Vacation

Howdy Friends.

Thanks for dropping by..2008 is just about here. My wife and i always spend the week from Dec 26 to Jan 2 camping. We are headed to Garner State Park for the week. A time of reflection and tranquility among the big Cypress trees and the Frio river. It is always good for the muse, to get away from the clubs, bars and restaurants, to pull myself away from "work" and enjoy the guitar as an instrument instead of a tool. To push the pencil around and see what happens. Pull out my scrapes of paper and notes and struggle with the rhyme's and the music to see what falls out of me.

  I pray for you ,a healthy & prosperous New Year, full of  adventure, and new and old friends.

It's an exciting time to be alive. I feel as if something great is just around the corner for all mankind, so hang in there.

  Don't give up on your dreams, set lofty goals.

God Bless you, God Bless America and God Bless our troops.

 Your musical pal and otherwise, see you down the trail in 2008

Yee-Haw-llelujah  Claude"Butch"Morgan

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

31,000 Miles & 234 Gigs and I never left Texas

  That's right. This year, 2007 I have played 235 gigs and driven 31,000 miles and never left the great state of Texas. For the most part they have been really good gigs, some better some worse, but i played one this week that took the cake for "bad".

  I booked it through an on line booking agency. It read really nicely on the description . It was in a region of the state where I have limited exposure and where i am looking for more opportunities to perform. They paid pretty well.

   It was suppose to be a "listening" room, which most songwriters really look forward to. I drove 330 miles one way to play. The venue was in the bar of a Hilton Hotel . It was during Happy Hour and was advertised as an all original music series for the "music" appreciator. It was a 2 hour gig..a very, very, long 2 hours.. I was set up in a room.. There were nice sofas and chairs....

 but no one came into the room where i was playing. Everyone sat at the bar in the other room and watched TV while i played to "no one".. and when i say no one i mean no one. They had paid me up front and then.. they totally ignored me for the full two hours. Nobody said anything to me and no one applauded..not a sound came from the bar. I played two hours and not one person spoke to me or looked me in the eye.

  The restroom was just outside the door from where i was playing. They had to walk within two foot of me to go to the restroom. They would walk past me and look into the empty room or look at their feet. It was one of the weirdest gigs that i have ever played and i drove (round trip) 660 miles. I played two hours with out a break just so i could leave as soon as possible. Since i didn't take a break I quit 20 minutes early. I broke down my equipment (I had to set up my own Sound system), loaded up my van and left. No one said anything to me.

  I played good and pretended there were people in the room who where listening. Maybe everyone at the bar just figured i was crazy, since i was talking to an empty room. Anyway, it made me appreciate all the really good gigs that i am fortunate to play on an almost daily basis, where people listen and pay attention and respond and buy CD's and let you know they like ya..Man what a night.

  I will not forget it for sure. I also won't be playing there again anytime soon. Now go out and see and hear one of your favorite artist and let them know you appreciate them, cause trust me, after a night like i just had, I really appreciate being appreciated. Claude"Butch'Morgan

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Merry-CHRISTmas

  The year has just flown by. It has been a year full of new faces, new fans, and more importantly, new friends. I traveled 36,000 miles this year and played 200 dates all without leaving Texas. I am grateful this CHRISTmas for the many, many blessings that have been poured out upon me. I Love living in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and for being free to come and go as i please.

  Thanks and prayer for our young men and women who are on foreign soil and in harms way while we are over here in the land of plenty. I pray they get their job done expediently and come home soon to enjoy what they have fought for..Freedom and Peace. No matter where you maybe on the war, you have got to support our troops and their mission. If you say you support the troops, but not the mission, that is like saying I love my team, but i don't want them to win.   Come on now..pray for peace.  Jesus taught us to love one another. I know from experience that that's easier said than done, but we have got to give it our BEST effort. Enjoy your families and friends this Christmas and put the CHRIST back in it. What's to not love about Jesus..spread it around..enjoy the season but don't forget the reason. God Bless you and God Bless America. Thanks for visiting and i hope to see you down the trail somewhere.

