
Best wishes to Tunin’ Tom Hawkins who celebrated a birthday this month.

photo: Randy Turner

photo: John Selman
Best wishes to Tunin’ Tom Hawkins who celebrated a birthday this month.
photo: Randy Turner
photo: John Selman
photo: John Selman
Photo by Neil Leifer
Willie Nelson and Family during photo shoot at the Golden Nugget Hotel.
Las Vegas, Nevada
August 1978
“Today a tribal gathering was held to celebrate the retirement of Tony Sizemore. Tony has been a professional driver for 40 years, 35 of those with Willie Nelson and Family.”
— Margie Lemons
Best wishes to Tunin’ Tom Hawkins who celebrated a birthday this month.
photo: Randy Turner
photo: John Selman
Thank you, Margie Lemons, for sharing her hubby’s photo from behind the sound board at the WN&F show in St. Augustine tonight.
Neil Leifer)Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
Photo by Neil Leifer, Willie Nelson and Family during photo shoot at the Golden Nugget Hotel.
Las Vegas, Nevada 8/1978
Willie Nelson: Ben Dorcy, The Worlds First Roadie, 1925-2017
“Ben ‘Lovey’ Dorcy was our friend and part of the Willie Nelson Family. Thank you Ben for years of hard work and sound advice. We love you.”
Ben Dorcy worked in the entertainment business on the road for 70 years. He worked with Willie Nelson & Family, John Wayne, Waylon Jennings, , Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline and many more. Up until his passing, Ben still worked with several bands including Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Cody Canada, Kevin Fowler, Cory Morrow, and Willie Nelson. These artists supported Ben, and put on a fundraising “Bed Dorcy Day” at Floores Country store every year to raise money to care for him.
Ben met Willie Nelson in the early 1960’s when they were both working for Ray Price. Ben was the roadie, and Willie was the bass player. When Willie took his own show on the road, he hired Ben, who was already legendary for his ability to get the job done, despite obstacles and perceived impossibilities.
— www.KingoftheRoadies.com
Thanks to Andy Bush, from Georgia, for his photo of Johnny Bush and Ben Dorcy, who kindly posed for him, at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic.
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Even at 84, Willie Nelson still spends about 150 days a year on the road (again). At the helm of the Honeysuckle Rose, his tour bus, are Gates “Gator” Moore and Tony Sizemore, who’ve split Willie’s driving duties for nearly 40 years. Calling from a hamburger joint in Nebraska, they offered their tips on driving without GPS.
GATES: Don’t be afraid to override the GPS. We did it last night. We’ll go 30 miles out of the way to bypass a city we suspect will have heavy traffic by the time we get there.
TONY: For interstates, generally, north–south routes have odd numbers, growing larger from west to east. East–west routes are even, getting bigger from south to north. That’s not the kind of thing you’re gonna learn from GPS.
TONY: If I know I have to get off on Omaha Street, I study the map for street names just beyond Omaha. That way, if you see ’em fly by, you say, “Oh, I missed it, I have to go back.”
GATES: If you’re lost, keep it to yourself. Act confident, even if you’ve got no idea where you are. Make a couple turns, make a few educated guesses, and more often than not you’ll come out all right. If somebody asks why you’re late, say you rerouted to avoid construction. Either way, you’ll come out smelling like a rose.
TONY: I’ve never been afraid to call ahead. But asking for instructions is an art.
GATES: People say, “Head out on Main.” Which way is out? Or, “Hit 27.” Hit it how? Insist that they be as specific as possible.
TONY: Even with GPS, read the signs. It’s always nice to see “Holiday Inn, Exit 81,” when that’s your Holiday Inn. And if billboards are advertising the city you meant to leave behind, you know you might be headed the wrong way.
When I ask for directions, people want to help. No one asks why I don’t just use my phone.
Thanks to Janis Tillerson for these photos of the hard working guys who make it all happen so we can enjoy a Willie Nelson and Family Show. Janis took these photos in Luck, at the Luck Reunion.
So fun to see Willie Nelson’s crew enjoying their day off from creating music and shows for us fans to enjoy.
L.G. and Wendy Strout Gorman
Budrock took this picture of Kenny. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sitting down before.
Happy birthday to Willie Nelson and Family members Kenny Koepke and Tony Sizemore. We get to see Kenny on stage before shows, getting ready for the shows. Tony Sizemore, drives the bus and we never see him. Thanks, guys, for all your hard work, so we fans can enjoy seeing Willie Nelson & Family.
Tony during his spare time, supporting his candidate for president.
Thanks to Kevin Smith for sharing this cool photo of Kenny with Budrock.
Tony has driven or Willie Nelson and Family for going on 30 years.
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