David Waddle and Eunice Cho

00:07 Audi

00:08 I'm David waddle. I'm a proud 67 years old today is December 3rd of 2020. I am currently in Amarillo, Texas and my interview partner today is the wonderful Eunice Cho.

00:33 And Eunice is my new-found friend.

00:38 Yes, hi. My name is Eunice Cho. I am 32 years old. I am in Laurel Maryland. My conversation partner is mr. David waddle who is a new friends but feels like a very old one cuz I feel like I've actually known you for a while now. And so I want to ask you mentioned that you were from Amarillo Texas is that

01:02 I was born in Houston, Texas in 1953. And we moved to Amarillo in 1955 just in time for the blizzard of 1957 when I was 4 years old. We had a blizzard hit we had to foot of snow with a 60 mile-an-hour wind behind it and it killed a lot of cattle and a lot of people we had a snow drift. It was 12 ft to the roof of our house in the snow has drifted all the way to the roof. We were inside the house for 2 and 1/2 days, but we lost electricity, but we didn't lose our natural gas. So we still had to eat and we didn't really and we have food and we didn't sell for that much but

01:53 Anyway, that's how I wound up here in the Panhandle we moved up here and that's where I was raised. We were in the very poor but us race with a lot of we're in the produce business and so we're other kids would have a Snickers or candy bar something for a snack. I had a peach or Plum or cantaloupes and then we always had apples and oranges fresh fruits all through the winter time.

02:25 That sounds absolutely lovely having all that fresh fruit around. Also. I never would have figured Texas would ever have a blizzard that just sounds so bizarre to me.

02:36 If you will do a little research they have what they call a Texas blue northern and this comes down directly from the North Pole. And the only thing to slow it down is 4 strands of barbed wire.

02:52 And it doesn't do a very good job, but the most Academy lost in the storm, they suffocated because the wind was blowing so hard that blew the snow into their nostrils and and it was warm in there and it would melt into water and would blow it into their lungs and it filled their lungs up and I had pneumonia and that's where we lost most of our cattle was not from freezing but from from actual the snow blowing it so hard. So if you block a blizzard of 1957 ever ten to fifteen years, we have deadly blizzards here that are just put people in our livestock and everything in peril,

03:34 Yeah, I'm so sorry about that night and I always imagined Texas being the dry number from being in Texas that the people there are very very nice super friendly.

04:04 Yeah, well that's just started to Manor. That's the way we were raised for the most part and generally the smaller the town the friendlier they are.

04:16 Yeah, well do David I actually know you because I was High Plains Public Radio reached out to you. They wanted you to share your story because you're known as a dancing cowboy, but you actually gave up your thoughts on to interview a good friend of yours to also had a really incredible story. But how did you get the nickname the dancing cowboy? Where does that come from?

04:37 I started the two stepping back in 1975 and

04:45 I've been dancing 2 years honky-tonks are staple and we actually have a nonprofit Foundation to save her dance halls right now, they're struggling. And anyway, it's the national pastime of Texas is our dance halls in their Honky Tonk. I didn't start country western dancing until 1975 and then my friend who can't be with us here today Mark Johnston. He's actually menza and is beyond that is part of inner tail. He's in the top 1% in the mines in the United States and he was teaching computer at Amarillo College here in Amarillo and that in 1977 and he said David he said we're needing a dance instructor at the college and they said would you be interested and I said sure so it took me into and introduced me to Paul Gaither and he said

05:45 David he said, this is Paul. He said Paul. He said this is my friend David waddle and he'll make you a good dance instructor never found a spot and I wound up teaching dance with a college for 21 years and then in 1979.

