[Dixielandjazz] Rebecca Thompson Bio

[Texasjazzlover]

I really feel strange writing this, but a couple of listmates have asked
when I was going to write.

My life began in Breckenridge, Texas in January 1941.  I was 16 years
younger than my sister and grew up listening to her music, which was lots of
big band, pop, Spike Jones, Phil Harris.  When I was 5 years old, we moved
to a very small town (about 100 people) in  North Texas.  I took piano
lessons from age 10 to 17, when boys and school activities took over most of
my life.  I attended college at Midwestern University in Wichita Falls,
Texas and married Jim in 1964.

We met on a blind date in 1959 and at that time he told me his ambition was
to play the drums on Bourbon Street and drink beer.  Well... so far he
hasn't played on Bourbon Street.  He was a supermarket manager from age 21
until he retired in 1999 from Albertsons.  He has returned to playing his
drums and had found a group to play with once a month.

I didn't work outside the home while our children (3) were young, but
entered the workforce in 1982 as a secretary for Texas Instruments.  I
continued with them until Raytheon bought the Defense Segment and moved our
factory to Tucson, Arizona in 1999.
At that time I took some college courses on building and repairing computers
and began working at a computer shop one day a week.

Jim has loved OKOM since he was VERY young.  He was born in Vernon, Texas
(birthplace of Jack Teagarden) and would sneak over to "colored town" at
night to hear the music coming from their dance halls.

When we were first dating, I borrowed some of Jim's records, which included
Dukes of Dixieland and Pete Fountain.  I FELL in love with Pete's playing.
However, the Jazz Bug had not bitten me yet.  We saw Louis Armstrong in the
late 60's in Wichita Falls.  Even though I enjoyed the music, I still was
not "into" the music.

Then in 1996, I started looking for something we could share as a hobby,
since all Jim had ever done was WORK long hours.  After Jim drug me to The
Landing to hear Jim Cullum's band, I began to listen more and more to
Riverwalk and through those programs, began to understand the history and
appreciate the musicians as well as the music.  THEN I got the Jazz Disease.

We started going to a few festivals and I found this list.  I didn't stay
very long the first time because of all the "personal" things that were
posted which meant nothing to me.  We started going to the Bavarian Grill in
1997 and began our friendship with Tommy Loy.

I returned to DJML and began to get to know the listmates.  Now I feel like
you are all my extended family.

Thanks Bob Ringwald for suggesting the Bios.  It has been great reading
about everyone!

Regards.

Rebecca Thompson
Flower Mound, TX