  A Very Merry CHRISTmas and a JOYful New Year from Your musical pal, Claude"Butch"Morgan

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Giving Thanks

  This marks the 15th Year of the Nettie Morgan Thanksgiving Day Pancake Breakfast. A tradition my family started after i had come back from San Diego, Cal. I was out there with nothing to do. Broke down, no money. I was stranded and had little to be Thankful for( I thought). It was Easter morning 1989 and i was really feeling sorry for myself, just walking aimlessly on the beach. I know it was beautiful, but my attitude and situation would not permit me to see it. I came upon a man cooking pancakes. He ask me if i was hungry, to which i replied " Yes" He fed me pancakes till i was full. I don't remember to much about him, other than he was very kind. But i brought the memory of that Easter morning and those pancakes, back with me to Texas. When i shared that with my Mother she said " That's something we could do as a family", so we decided to do it on Thanksgiving morning. We knew that most of the homeless in San Antonio would get plenty to eat later in the day, so we figured we would give them a good breakfast and some hot coffee to jump start their Thanksgiving. It's been 15 years. My mom has gone to Her rest and so in her honor we call it the Nettie Morgan Thanksgiving day Pancake Breakfast.

  It's a designated time for giving thanks. It's a day set aside. Just a day. One day, but shouldn't we be Thankful everyday? Everyday is a blessing in one way or another. Some day's are harder than others, but still God see's fit to bless us. Sometimes we really have to look for the blessings. They can be in the flight of a butterfly, a sunset or sunrise, the whimper of a baby, the beauty of the Hill country, the sound of a stream running across the stones. The touch of a hand, a kind word at just the right moment, or a sympathetic ear. A letter from a friend, a phone call. The list ,of course is endless, if we really think about it. But we all to many times, get hung up looking at what we don't have, or the mess we are in, or our dire circumstances, yes even in those things we should have a Thanksgiving attitude. It will maks our days better if we first count our blessing. Before the world hits you between the eyes, or knocks the wind out of you, think about what you do have and just say Thank you. Throw it out there in the ethers and see how much better feel.

Have a GREAT Thanksgiving. Claude'Butch"Morgan

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

the Wild FUN-tier

Hope you are having your share of fun on the WILD Fun-tier..
Things are cooling off here in Devine, Tx. I mean it's like 84
degrees here right now..I got to go put on a sweater.. ha ha!
First things first..I am so grateful for the Veterans across the
land who have made it possible for us to live in peace, in this , the
greatest of all country's in the world. My dad Claude C Morgan Sr. is
a veteran of the II World War, the South pacific theater and i am a
vet from the Viet Nam area. Freedom is not free, it comes with a
price and many, many thousand have paid the ultimate price so that
people like you and me can go about our daily business and live lives
to the fullest. I am so grateful to all those who went before us and
to the one's who are in harms way right now. Keeping the war away
from our shores. Thank you, Thank you, thank you. you are our hero's
I have been having a good time playing and singing for a varied
assortment of fine music loving people at many fine new music venues
like the Rivercity Grille, where me and the H!X played last Saturday
nite. What a wonderful place. The stage hangs out over Marble Falls
Lake and is going to be a premier Texas Music venue as soon as the
word gets out.
On the CD front. The H!X "Really Live" has been getting some
regional air-play on KFAN in Fredericksberg,Tx., KSYM in San
Antonio,Tx.,Revolution radio in Kerrville, Tx. and we are just about
to do a mass mailing to many many radio stations in the greater Texas
area. In the meantime look for the H!X coming to a town near you.
I am looking down the road here and trying to plan a nice long,
artistic, break so that i can finish about 30 songs i have been
trying to get done. The problem with being your own promoter/booking
agent/handyman/driver etc. you end up not having much time to be
creative, so i am going to take a nice long "Creative" break here
pretty soon.
In the meantime I will be working (playing)like crazy so come out
and say howdy. ALSO PLEEZE sign my website guest book i would
appreciate knowing you visited..well hope to hear from you soon are
to see you down the trail somewhere, your musical pal,
Claude"Butch"Morgan
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Texan Creed

Hell-o Friends and neighbors, fans and fun-sters..