06:08 I went to the Texas Moon Palace was a great great big. It was no roller rink is great big dancehall and Ernest Tubb and the Texas Troubadours played Ernest Tubb is 69 birthday party that was on a Saturday night and he entertained and artist sings the song called Waltz Across Texas that I can Waltz Across, Texas with you and I remember hearing that song in the next day Sunday. I got to thinking I said, well lost across Texas that's impossible and I got to thinking well, maybe it's not because being here in the Panhandle in the top of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma are pretty close. It's only 204 miles across there. And if you go from El Paso to Texarkana during through the fat part of Texas its 855 miles.

07:06 So I got the wild idea that I was going to round up some dance partners and Waltz Across, Texas. And so I got some sponsors and I went to Clovis New Mexico on September 10th of 1979 and literally danced across the panhandle of Texas down the bar ditch and it took me in 19 days and 22 partner. We danced 204 and 8/10 miles and on my

07:36 I finished in the Hollis Oklahoma on my 26 birthday, which was September 29th of 1979 and Ernest Tubb one able to be there, but he sent down the a check and we had a big birthday party. We went back to Turkey, Texas, which is the hometown of Bob Wills Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. We had a big birthday party.

08:04 And so that is where I came in to Walton across Texas and then in 1980. There was a movie called The Urban Cowboy that came the next year. I was teaching dance at the time two nights a week. The urban cowboy movie came in everybody wanted to dance in the price of boots doubled and and cowboy clothing doubled in price and everybody want to be a cowboy. I want from teaching dance two nights a week to teaching dance six nights a week. I had Sunday night. And in fact, I didn't have to work a job. I mean I could all I had to do was teach dance at the time and I went on to teach dance for 21 wonderful years, but then I started the entertaining.

08:56 For the public around that time and so as it went on the entertainment got better and finally left Amarillo College in I think it was around 2001 playlist last on the top of them.

09:16 Are you still dancing?

09:20 I just barely I'm a western swing dance around dance too. Many of them. I was atrophied answered that a lot of great dance Partners. I still have but do you remember the interview with Marta Matthews?

09:38 She will say yes. Yes. She was a dance the Fountain of founding a dancer for the Lone Star ballet and dance tonight outdoor drama the play, Texas and she's back here living in Amarillo. And so when we do dance she's overqualified us a western swinger country western dance a lot of fun out on the floor. So we go dancing everything shut down right now, but before that I was probably dancing two nights a week just for pleasure.

10:15 But everything shut down right now, so we look forward to getting back on the dance floor. But I physically it's starting to be a challenge at 67. I have some problems with my lower back my hips, but I'm still good for a laugh or two around the Dance Floor.

10:36 If I remember correctly, you and Martha I said once Covetous silver going to dance around all of the dance halls in in Amarillo Texas. Am I right or laminate to Amarillo? We might take a road trip Fort Worth has probably the best dancehall is left, but they're scattered all over the state and they have a great hall is the oldest dancehall in Texas from back in the late eighteen hundreds early nineteen hundreds, I guess.

11:09 There's a lot of German communities in Texas.

11:12 That were found. A lot of Germany's Germans came over in the eighteen hundreds and found a community seer.

11:22 That's really interesting. I'm so I did want to ask you and 1982. Can you tell me a little bit about the terlingo World Finals?

11:32 Okay, let me

11:36 Back up a little bit to get to that.

11:40 Back in the 70s

11:45 Put on stilts and was drywalling houses in in house construction. We're into foot stilts and in 1979, I built an outfit for Halloween costume party at the Texas Moon Palace and I built me a giant cowboy outfit with 5 foot leather chaps for leggings and it made me eight foot 3 inside run around the dance floor and let you know have fun doing that and then somebody dared me the next spring to go out to The Big Texan that was actually in 1977 and they dared me to go out to The Big Texan and wear that outfit inside as I put three cowboy and I didn't the owner of The Big Texan came out.

12:36 And shook my hand and reduced himself, and he said, you know young man. He said I'd like to offer you a job. He says I'll pay you just to walk around and be tall.

12:47 And I said, okay and so that's how it came to be at The Big Texan which I still work there today in the entertaining now, but not on the steps and so I was on the still.

