Hambone Hendley has been playing music for most of his life. He started out at age 10 with a nylon-stringed acoustic guitar from a tourist market stall in Juarez, Mexico. Being a rock 'n' roller at heart, he soon learned how to rig a microphone inside the guitar and hot-wire it to play through the family stereo. In 1964, Dad, in an effort to reclaim the stereo, got him a cool cherry red Gibson Les Paul Junior electric guitar. It was purchased at a pawn shop for $85, including a small amp, and, as a "classic", it would be worth at least ten times that price today.

In 1966, using money saved from a paper route and mowing lawns, Hambone was able to get the guitar of his dreams, a metallic blue Venture's signature model made by Mosrite of California. Paired with a Fender Super Reverb amp and inspired by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and all the other cool bands of the day, he was ready to rock and roll.

Playing in bands, or "combos" as they were called at the time, became his all-consuming interest. In high school, his band "The Revolution" was quite successful, playing for local parties and dances around Dallas. Says Hambone, "We weren't really that good. We just played the Top 40 Hits of the day as best we could. But because we were 17 and had big amplifiers and could drive, the 13 and 14-year-olds thought we were groovy." Besides singing and playing guitar, Hambone doubled on the Farfisa Mini-Compact organ, the backbone sound of many '60's hit songs. By this time, his flair as a snappy dresser was also apparent; notice that Mod Carnaby Street polka dot shirt and extra-cool extra-wide belt with a big gold square buckle!

With high school graduation and moves to colleges in different towns, The Revolution broke up in 1969, and never got back together, not even for a reunion jam. With no band and no place to play an electric guitar while living in a college dormitory, Hambone gradually returned to playing the acoustic guitar. In 1972, at a John Denver concert Hambone attended, John played an old-time song from the 1930's called "It's a Sin To Tell a Lie". For Hambone, it opened his eyes to a world of music he never knew existed. He quickly learned the song and put together a band in the college dormitory to perform it.

By the 1980's, Hambone and the lovely Mrs. Hambone had learned enough old-time and novelty songs to play an entire show, and they started performing for clubs, church groups, and festivals. They also performed kid's shows, with songs tailored for children. During this time, Hambone discovered The Hoosier Hotshots, a tremendously popular group from the National Barn Dance radio program in the 1930's. It was then he realized that he was born 50 years too late, and his true love was novelty vaudeville music, an affinity which culminated in the formation of The Wahooligans.

As the 1990's came around, Mr. and Mrs. Hambone added a new member, Randy Moore, to their group, and became known as Esmerelda and the Fosdick Brothers. Randy was a prolific songwriter, and the music took a turn to the serious, with only an occasional novelty song holdover from the duo days. The group spent a decade playing coffee shops and festivals throughout East Texas, and even performed in two original musicals written by Randy. By the turn of the century, Esmerelda and the boys had run out of steam, and Hambone found himself a solo musician.

Since then, Hambone has teamed up with musician friends for jams and projects, as well a performed on his own. E-mail Hambone at hambone(at)thewahooligans.com. See his pottery website at www.farmpots.com.