Author Talk: David Stricklin Talks Al Stricklin

David Stricklin in conversation with Carmie Henry will discuss his new book Brother Al Stricklin Now: Memories of a Texas Playboy.

Join us to hear historian and former director of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies discuss his latest book, Brother Al Stricklin Now: Memories of a Texas Playboy. In conversation with Carmie Henry, Stricklin will share his memories of his father Al Stricklin, piano player for the famous Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

The talk will be followed by a booksigning. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Brother Al Stricklin Now: Memories of a Texas Playboy depicts both high points and struggles in the life of Al Stricklin, one of the most popular members of one of the most important bands in U.S. musical history, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. 

It describes the development of Al’s musical talent and skill, the odd series of coincidences that got him the attention of Bob Wills, and how they worked together to help develop the style of music known as western swing, which the Texas Legislature designated the "State Music of Texas" in 2011. 

The memories related in the book come from unpublished interviews conducted with Al in the 1970s and ‘80s, interviews with other members of the Texas Playboys, and stories from Al's family. The book provides a firsthand account of the enduring popularity of western swing and Bob Wills, including many stories that capture the infectious personality of Wills's favorite piano player.

Brother Al Stricklin Now depicts something very important to people: the joy they got--and still get--from the music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, the blending of musical styles that led to its creation, and the ways it shaped much of the cultural landscape of Texas and the Southwest. 

The book also describes how the experience of playing with Wills and the Playboys helped Al overcome a series of heartbreaking disappointments and become a beloved figure to music fans far and wide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Stricklin is a writer and historian concentrating on Southern music and religion. He grew up in a musical family in Cleburne, Texas, and attended Baylor University, where he was trained in oral history and public history. He received a PhD in US history at Tulane University under Bill C. Malone and taught history at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, before becoming director of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. He retired from CALS in 2021. Brother Al Stricklin Now is his fourth book.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Carmie Henry is a native Arkansan and a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas. After serving a tour of duty in the Navy as a Naval Flight Officer, he served as a staff assistant to three United States Senators from Arkansas for 22 years before becoming the Vice President for Governmental Affairs for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. He retired from the Naval Reserves as a Captain and lives in Little Rock. He is a committed fan of the Texas Playboys.