Dean Beard born 31 August 1935

Dean Beard (August 31, 1935 - April 4, 1989) was an American pianist and rockabilly pioneer sometimes called the "West Texas Wild Man" because of his frantic stage presence and piano-playing style.

Beard was born in Santa Anna, Texas. He was the son of Raymond and Opral (Baker) Beard. A lifelong resident of Coleman County, he moved to Coleman in 1953 and graduated from Coleman High School. While in high school he started doing session work in Abilene for Key City media mogul and record producer Slim Willet. He briefly attended Tarleton State College but soon opted to pursue a music career. He made his first recordings in 1955 in Abilene with the Fox Four Sevens.

Dean Beard, Bill Black & Jimmy Day @ Brekenridge June 1955

Beard was the opening act in Breckenridge on April 13, 1955, and later that night Dean witnessed Elvis as "he tore the roof off that place."  The next day a write-up appeared in the Breckenridge American by Ann Cowan that just might be "the first post-show review of an Elvis concert."  Beard was in attendance for other Presley shows, including a July 4th appearance in Brownwood.  Afterward Dean recalled inviting Elvis over to Coleman for a visit:  "Presley had a pink Cadillac.  Boy, I felt like something riding down the main street of Coleman in that pink Cadillac."  

                             

Intent on duplicating Presley's success, Beard cut two demo sessions in Memphis for Sun Records in 1956, but Sam Phillips decided not to sign him. The fact that he asked Phillips’ girlfriend-secretary out on a date probably did little to improve his chances. One of the demos was "Rakin' and Scrapin'," which Beard recorded again the next year in Abilene for Willet's Edmoral label. 

The Crew Cats  Top: Jack Smith, Dean Beard, Clay Glover

Bottom: Bill Graham, Chris & Paul Herrera, Jessie Barrera

His popular West Texas band, Dean Beard and the Crew Cats, included area teenagers Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts, who later became a successful pop duo. A tenor sax- and piano-driven pounder, "Rakin' and Scrapin'," was leased to Atlantic Records for national distribution but failed to break out. A high energy follow-up on Atlantic, "Party Party," suffered a similar fate.

In 1958 Beard, along with Seals and Crofts, joined the Champs (of "Tequila" fame) and journeyed to the West Coast. After recording several sessions with the group for Challenge Records, he was fired and returned to Texas in 1959. Beard continued to record for Willet and then for a variety of other small labels throughout the 1960s.

His last single was in 1966 for Sims records. It was called "Are There Honkey Tonks In Heaven" / "Pocketfull Of Stardust". He remained a popular live act into the 1970s, despite having to battle crippling arthritis, the results of an auto accident that broke his back. Turning to religion, Dean put aside forever hopes of a music career, but never music-making at the Emmanuel Baptist Church.

He died in Coleman on April 4, 1989. He was honoured by induction into the West Texas Music Hall of Fame .

 (Edited mainly from an article by Joe W. Specht @ The Texas State Historical Association)