Ocie "Doc" Stockard, western swing player
by George Smith
Fort Worth Star -Telegram April 26, 1988
Ocie "Doc" Stockard lived during the era of the western swing bands, and he played with some of the best -Bob Wills, Milton Brown and Leon McAuliffe. But he had to leave the music word about 20 years ago -arthritis and gout were getting to his once nimble fingers- and he managed and owned several clubs and cafes in and around the Fort Worth area.
Saturday, in a nursing home in Alvarado, Ocie Blanton Stockard died, he was 78. Graveside services wil be at 2 pm today at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Mr Stockard was a self-taught musician back in his hometown of Crafton in Wise County. His father was a fiddle player, so he probably picked that up first, said one of his three sons. Donald Stockard of Dallas. He later learned to play the banjo and guitar and also knew his way with the mandolin and bass.
He started playing when he was about 10 and learned string band music with no formal training, he said in an interview with Mike H Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about seven years ago.
He played country dances. "They used to gather at some house in the Crafton and Chico area, move the furniture and have a dance," said Donald Stockard. He was a barber in Bowie in early years. "I believe that's where he met Bob Wills," his son said. Wills was a barber, too."
In the late 1920's Mr Stockard came to Fort Worth and found a job performing on KFJZ radio. Others aligned with the musical community then included guitarist Herman Arnspiger and fiddler Bob Wills.
Mr Stockard, Wills and Arnspiger were playing together at a dance when he met Milton Brown for the first time. he told Price.
"It was at a place way out on what is now East Lancaster. Milton Brown came in to hear us-he was a cigar salesman at the time-and he got out there with us in the middle of the dancehall floor and sang a few songs through one of those megaphones. We all hit it off pretty well."
Soon after, Mr Stockard joined fiddler Clifford Gross and his High Flyers as tenor guitarist and Wills, Brown and Arnspiger were booked by promoter-politician W Lee O'Daniel to form the beginning of the popular Light Crust Doughboys on the airwaves.
Mr Stockard not only played with the High Flyers, but also joined other musicians at the old Crystal Springs dancehall on other weeknights. When Milton Brown broke away from the Light Crust Doughboys, Mr Stockard joined Brown and His Musical Brownies. The became one of the top attractions at Crystal Springs.
When Brown died in 1936 Mr Stockard took some of the Brownies into his band, The Wanderers, and continued into the 1940's. Mr Stockard left to join Bob Wills in California in 1946 and when wills fired singer Tommy Duncan a couple of years later, Mr Stockard left with Duncan to form the All-Stars in Los Angeles. "That didn't last too long," he told Price," and I came back to Fort Worth." In the early 1950's Wills came through and Mr Stockard rejoined him in Dallas.
One of the proudest nights I can remember, Donald Stockard said, was in the early 1950's. His father was operating out of Lubbock at that time and had a daily radio show. He rented the North Side Coliseum on New Year's Eve and it sold out. his son said.
His wife, Irene died in 1973 after 43 years of marriage. That's When Mr Stockard took up bartending, he told Price. "I didn't feel like sitting home all day as if I'd retired." Mr Stockard was a member of Travis Avenue Baptist Church.
Survivors: Three sons, Jerrell Stockard of Wichita Falls, Donald Stockard of Dallas and Gary Stockard of Fort Worth; one brother, Troy Stockard of Newark; one sister, Quillia Wells of Corsicana; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
•Occupation: musician, played with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
Ocie "Doc" Stockard, western swing player
by George Smith
Fort Worth Star -Telegram April 26, 1988
Ocie "Doc" Stockard lived during the era of the western swing bands, and he played with some of the best -Bob Wills, Milton Brown and Leon McAuliffe. But he had to leave the music word about 20 years ago -arthritis and gout were getting to his once nimble fingers- and he managed and owned several clubs and cafes in and around the Fort Worth area.
Saturday, in a nursing home in Alvarado, Ocie Blanton Stockard died, he was 78. Graveside services wil be at 2 pm today at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Mr Stockard was a self-taught musician back in his hometown of Crafton in Wise County. His father was a fiddle player, so he probably picked that up first, said one of his three sons. Donald Stockard of Dallas. He later learned to play the banjo and guitar and also knew his way with the mandolin and bass.
He started playing when he was about 10 and learned string band music with no formal training, he said in an interview with Mike H Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about seven years ago.
He played country dances. "They used to gather at some house in the Crafton and Chico area, move the furniture and have a dance," said Donald Stockard. He was a barber in Bowie in early years. "I believe that's where he met Bob Wills," his son said. Wills was a barber, too."
In the late 1920's Mr Stockard came to Fort Worth and found a job performing on KFJZ radio. Others aligned with the musical community then included guitarist Herman Arnspiger and fiddler Bob Wills.
Mr Stockard, Wills and Arnspiger were playing together at a dance when he met Milton Brown for the first time. he told Price.
"It was at a place way out on what is now East Lancaster. Milton Brown came in to hear us-he was a cigar salesman at the time-and he got out there with us in the middle of the dancehall floor and sang a few songs through one of those megaphones. We all hit it off pretty well."
Soon after, Mr Stockard joined fiddler Clifford Gross and his High Flyers as tenor guitarist and Wills, Brown and Arnspiger were booked by promoter-politician W Lee O'Daniel to form the beginning of the popular Light Crust Doughboys on the airwaves.
Mr Stockard not only played with the High Flyers, but also joined other musicians at the old Crystal Springs dancehall on other weeknights. When Milton Brown broke away from the Light Crust Doughboys, Mr Stockard joined Brown and His Musical Brownies. The became one of the top attractions at Crystal Springs.
When Brown died in 1936 Mr Stockard took some of the Brownies into his band, The Wanderers, and continued into the 1940's. Mr Stockard left to join Bob Wills in California in 1946 and when wills fired singer Tommy Duncan a couple of years later, Mr Stockard left with Duncan to form the All-Stars in Los Angeles. "That didn't last too long," he told Price," and I came back to Fort Worth." In the early 1950's Wills came through and Mr Stockard rejoined him in Dallas.
One of the proudest nights I can remember, Donald Stockard said, was in the early 1950's. His father was operating out of Lubbock at that time and had a daily radio show. He rented the North Side Coliseum on New Year's Eve and it sold out. his son said.
His wife, Irene died in 1973 after 43 years of marriage. That's When Mr Stockard took up bartending, he told Price. "I didn't feel like sitting home all day as if I'd retired." Mr Stockard was a member of Travis Avenue Baptist Church.
Survivors: Three sons, Jerrell Stockard of Wichita Falls, Donald Stockard of Dallas and Gary Stockard of Fort Worth; one brother, Troy Stockard of Newark; one sister, Quillia Wells of Corsicana; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
•Occupation: musician, played with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
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