13:01 Forever 35 to 40 years, but I was recruited by a chili cook-off team. They have to kill categories in the world's finals that have chili cooking in Showmanship. And so I was recruit recruited by team here in Amarillo called hole-in-one chili to come and build myself and play the fiddle there two worlds finals in 1982.

13:29 And that was the first time I've ever been to the desert or curling what which is real close to Martha. I think y'all are there doing your interviews in that area right now, so we went down there and they probably had over a hundred teams and maybe eight or nine thousand people that attended that it was in its Heyday and way of the first time I ever went to the world's finals. We won the World Championship. It was for entertaining though for Showmanship is what they call it and not for chili cooking. So that's how I wound up with that title. I was qualified this year. We won the Tri-State open in January, which automatically qualifies you for the Worlds Final. So I was qualified again and Showmanship and was really going to take a serious. And another championship.

14:29 And then that was supposed pwned the world's finals this year. But They Carried are qualifications over in the 2001. So I'm actually qualified for the world's finals in November of next year. Next year is not even here yet. That's kind of an oddity.

14:54 The this being on the stilts.

15:01 It's probably some of the most fun times I've had in my life and then some of the most rewarding both financial and personal, you know, with the relationships and just having generally enjoying life and having fun. So and I played the fiddle.

15:23 Memory, well, I'm one of the favorite things. I had the four year old boy who bravely walk up to me one time and and I'm a foot 3 plus I'm wearing a 10-gallon hat and I play the fiddle in later in 1990. I start doing one man show. So I moved over to the guitar on that, but I had a 4 year old boy come up to me.

16:01 It looked me right now. I look me up and down. Let me right now and he said Mr. He said are you the oldest man in the world?

16:11 If I was I was like a tree if I can grow that talk I must have been around so that was a good memory, but I got hard in the

16:31 List celebrity think of the year.

16:36 Thank you. It was around 1984. No, no. No that was in.

16:45 19

16:48 90 Willard Scott came to Amarillo Willard Scott of the NBC Today Show.

16:55 And

16:57 I was not he was doing this weather from Downtown Amarillo and I was not scheduled be on the program. But I knew the station manager there at cajunsea the NBC affiliate here in Amarillo. And so they found an hour early. They route a New York and so they were filming it I think.

17:19 5 in the morning 6 in the morning, and cuz it is from 7 to 9. And so I got up at 5 and went down there and got my stuff to my federal and I took really the worst ugliest Cowboy had a had with me and so I was going to try to get on the program and it was not scheduled to be on it. And so the fat old the station manager, I'd like to you know, what kind of mix it up with weather cuz he's such a fun guy and quick-witted and sold the first segment went by and second and then the third nothing happened in the I was on the sidelines and the sun started coming up and so I put my steps on and I grabbed my federal.

18:10 And I just stood there and had that old half and I started talking and waving and I took me over there and they put me on Willard Scott and I told him that I was the 1992 World Champion showman at the you know, chili cook-off and I misunderstood it and Willard introduce me on on the NBC Today Show on the weather as world champion fiddle player. And I played the fiddle in the good times and was on there for 15 seconds. Then Richard O'Neill who owned the Great Western telephone directories was watching. In fact, I went home and watch myself because we had an hour delay.

18:51 On the Aryan here being Central Time

18:55 And I got a call three days later and Richard heat on the Great Western directories and and they were in 26 cities in Texas, Oklahoma and California and he said they would I saw you on the NBC Today Show and I liked what I saw and he said I'd like for you to come go to work for me just being tall and having fun, you know in their markets and he said I'll pay you real well and I said I'll be right there and I worked with him for 16 years. Just then that's part of that. And those were very very good years traveling and working today. We're Corporation. So I got to work for Corporate America and like some entertainers. I never missed a paycheck and good years and all of that was just from the character that I had invented the Tall Texan.

19:47 The Big Texan

19:52 Got it.

19:56 Moments where you were supposed to take place?

