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| All About Bobby Dale |
Bobby is married to my sister Judy, and a couple that is more family-oriented would be difficult
to find. Bobby’s mother Inez passed away several years ago, and Judy happened to inherit
Inez’ old crock-pot, in which she claims untold numbers of pots of beans were made.
“I can look at it and see her standing there, stirring beans for supper. It’s old,” Judy says of the
crock-pot, “it’s a fire hazard, but even so, I used it up until just recently. But now that I have a
new one, I can’t throw hers away.”
This didn’t surprise me a bit. Nor did the fact that she ended up dressing the old crock-pot up
and filling it with dried flowers. It now sits in her living room, a constant reminder of family,
history and love.
Despite being in his forties, Bobby’s ties to his
siblings are very strong, and my sister Judy is what I
term the “memory keeper” of our family. She has a keen
ability to keep our side of the family together with regular
phone calls and bulletins, which is how I found out I was
a great aunt on November 14. In other words, Judy and
Bobby Maynard were made for each other.
I remember visiting with Bobby’s family when my sister
first married into the family; clustering around the
fireplace on winter nights, and scattering around the
porch on summer evenings, and I think it became clear
to me during this getting acquainted period that Bobby
was a unique individual.
As close as I can tell, there is nothing that Bobby can’t fix
or build. Whether it’s a natural talent or a need to learn
due to growing up with restricted finances, Bobby is a
whiz with anything that has a motor. If you break down
on the side of the road, or your washer starts making a funny noise, Bobby is the one to call.
Not only can he fix anything, he is also an inventor. Using old bicycle parts, he designed and
patented a bow site. He also created and is currently marketing a plastic clip for controlling
power tool cords or extension cords. If all that is not enough, he has built a paraglider from
scratch and currently flies it around Burnet County like he has good sense.
Despite his uncanny mechanical ability, one of Bobby’s strong suits is most definitely his
musical talent. I had forgotten this, so when I opened the mailbox and found the CD my sister
had sent me in the mail, I popped it in the CD player dutifully, halfway expecting to listen to it
once and then tuck it away as a keepsake.
Even though I had all but abandoned country music, when the opening strains of “Amazing
Love” and Bobby’s voice filled the cab of my truck, my eyes immediately filled with tears. I
couldn’t say why I had this strong reaction until I spent some time thinking about it.
I finally came to the conclusion that I do care for country music, but that there is a world of
difference in the canned, massed-produced stuff that I hear on the radio, and the soulful
singing that comes out of a man who has actually had hard times and grew up country,
sleeping two or three to a bed, hunting to put meat on the table, fishing the rivers and lakes of
Texas and knowing deep in his heart what family is all about.
There’s no way to fake a country raising; it’s either there or it isn’t. When Bobby sings about
growing up hard, he sings from experience. When he sings about the strength of family, he
means it. When he sings about amazing love unending, I know he’s singing about my sister
Judy, and I defy anyone, anywhere, country music lover or not, to listen to him … and not get
teary-eyed.
to find. Bobby’s mother Inez passed away several years ago, and Judy happened to inherit
Inez’ old crock-pot, in which she claims untold numbers of pots of beans were made.
“I can look at it and see her standing there, stirring beans for supper. It’s old,” Judy says of the
crock-pot, “it’s a fire hazard, but even so, I used it up until just recently. But now that I have a
new one, I can’t throw hers away.”
This didn’t surprise me a bit. Nor did the fact that she ended up dressing the old crock-pot up
and filling it with dried flowers. It now sits in her living room, a constant reminder of family,
history and love.
Despite being in his forties, Bobby’s ties to his
siblings are very strong, and my sister Judy is what I
term the “memory keeper” of our family. She has a keen
ability to keep our side of the family together with regular
phone calls and bulletins, which is how I found out I was
a great aunt on November 14. In other words, Judy and
Bobby Maynard were made for each other.
I remember visiting with Bobby’s family when my sister
first married into the family; clustering around the
fireplace on winter nights, and scattering around the
porch on summer evenings, and I think it became clear
to me during this getting acquainted period that Bobby
was a unique individual.
As close as I can tell, there is nothing that Bobby can’t fix
or build. Whether it’s a natural talent or a need to learn
due to growing up with restricted finances, Bobby is a
whiz with anything that has a motor. If you break down
on the side of the road, or your washer starts making a funny noise, Bobby is the one to call.
Not only can he fix anything, he is also an inventor. Using old bicycle parts, he designed and
patented a bow site. He also created and is currently marketing a plastic clip for controlling
power tool cords or extension cords. If all that is not enough, he has built a paraglider from
scratch and currently flies it around Burnet County like he has good sense.
Despite his uncanny mechanical ability, one of Bobby’s strong suits is most definitely his
musical talent. I had forgotten this, so when I opened the mailbox and found the CD my sister
had sent me in the mail, I popped it in the CD player dutifully, halfway expecting to listen to it
once and then tuck it away as a keepsake.