  Just saw this ad on TV . It was one of my Mothers favorites. It is from the Frost Bank "We're from here"ad campaign..here's  how it goes:

I'LL BE AS HEARTY OF MIND AS I AM OF BODY

I'LL BE A STRAIGHT SHOOTER AND A SQUARE DEALER

MY FAMILY NAME WILL BE SACRED

AND MY WORD WILL BE AS GOOD AS ANY WRITTEN CONTRACT.

I'LL REMEMBER THE ALAMO,

I'LL STICK BY MY FRIENDS,

AND I'LL EAT MORE CHICKEN FRIED STEAK.

THANK YOU..

THAT PRETTY MUCH SAYS IT ALL. I'LL SEE YA' DOWN THE TRAIL..CLAUDE"BUTCH"MORGAN

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

New Web Fun

Hey There.. Yep my friendly web site designer ( i hesitate to
mention his name since he is a household word and you would be
wondering how I could be so fortunate to have him design my site)
anyway, he has been busy updating, refining and re-designing and
making some new additions, like the guest book, my blog and such.
Just got back from Far-West Texas, Terlingua to be exact, and it
was a great trip. the little music fest was, as usual, GREAT. Great
campfires, and music, wonderful friends singing under the big Texas
sky, where " The stars at night are big and bright.
Please, if you have not done so, please sign the guest book and let
me know you visited. I would appreciate it.
Halloween approaches and the Casbeers Costume Party will be a hoot.
If you are in the San Antonio area and want to have some fun, put on
your Nixon mask and come on to Casbeers. Have a great day, and keep
looking up. Your musical pal, and otherwise, Claude"Butch"Morgan
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Go West Young Man

  Heading West..The far West..West Texas that is..Terlingua to be exact. Where the sky never ends. Where the Muse "goes" for a vacation. Yeepers, Big Bend is just down the road.

  I am will be playing at the fabulous Starlight Theater on Friday Oct 19. Fort Davis at the Sutlers Club on Saturday night, back at the Starlight on Sunday afternoon, and in between it all, usually very late at nite on into the early morning, about 200 people or so we will be howling at the moon and singing under the stars around campfires. This is the Annual Al Barlow Music Bash

( it's The year of the Hippie) , and it's always great fun.

  Back to San Antonio on Tuesday to do the Ray Wylie Hubbard Radio Show..Heck why not pack a lunch, make some strong coffee and head to Terlingua..9 hours from right now you could be right in the middle of one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

  Hope to se you down the trail somewhere. Keep looking up and help someone along the way.  Your musical pal, Claude"Butch"Morgan CBM

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

I'm a Texas Doodle Dandy

Yep I am a Texas Doodle Dandy.. What in the world do i mean by
that? I haven't a clue. I just like the song, but I can't sing it
cause it says I'm a "Yankee" Doodle Dandy and well I ain't.. i am
from Texas. Best state with the best shape..
Just got back from the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance in Austin.
It was BIG fun and very rewarding on many levels. I meet lots of
great songwriters, heard lots of great songs, got inspired and fired
up to get busy writing and playing more. I ran the open mic two
different times during the four day event. The first night ,Thursday,
I managed to get 47 out of 59 songwriters up ..WOW..it went really
well and everyone was very cooperative. Anyway, I scored a couple of
house concerts and was invited to Canada and Colorado..So for me it
was good.
Back home and gearing up for the next H!X CD release Party Party
Wahoo in Marble Falls Tx. on Saturday November 10 at the River City
Grille. This is going to be a BIG FUN GIG...
Well keep looking up and keep giving thanks for living in the
greatest country on the planet, land of the free, home of the brave.
Pray for the troops who keep us safe over here, and I'll see ya' down
the trail. your musical pal CBM
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Home again