20:03 Well

20:06 Slug looking back on the things I've learned is that

20:12 When Opportunity Knocks

20:16 Answer the door in a three-piece suit and not in your underwear. You know, I just be prepared and the opportunities come along and I think and everybody's like I was just fortunate enough course a lot of that. I was just having fun and evidently. There's a pretty good market for fun. You know, I mean a lot of people make a living doing that but I just decided that's what I would like to do. You know, it's just

20:47 Let's have fun course I still.

20:50 I've had that time jobs and did different things, you know the kind of fell in it wasn't all.

20:59 Just born baby girl party or one big going from town to town just having enjoys, you know, there was they were reality was would creep in on Monday morning, but I got the entertainment with this Corporation. I would do one or two shows a year. They had to Market a big market in Houston and I would entertain at the Johnson Space Center with NASA. We would do some shows with them and they would have a balloon festival down there. I would entertain outside on my steps and play the fiddle in the guitar.

21:37 And I got to work with a lot of great entertainers that I probably wouldn't have met over the years such as the world's Premier washtub player after work with some great friend players. So it has it's been a very rich and the varied.

21:54 Rewarding life I can say that I'm glad that it hasn't always been the easiest or the best choice, you know you but it certainly

22:06 I don't don't guess I'd trade it in and it's been it's been a good run.

22:11 Now, that's awesome. And I know that I really got to meet you with me that you were inducted into the Western swing.

22:27 Well

22:30 I think

22:33 This came about my musical background. I've never had any formal training. I started playing the fiddle as my first instrument. I started playing that when I was

22:46 24 years old and I started entertaining.

22:53 I guess when I was.

22:57 26 and wasn't very good at all, but then got to where I could have some income with it and then in 1990 when I went to work for Great Western directories. I was still working for The Big Texan and entertaining for them at the same time and then Bob Lee passed away in 1982. And so I went strictly with Great Western.

23:23 I never had any formal training. I don't read music and always just hung around with people that were better than me and was able to pick that up been to the Bob Wills music festival in Turkey, Texas, which unbeknownst to me a lot of the people that were on the board of directors and stuff for the Uptown Society of Western swing was the association that the nominating being inducted me for that. They would go there every year and I got to know them and did not know that they were on the board of directors. I think one of the reasons not and I've got to see the out and I've written some songs and I got to entertain with Jimmy young the last fiddle player for Bob Wills, Texas Playboys. He passed away about five years ago. I've been just a great great fiddle player.

24:19 But I think one of the reasons that I was inducted is not outstanding musical career or Talent, even though I play the guitar seven days a week and I teach Western swing dance. It's also half of what the music is. It's all dance music and so on top that and was keeping the dance alive, but I had helped a couple of the western swing entertainers that were struggling because I was able to

25:01 And I believe my nomination.

25:04 Was probably from helping people.

25:08 As much as tile.

25:13 You are definitely a cultural icon. And I love how you know, you've spent so much of your life. Just entertaining others are taking really all the opportunities that were given to you. But also helping people along the way and so I guess you weren't the next question is is what's next. I mean, you've already been inducted you're already doing all these amazing things. You've dance across Texas. Do you have any new apps that are coming up or what are what are your postcode it plant right now?

25:46 Opportunity to write their you're familiar with Texas don't Litter program called Don't Mess with Texas.

25:57 Is raspberry that means a lot of people think that were kind of redneck attitude that's on all of our litter barrels is where that comes from.

26:12 Don't Mess with Texas this don't trash our state

26:17 And right now there's a new that yeah. Yeah. It's it's our litter program and it works extremely. Well, you know, don't throw trash out on the highway, but don't let it rip it up. Put your trash in the trash can and that's what what Don't Mess with Texas but a lot of people think it bothered me. Anyway, they've got a a program going right now to write our newest.

26:42 Jingle for

26:48 For keep Texas beautiful campaign, and I think I'm going to enter that as a songwriter.