Even though I had all but abandoned country music, when the opening strains of “Amazing
Love” and Bobby’s voice filled the cab of my truck, my eyes immediately filled with tears. I
couldn’t say why I had this strong reaction until I spent some time thinking about it.
I finally came to the conclusion that I do care for country music, but that there is a world of
difference in the canned, massed-produced stuff that I hear on the radio, and the soulful
singing that comes out of a man who has actually had hard times and grew up country,
sleeping two or three to a bed, hunting to put meat on the table, fishing the rivers and lakes of
Texas and knowing deep in his heart what family is all about.
There’s no way to fake a country raising; it’s either there or it isn’t. When Bobby sings about
growing up hard, he sings from experience. When he sings about the strength of family, he
means it. When he sings about amazing love unending, I know he’s singing about my sister
Judy, and I defy anyone, anywhere, country music lover or not, to listen to him … and not get
teary-eyed.
| Bobby was raised North of Austin, Texas and one of twelve children. His dad and older brothers played music and it didn't take long until he was hooked. His favorites and influences are Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Ronnie Milsap, Hank Jr. and Charlie Pride then later George Strait and Alan Jackson. Coutry music was in Bobby's blood. In the '80's he went to Nashville with a friend, Steve Hennig, and made a demo of the last four songs on this album. He thanks Steve for everything he has done for him, Steve is a good friend. "My brothers are so much more responsible for this album than me and I don't have the words to tell them how much I love them, and thank them for that. I want to thank my wife Judy and my two kids Donna and Amy for their support. If I am anything it is because of them, this is not thank you enough, but there is not enough room on my album to say what is in my heart." |
Interesting fact About Bobby
| Click here to go to Bobby's site and LISTEN!!! |
For all intents and purposes, Bobby is your typical tough country boy, all man—redneck type, drinks his beer
from the can and so on. This guy will trip around in the woods half the night to enter or leave a deer stand,
scoffing at rattlesnakes, etc.
However, get him within fifty feet of a praying mantis and he turns into a whimpering, blubbering mass of
squirming terror. His voice goes up six octaves, he can suddenly jump like a deer, and he screams (in his
words) like a little girl.
My sister Judy maintains that she has seen him almost walk off a roof as a granddaddy type praying mantis
refused to respect her husband's personal space, and just kept tottering toward him no matter how much
he cried, and that he was once held captive in the bathroom for two hours while one clung to the door,
oblivious to the fact that a full grown man was standing on the toilet seat shrieking, and about to have a
heart attack.
After using a half a roll of toilet paper as spit balls he managed to coerce the thing to leave the room so that
Judy could kill it when she got home. She said she knew the second she saw him standing in the hallway,
butt naked and white as a sheet, that a praying mantis had gotten into the house.
"It's just not right when a man can't be in his own house without having one of those things stalking you."
Bobby says, and means it.
from the can and so on. This guy will trip around in the woods half the night to enter or leave a deer stand,
scoffing at rattlesnakes, etc.
However, get him within fifty feet of a praying mantis and he turns into a whimpering, blubbering mass of
squirming terror. His voice goes up six octaves, he can suddenly jump like a deer, and he screams (in his
words) like a little girl.
My sister Judy maintains that she has seen him almost walk off a roof as a granddaddy type praying mantis
refused to respect her husband's personal space, and just kept tottering toward him no matter how much
he cried, and that he was once held captive in the bathroom for two hours while one clung to the door,
oblivious to the fact that a full grown man was standing on the toilet seat shrieking, and about to have a
heart attack.
After using a half a roll of toilet paper as spit balls he managed to coerce the thing to leave the room so that
Judy could kill it when she got home. She said she knew the second she saw him standing in the hallway,
butt naked and white as a sheet, that a praying mantis had gotten into the house.
"It's just not right when a man can't be in his own house without having one of those things stalking you."
Bobby says, and means it.
"When they do that thing, you know," he
says, "where they ... they're climbing along
and then they stop and turn their head and
look right at you, kind of swaying back and
forth ... well, it just sends me into the
screaming heebie-jeebies."
While he spoke he demonstrated praying
mantis behavior in such a startlingly real
way, looking at me with his eyes all bugged
out, that I actually started to get the creeps,
and I've always thought praying mantis'
were kind of cool.
says, "where they ... they're climbing along
and then they stop and turn their head and
look right at you, kind of swaying back and
forth ... well, it just sends me into the
screaming heebie-jeebies."
While he spoke he demonstrated praying
mantis behavior in such a startlingly real
way, looking at me with his eyes all bugged
out, that I actually started to get the creeps,
and I've always thought praying mantis'
were kind of cool.
| Scroll down to see what Country Music People Magazine has to say about Bobby |
Something We Can’t Stop
"A super traditional country album that demands
repeated spins."
"A super traditional country album that demands
repeated spins."
"Easily album of the year. Not only showing the
majors how to make a great country record, but also
giving the top writers a serious run for their money."
"An unknown shows the big boys how to tonk it up."
| Click here to visit CMPM |