It's nice to be home again. Back in Devine Tx. My yard ( about and
acre) is calling me, mother nature has been running free for the last
two weeks and she has done a fine job of giving me plenty to do in
the next few days.
I have been at the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance Converence in
Austin Tx. for the past 3 days. It was a huge success on many levels
for me and many others. I inked in three different house Concerts and
one little tour in Cabada and some dates in Colorado so it was very
good for me personally. I, along with songwriter Jason Weems hosted a
panel on how to run a successful open mic, it was well attended and
received well.
I just got my new recorder and am in the process of producing my
first "In Home" Studio project. Probably get started on my new CD in
November. This will be a self produced project that will include all
new songs. I will fill you in later on the detail.
Well I had better go sharpen the blade on my lawn mower and get
after it..Thanks for dropping by, your musical pal, butch.
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

O-Boy

O-Boy.. Lots of news.

   First let me ay thanks for all the calls and prayers and such regarding my recent "operation" I am healing fine, no more hernia no more pain. Everything went well and I am expected to recover fully and be back to NORMAL? soon..whatever that means. and i was grateful for all the help from my friends, who lifted equipment, set stuff up and tore stuff down and loaded and unloaded my van over the last few weeks. It is great to have great friends and family.

 The H!X CD "Really Live" is getting air play on several stations and we are gathering some steam for a big fall push. We are having a great time and have two more CD's in the can that we are finishing up as we speak (type).

  Southwest Regional Folk Alliance is just around the corner. I will be hosting a panel on how to run a successful open mic with fellow songwriter Jason Weems. SWRFA is always fun and something good always comes out of it.

  Headed to Terlingua, Tx. soon for the Al Barlow "Bash" in the desert. Playing the Starlight Theater on Friday Oct 19- Sutlers Club in Fort Davis on Saturday Oct 20 and back at the Starlight on Sunday Oct 21. It is always good for the muse to get out under that big huge Terlingua sky..

  Thanks for checking in. Remember happiness is fleeting, JOY is a choice. Choose this day to be joyful in all things and towards all people.

   Your musical pal, Claude"Butch"Morgan

--  

Claude"Butch" Morgan
 603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Here We Come

Yee-Haw-Lelujah.. It's finally here the H!X "REALLY LIVE" CD and we
will be debuting it,for the first time in San Antonio on Saturday
September 15 at 8 p.m. at our favorite venue.. CASBEERS 1719 Blanco
Rd. There will be a FREE cowboy movie and POPCORN and of course the
new 13 song CD "H!X Really Live". If you have not had the opportunity
recently to hear the H!X come out for the full H!XADELIC experience
Saturday September 15..It's going to be BIG Fun For Everyone.
Hey folks thanks for dropping in. Some of you know I have been a
little under the weather the last few weeks, but i am on the mend and
ready to saddle up and play some fine H!X music for you all. Trevor,
Robar the Rong Ranger and RB ,we are all raring to go. If you live
within driving distance make your plans now for this Saturday night.
Lots more on the horizon for the H!X, we are riding into the wild
FUN-tier.. hope to see you soon..Claude"Butch"Morgan
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Did it Work?

OK Ok Maybe.. maybe.. Lets see..here goes.. jumping in NOW! More later butch
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com

Nice Cool Summer

Yepp.. In Texas anything below 95 degrees if considered "Cool", so
in that respect we have seen some cool weather. Things are poppin' in
and around H!Xadelic Land. We are taking care of the details for our
CD promotional campaign on H!X "Really Live" We are at number 137 on
the Rebel radio chart and we are not even sure how they got the CD.
Anyway. The big kick off will be at Casbeers in San Antonio Tx. On
Sat. Sept. 15. After that date you will be able to catch the H!X in
and around Texas for a few months.
This is an experiment. My Blog has been down for a while so I am
just sending this one out to see if it will post. If we are
successful, i will return with more info. Keep Lookin' Up and
Yee-Haw-lelujah!!! See you down the trail. Claude Butch Morgan
--
Claude"Butch" Morgan
603 Windy Knoll
Devine,Texas 78016
cell: 210.884.1572
http://www.butchmorgan.com