300 miles from Langtry. A terrible long drive for 10 year olds in the heat of late May to mid June.

But this time, Dan has a different plan: loading up the bus and taking the scouts to the Texas/Oklahoma region to chase tornadoes! There is only a short window of time to catch these furious funnels and this is the meat of the season. The lads would bring different weather gauge instruments, provided by the Langtry weather station, and make a report to get credit for a half-year of science.

Yes, this will be nothing but fun, and he will be sure to take pictures, the kids will love it!

Postal Service Honors Dan

With the issuance of the “Cowboys of the Silver Screen” stamps, the U.S. Postal Service honors five extraordinary performers who helped make the American Western genre a popular form of entertainment. Film stars and musicians from the silent era through the modern era are featured on the stamps.

Though Dan has been new to the scene, the Postal Service could not neglect recognizing his contribution to keeping the spirit alive through his movie shorts and records, of which a new release is about to be released; celebrating the roots of American cowboy music, and how it brings America together.

"I am honored to have this stamp of my likeness circulating across America, to be included among my heroes that I studied and learned so much from. Thank you so much" Dan said with broken voice, showing his respect.

So go to your local Postal Service and proudly ask for a book of Dan Simonis stamps!

Dan’s dream

The family were about to finish dinner, Ma brought out her home made pecan pie and served it up. The family chatter was full of stories of what had transpired over the years Dan had been gone: who married, who divorced, who died, who was in jail and so forth.
It was good for Dan’s soul, and he was getting sleepy so he excused himself to go to bed, Ma said there were extra blankets and pillows in the attic if he needed.

When he entered his old room, it was like a museum. Everything was just as it had been when he was 15 years old. The Roy Rogers poster, the Buck Owens records on the old Silvertone record player. The wall paper of a cowboy on a buckin’ bronco, and the pattern sheets and pillow cases...all was the same as he left it.


He stretched out on the bed, with his feet going over the edge about a foot. He did’nt mind, it brought back good memories of growing up in the country, and he was broke down tired. He found himself going back in time, when he was in this same room, same Saturday Night, fantasizing about what wonderful adventures lay beyond that Texas horizon....slowing...falling...asleep...

It was April 30 1955, Saturday Night at the Louisiana Hayride, from the Gladewater, Texas, High School gym. The West Texas Millionaires were celebrating 10 years of performing their great western swing music, and touching on the new rockabilly scene. “Thank ya’ll for all your support over these 10 years,” said Dan. “We could not have come this far without your buying and loving our albums. We gotta big night ahead of us, with the Sagebrush Serenaders and a new guy to the scene that I don’t right off hand know his name, but we’ll get that sorted out soon enough. And now, a little ditty called ‘Hay loft Honey’. Take it Jim!” Jim on the steel guitar opens the famous waltz that got the band on the charts that December day in 1945.

The war was over and the boys were back home wanting to kick up their heels, drink some beer and get that cowgirl on the dance floor. Dan and the boys hit it at the prime time, and knew that they had the music and the window of opportunity to cash in. And they did. They put in 120, 000 miles on the road tour, claiming 32 dates in 28 states. They never got a gold record, but they all had nice houses and cars and fishin' boats; they even went in together to purchase a piper airplane when they needed it. They were comfortably satisfied.

“And that’s why you’re my Hayyyy Loft Honeyyyy....Thank you! Thank you!” Dan says as he closes out the song. He and the band finished out the set and introduced Billy Mack and the Sagebrush Serenaders, the music started up again.


Dan goes to the anniversary table set up just for the band and began signing autographs from young cowgirls dressed in their formal country dresses made for dancin' and kissed each one on the cheek, with his hand on their lower back...

Dan look well seasoned, in his mid-30's, wearing the Nudie suit he bought with the second royalty check for his number 1 recording of "Hay loft Honey" nine years ago. He still wore it with pride and looked very dignified. "A toast! To looking back at our hard work and success, and looking forward to seeing you 55 years from today. If I'm rightly thinkin, I believe after 65 years of working the honky tonks, you're entitled to a retirement!" Everyone in the dance hall laughed and cheered, and pulled back their mugs of beer.

It was getting late, Dan made his good-byes and was making his way out the door when the dying sound of the P.A. was making its introduction, "And now folks, we bring you a young man with a new take on this new thing called Rock-a-Billy...Elvis Presley!"

http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/video/popup/1955_april_29_cotton_club.html

http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1955_april_30.html

Dan grunted and belched, thankful to be out of that High School gym to avoid all that rockabilly noise that just gets worse with the echo....

"Dan? wake up hon, breakfast is ready. I made your favorite!" Dan's mom said. He realized he had just had the most fantastic dream. He still had his clothes on, so he just did a quick bird bath in the sink and went to the kitchen. The smell of corn beef hash hit him in the face, and spied the brown chicken eggs brought from the back yard pen. He followed his instincts to a pot of chicory coffee and poured a big mug full. 65 years...that would make it...today!!!

Moving back with the Parents

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The IRS filed a Notice of Deficiency in U.S. Tax Court which resulted in liens placed against Dan's property which allowed them to then seize the property after the 30 day waiting period.

They sold his property for less than the market value, his yachts, his pick up truck, his life insurance...everything to pay off his debts to the federal government. The good news was that they are not permitted to take clothing, which in this case was his collection of Nudie western shirts, and his boots. And they let him keep the Cadillac, and he had previously hid his guitar at a friends house.

With all that was left in his life in the trunk of the Caddy, he parked in the desert outside of Langtry, Texas, laying on the hood staring up at the sky as the sun began to sink on the horizon. He was devastated. It's not so much that he lost all the stuff, the home he had recently redecorated, his toys such as the yacht, the oil rig in the ocean with penthouse, rights to his previous recorded albums, his two cats and dog...no, that was not the hardest part of all that had happened so far.

It was moving back home with Mom and Dad

"Is this how it comes down? After being my own man for over 35 years, to end back at square one?!" He yells, fist clinched at the sky. But at this juncture, it is his only option. His band mates had scattered abroad with girlfriends, mumbling something about wishing to take him in but....and on and on.

He is pulling himself together to make that last 2 1/2 mile drive down that dusty Texas back road to the folks. He pulls up to the old house that was his birth place. The doctor made it 40 minutes after the fact, to take the mothers blood pressure and present them a bill of 50 dollars.
So many memories, so many reasons to have left home that day long ago...only to return.

"Heidy hon, glad you're back. Now clean up for supper, I got chicken liver and onions ready, just the way you like em'" Mom said. "I never liked liver and onions" Dan said under his breath, and washed up anyway for a long night at the Langtry homestead.

A Nudie creation by Jaime for Dan Simonis

Dan was in Los Angeles checking on the final mixing at Lurssen Mastering Labs, and since he was already in the neighborhood, he decided to pay a visit Jaime, who came to Los Angeles in 1974, to become the shirt and pants maker at Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors. When Manuel Cuevas opened his own studio, Jaime made the move and became Manuel’s head tailor for 16 years.
Choosing to stay behind in California with his family, while Manuel moved his studio to Nashville in the early nineties, Jaime opened his own studio and created his signature label in 1994.
So Dan gave Jaime the specifications of what he wanted, some curvy musical staffs going across his chest and other items that would make it signature Dan. He tried it on and it was like a second skin, and he thanked Jaime profusely and paid in full.