26:55 And now it would be I was working on song Set Texas had never been trashy. So let's keep it that way.

27:08 Anyway, I was going to hear that then you know when y

27:14 Gives you lemons you need to make lemonade and so I've been on eBay and I wear a bandana and a I where am I supposed to go to work? But when I entertain I actually wear a full bandana that covers my face and they call him a wild rag. It's no Cowboy deal but it works extremely. Well. I'm able singing even whistle through it and that's how I entertain and entertain three or four hundred people a day and we've been covered free. I've been very fortunate not to have been associated with that, but I went on eBay and ordered me.

28:03 A ventriloquist dummy

28:06 So I'm going to Adam. I'm going to be a ventriloquist now while we've got this covid-19.

28:13 So that's my newest project.

28:21 I'll be behind the mask. So.

28:26 It's an easy fix.

28:29 I can whistle and everything. I'll be the only whistling ventriloquist around that is awesome. Like I've learned about the David waddle that is the best cultural icon and you know this person that is very well known in the Texas community and I want to ask you may be a few like more personal questions about the person David waddle. If you could just describe the kind of person you are and maybe talk a little bit about your family. I mean, do you have family in the Texas area?

29:03 Well, I do.

29:06 My mother is with my youngest and oldest sister.

29:13 They're north of Dallas and she has Alzheimer's she's 89 years old.

29:19 And we just had her birthday went down there for a big birthday party. I was

29:26 Married married to red-headed Irish woman Donna Marie Gregory and we have a beautiful son Daniel and he's 36 years old.

29:39 And the meanest mother are divorced, but Daniel.

29:45 They closed his restaurant down things in the food industry. And so we've been

29:53 Also covet the I have several barbecue pits, and that's my hobby. If I'm not playing music well barbecuing and cooking and so

30:06 Daniel Lewis still

30:10 Is off work right now he's going to try to go back to work but we cook for everybody all summer. We cook ribs. And then the big Texans kind enough to let me have the Beef & Ribs and stuff it cost. And so we cooked all summer for people and tried to make that affordable to help everybody through because the meat prices just kind of doubled in the past. It's been a struggle for everybody. And so that's a help Daniel out and then Scott him through to this point. I have a

30:48 Mallory and Zachary we have as twins. So I have a couple of grandkids my

31:00 Father died when I was 2 years old.

31:04 And then my stepfather died when I was 16.

31:10 And so I was raised by my mother and my grandmother.

31:14 Let's Race would love to laugh

31:25 Would you like to be remembered, you know David waddle oldest person who grew up with a lot of love and Texas from or David waddle this amazing cultural icon in Texas. I'm just like

31:41 Be remembered as being kind.

31:46 Good texting I have.

31:50 Haven't mentioned

31:53 I've entertained at the national Cowboy Symposium down in Lubbock. Are there having their 30th anniversary?

32:03 27th anniversary not entertain the 25 years of those they have that there was one time the largest Chuckwagon Gather in the world and they would have 35 or 40 Chuckwagon sites where I met a lot of my friends a lot of great entertainers. I would go down there and entertain every year or say it was canceled for this year was one of the few years they hadn't had it and that was such a big part of my life. I used to work with Nest, but I used to work.

32:41 On the Chuck Wagon circuit

32:44 And I would travel and entertain and play the guitar and all the way from Houston to Cheyenne and I did that.

32:53 In my 40s and early 50s while I was still physically able to do that. It was one of my favorite things to do but one of the physically hardest things to do even more so walking on stilts for hard enough. That's so I've got to I have problems with my lower back and muscles my hips are okay, but the muscles in my hips are slowing down, but they haven't

33:24 Things hadn't kept me off the dance floor so far. So I still keep keep on keeping on butt.

33:37 You know my musical learn that without any formal training in the the the Bluegrass Association hear a lot of great musicians would help me and share with me what they do and I course I was little bit of monkey see monkey do I can watch people do stuff and mimic that is a big part of my lining, but I'm thankful for them for sharing that with me, but I'd like to certainly be remembered as someone.

