Music and dancing brings community together

HUFFINES, Texas — The Phil Cox band at the Huffines Community Center sing Friday certainly had big smiles.

Quite understandable. The band and its musical crowd hadn’t been together for almost two years.

And if there’s one thing a community band has in common, it is to make its listeners feel good. No band member gets paid — maybe supper or lunch — but dancing, a little singing and a lot of memories? Yes, that’s the reward.

The seven members of the Cox band grinned when having their pictures (shown on this page) made for the re-opening of the center. Huffines hosts the band and community supper twice monthly.

The Huffines musicians might be called the Phil Cox band, but it is really a community band often led by Jerry Watkins or Bobby Allday or any other member who will call and get them together.

If these members can show up, they can play — and sing.

At Huffines Friday, the players were Bill Hawkins, J.T. Johnson, Horace Comfort, Tom Wurth, Jerry Watkins, Phil Cox and singers Linda Warrick and Janet Points.

Other community performers substitute in and out of the band. Here, for example, are some of the places where they play:

■ Tuesdays at the noon luncheon of Senior Citizens Center, Atlanta.

■ Two Saturdays monthly at the Huffines Community Center.

■ Special occasions for veteran gatherings such as the J. E. Manning American Legion hall on a recent Friday night.

■ Special occasions at area nursing homes.

■ Some members play regularly in area church bands. And here’s how they play. First, most of the players will have long experience in playing music of this kind. That’s like 80 years in the case of J.T. Johnson of Huffines. Johnson just happens to be a Huffines school alumnus, by the way.

Second, most, if not all, will have a play-book. This is a reference list of 100 to 200 songs with words and chords that they can play and, often, will be asked to sing or solo on their instruments.

Third, the leader, who will have called the band together and made the arrangements, will probably start off with the first few songs. Warm everyone up, don’t you see?

Then, after each song, the group will rest and recoup quietly until someone suggests a song title, calls out the musical key and maybe a direction or two about who will take the solo parts. Then, the song, which everyone has heard and played many times before, will sound out into the room.

The audience is well behaved. If someone dances, all the better. They are remembering where, when and why they heard the music.

Add a little food and refreshment to the event, request a donation or food contribution, be certain to talk to as many people as you can, and be sure to let the elders and younger ones enjoy each other.

That’s the recipe for a community singin’. It’s why everyone will have a smile on their face.

■ Professional performer Tom Wurth of Nashville, TN, happened to be in the area and joined in to play at the re-opening of the Huffines Community Center Friday.

■ The pleasing sound of the saxophone is being added by Bill Hawkins of Vivian, LA, to the band while J. T. Johnson, left, of Huffines, accompanies.

■ Enthusiastic performer Phil Cox plays in and also leads local bands while adding notes from his bass guitar.

Staff photos by Neil Abeles ■ Having the best time dancing at the Huffines community singing are grandfather Tommy Thomas, right, his daughter Sharon Foster and grandson Jensen Foster.

■ “Friends,” the sign says, and so it is for musicians Horace Comfort, left, of Atlanta and Jerry Watkins of Douglassville.

■ Linda Warrick, right, has just told a crowd-pleasing joke about tapping one’s feet to music. “Leads to dancin’,” she said. Laughing with her is singer Janet Points.

■ Johnny Points of Linden returns after a long absence to his post at the piano for the Huffines Community Center band.