Little Music City jams first hall of fame with Trio
Rob Neuberger holds up the plaque inducting Don Tibbets, Truman Boler and Stan Ruehlow.
Editor’s Note - Huge tip of the hat to Rodger Nichols who provided photos for this story.
Three local legends got another shot at the stage on Aug. 7th at the Bargeway Pub as the Little Music City Hall of fame inducted it’s first trio.
It was the first time Don Tibbets on guitar, Truman Boler on bass and vocals, and Stan Ruehlow on drums had a chance to play together in 40 years, according to Rodger Nichols.
Don began playing around age 16, and soon was accompanying much older and more established players around The Dalles. He met Truman while the latter was working at The Shamrock a honky-tonk with Chinese food that used to sit near present-day Walgreens.
Stan Ruehlow
The two formed a guitar duo. And to make their duo sound much bigger, Truman took up the bass, and Don developed his unique style of fingerpicking.
Truman Boler
They played all the local and many surrounding venues; after a few years, they picked up Stan from his band in Goldendale and formed a trio that would entertain audiences in regional venues for almost 50 years.
In their own words, they were "just a good little band", that "stayed true to the music folks wanted to hear"... pure, original country music. Their favorite venues were Ole's Supper Club and The Shamrock, and they packed the house night after night for many years.
Don Tibbets
Their favorite memories are of all the clubs they played, and all the wonderful players they got to know, as well as the thousands of people who listened to and enjoyed their music.
Local Musicman Al Hare and Rob Neuberger forged ahead with the creation of the Little Music City Hall of Fame - an entity that honors and promotes the history of music in The Dalles.
“The trio is still on cloud 9 about it all...especially since it came as a total surprise to them all,” said NeuBerger. “They felt so honored that so many people in the area remembered them, and cherished those memories of the trio's long career.”
“How we gonna top this, next year?????, Neuberger wrote at the end of his email to CCCNews. “Yours in bewilderment, Rob”
Vintage ad promoting the band.