34:14 I get to sing.

34:16 A lot of young very young

34:19 Kids and children their very first live concert at The Big Texan. I walk from table to table entertaining and sometimes the kids are jaw-dropping of this be mesmerised and I get to sing the first live concert and that's the that's probably entertaining the kids is sick and couples have been together for 20 and 50 years stuff. Probably some of the highlights of my entertaining career with just remember somebody that would bring joy

34:53 Make life a lot of choices in her life, and I haven't always made the best choices but the entertainment the music investing in people.

35:11 A blank is the

35:13 Is always probably your greatest investment in life.

35:17 And live life enjoy life while you can and I was dancing the two nights a week before the colon came around and I felt kind of bad because I had other projects different things going on. I thought you know, you're dancing two nights a week and you could have been doing something else. And now that we can't dance I can't go out. I should have been dancing for next week.

35:45 Silhouette

35:48 But yeah, it's it's been good. I've been very thankful to

35:55 Glad to be raised in the state of Texas and in the Panhandle. We have a lot of beautiful things you ever get down this way. We have found a Deer Canyon are y'all should Google images of Palo Duro Canyon the second largest canyon in the United States absolutely gorgeous. You'll be fascinated with that lot of good friends and made a lot of lifelong friends when I walked across Texas bball along the way that I'm still friends with today and learned a lot about the actual people country out in the country that live outside the city, but I'm very thankful to have been raised and lived in Texas and the opportunists penalties that I've had and the freedom that I've had in this country to be able to choose.

36:45 You know the path that I'm on or if you don't want to be able to entertain a few of you know, if you have that ability and have the talent.

36:54 And so

36:56 And right now, you know the

36:59 I think the best thing you can do is be kind and help people.

37:03 You know if you're able cuz there's a lot of people that need it and it goes a long ways even if you can help somebody and still be kind.

37:15 You know if you like you read my mind cuz I was going to ask you if there's one thing that you could share with all of us, you know, maybe some words of wisdom. What would it be and I feel like you can't fit that in and that is very true. Just being kind really goes a long way great. And I think of you. Is there anything else that you might want to share with us that you feel like maybe worth of wisdom or or anything? That's really impacted you in your life that you want on this recording?

37:53 You can always tell a Texan but you just can't tell him much.

38:02 Help your fellow man out if you can and if you're not able to have them, you know, you can still be kind just the kindness is so, you know, they have these grants and pledges, you know, where you you can donate $100 and somebody will match and put in another hundred or whatever way your kindness is probably going to be tripled right now because I think it's in a little short supply right now. So we have the ability to do that and I think

38:42 Most people have the need to do that and get back to actual we're social creatures and so it wouldn't be glad when you get back to the way to the dance floor and actually being able to get together with their friends and some hugging.

39:02 And I thank you all for your everything that y'all do. This is a really great opportunity to go ahead and share some stuff. Like I say, I think y'all looking down the road. I was going to ask my friend Mark, you know, he is when he's a brainiac. I was going to ask him or what he predicted artificial intelligence would be like in the year 2050. That would have been an interesting answer and I'll still asking Lana. Hopefully we will once again, I thank you all so very much for everything that y'all are doing it because I think this is a great thing.

39:52 Thank you so much just for sharing your story and for bringing so many amazing people from from Amarillo into our recording industry sharing your life with us. You know, your story is I think it is really important and it really was a privilege just to just sit here and listen to your stories today, Mr. David waddle. So thank you very much. I think every time I think of Amarillo, Texas David waddle great. It ain't over yet. Have you lived here all your life? And I said not yet.

40:37 Well, if I ever make it out to Amarillo, Texas, I hope you take the dancing one day. I'll give you a tour guide through the Canyons the natural Canton.

40:54 That sounds wonderful. Thank you so much.