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The Coachmen

History

A bit of local rock n’ roll history is occurring at the Sherman High School Class of 1966 45^th Class Reunion in October 2011 at the Loose Wheel between Sherman & Denison. The band playing for that reunion is a voice from the past, some 45 plus years ago.

The rock n’ roll band playing for the 1966 SHS Reunion are all Sherman High Graduates and lifelong friends and music partners. Larry Crews, Mark Wright, Dennis Duffel and Bill Elliott are 1966 SHS graduates and Philip Crews is a 1968 SHS graduate.  Larry Crews, Mark Wright and Bill Elliott attended Fairview Elementary School, Dillingham Junior High and Sherman High together and in the same class.  They started playing in the early 1960s, before the British Invasion in 1964, and have continued playing together for almost 50 years.

The band has a pedigree going back to the mid-1960s. Part of the band comes from a 1960s band called The Coachmen. The Coachmen of Sherman, Texas existed from 1963-1966. They were composed of Wayne Rickman (lead guitar, vocals), Mark Wright (rhythm guitar, vocals), Bob Starnes (bass, vocals), Steve Chase (keyboard), and Bill Elliott (drums).

During this period of the British Invasion, The Coachmen performed extensively throughout North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Their song list was composed of the leading songs of the day, but leaned toward R & B, as interpreted by the British groups.

The Coachmen

The Coachmen were the primary rock n’ roll band in the Sherman area during this period.

Another part of the band comes from The Five Knights, who was composed of Larry and Phillip Crews, Dennis Duffel, Bill Bradbury and Bill Jones.

Among the venues for The Coachmen during their era were high school proms and dances in Sherman, TX, Gainesville, TX, Bonham, TX, Greenville, TX, and Durant, OK, VFW & Knights of Columbus halls all over, local conventions, courthouse lawns, etc. The Coachmen played extensively in the German communities west of Sherman, TX in Muenster, Texas.

One appearance stands out particularly.  The Coachmen was the first rock n’ roll band to perform for a Sherman High School student assembly, which produce excitement and controversy at the time. Some of the teachers were offended that a rock n’ roll band would be the entertainment at a student assembly, when the students could have been listening to the school principal.  The students on the other hand greatly enjoyed the assembly.

The Coachman were the house band for the Sherman TV station equivalent of American Bandstand televised on Saturday afternoon hosted by Jim Wood, local DJ. The photo below was taken at one of the sessions, with Jim Wood featured on the first row in the center.

The Coachmen

Interestingly, small towns recruited their live music from a larger town in the area. Sherman, being 30,000 persons, was where smaller towns in the North Texas area went to get their music. The Coachmen were the dominant band at the time and typically played in Sherman and outlying areas. Not that many in smaller towns had the resources to get a Dallas band, unless it was particular special.

The military draft and college took their toll and led to the disbandment of the band in 1966. After The Coachmen disbanded, they were succeeded by The Upper Level and The Marquees and The Steve Morris Four as the leading bands in Sherman, Texas and the surrounding area.

When asked why they keep playing rock n’ roll after all these years, Bill Elliott said, “In high school, instead of playing athletics, we made music, hung out in dance halls, were paid very well for making music, and the girls were crazy about us.  The athletes have long stopped being athletic, but we still play regularly and it keeps us young. “

 Bob Rowland - posted March 21, 2011

Visit our Picnic Info page for complete details.

Everyone – try to make plans to attend the PICNIC on the 16th. We always have a great time – renewing old friendships and creating new ones with classmates that we did not “hang around” with at the time. Join us. Noon til dark. – Bob Rowland